Locally, the band will be celebrating at 3Ten Austin on November 26th alongside Superfonicós Jaime Ospina and presented by KUTX.
Austin's multilingual folk fusion group, Ley Line has announced a new single "Postcards," which will be released on November 12, 2021. This is the first single and taste from a brand new album that is currently in the works. The band is hot on the heels of their 2020 critically acclaimed album We Saw Blue, that saw praise from NPR (as top pick of SXSW 2021), Billboard, Brooklyn Vegan, PopMatters, alongside high profile Spotify playlists boosting play counts to 800,000 and rising. Ley Line also received a grant from the prestigious Black Fret organization in 2019 and performed at the esteemed Austin City Limits Festival the same year.
In addition, they also released a visual album "We Saw Blue: An audio-visual journey through Brasil" which was filmed & produced by Ley Line, combining footage from their 2017 tour through Brasil with the songs featured on the band's sophomore album. Locally, the band will be celebrating at 3Ten Austin on November 26th alongside Superfonicós Jaime Ospina and presented by KUTX. Another bonus will be the screening of their visual film, which will only be the second time in their hometown. Tickets are available at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/3A005B21C8334E71.
As the group prepared for the premiere of their visual album at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Ley Line spent the week in the studio laying down tracks for a brand new album. A mix of new and old, this first release is a song that Kate Robberson started to write years ago after the group's first tour in 2016. The lyrics speak to the journeys we share with our closest friends; the life changing memories, the love, and the longing when one chapter ends and a new one is yet to begin. During a songwriting retreat sponsored by Black Fret in April 2021, Emilie Basez jammed some jazzy chords she was working with to sing her own version of Anderson Paak's, "Downtown" when Kate recognized the progression as a perfect fit for the lyrics and melody for her tune "Postcards." Lydia Fronceck jumped in, adding French lyrics that lift up the theme of connection and relationship. During the production, Emilie imagined stacked harmonies reminiscent of Stevie Wonder and Brazilian Tropidelico. Bass and percussion provide a solid foundation for the lush vocals to stand out.
Recorded in May of 2021, the song was tracked with ease and joy. And that's exactly the vibe they were going for. Something that feels good and welcomes you in. The group took the song on the road during their summer tour. From festivals to clubs, people are coming back together after the past year and a half. The band adds, "It was amazing to have people dancing along to a song to remind us how precious connection and support are in our lives."
Kate describes, "'Postcards' spark an image of travel, adventure, distance, and connection. An analog way of reaching the ones we love. And this particular song is about waiting for a postcard or wanting to reach someone and not knowing where they are. Before we shared our lives on social media, a postcard is much like a bookmark in a story; a token of love and longing. In a moment of pause and reflection, we wait for the story to pick back up again."
The song was recorded at the ChurchHouse studio in East Austin with David Garza producing and David Boyle Engineering. The final track was mixed by Claudio Ramirez. The band highlights, "We loved recording at the ChurchHouse, it's been a dream of ours since we recorded our second album and since all four of us live in East Austin it felt really nice to be recording in our own neighborhood." "Postcards" is a special song to the band as they state, "This song feels like a bridge between where we've come from and where we're headed. On the one hand we have our signature harmonies and interwoven vocals in English, French, and Portuguese. But what sets this song apart is the instrumentation. You'll hear electric guitar and bass which is a different texture altogether from our usual acoustic instrumentation. We are excited to be expanding our instrumental pallet, it's like adding new colors to our paint set."
The band concludes about celebrating in Austin at 3Ten with the visual album aspect too, "Screening the visual album is a really special addition to the show that helps bring the music to life and creates a profound sensation for the audience. It's more than just a concert, it's an experience, it's a conversation, it's a journey to Brazil that reminds us of our deep connection to each other that spans continents and languages and even time. Coming out of the pandemic we are all seeking reconnection and I think this show, the day after Thanksgiving, will be a reminder to cherish the inspiring and creative community around us."
Find out more info on the concert and tickets at https://3tenaustin.com/calendar.
MEMBERS:
Emilie Basez: Guitar/Vocals
Madeleine Froncek: Upright Bass/Vocals
Kate Robberson: Ukulele/Vocals
Lydia Froncek: Percussion/Vocals
LINKS:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/leyline
Website: www.leylinesound.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/leylinesound
Instagram: www.instagram.com/leylinesound
Twitter: www.twitter.com/leylinesound
Videos