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SON LUX share 2nd single from ‘Tomorrows III’
Son Lux have shared a second single taken from the third and final volume of their ambitious three-part album, ‘Tomorrows’. ‘Tomorrows III’ will be released digitally onApril 16th via City Slang with the full physical release of all three volumes of ‘Tomorrows’ setfor July 30th.
On “Vacancy,” LA-based vocalist Kiah Victoria, who previously collaborated with drummer Ian Chang on his solo record, is featured in duet with the band’s singer, Ryan Lott. Shimmering, shuddering sounds operate in call and response with the pair, as drummer Ian Chang maintains a steady whisper of percussion with pieces of furniture and fabric.
Like its mood, the song is open-handed: “If I can’t give you what you need, I’ll make the vacancy.” Giving way to a simmering bassline from guitarist Rafiq Bhatia, the music assumes a new trajectory in its closing moments. A potent question lingers in refrain: “Can I love you more just by leaving?”
Arriving at a time of considerable uncertainty in the world, Son Lux’s multi-album ‘Tomorrows’ is ambitious in scope and intent. Born of an active, intentional approach to shaping sound, the music reminds us of the necessity of questioning assumptions, and of sitting with the tension.
Ryan Lott, Rafiq Bhatia, and Ian Chang train their sights on volatile principles: imbalance, disruption, collision, redefinition. But for all of its instability, Tomorrows’ exploration of breaking points and sustained frictional places is ultimately in service of something rewarding and necessary: the act of questioning, challenging, tearing down and actively rebuilding one’s own identity.
From the start, Son Lux has operated as something akin to a sonic test kitchen. The band strives to question deeply held assumptions about how music is made and re-construct it from a molecular level. What began as a solo project for founder Ryan Lott expanded in 2014, thanks to a kinship with Ian Chang and Rafiq Bhatia too strong to ignore. The trio strengthened their chemistry and honed their collective intuition while creating, releasing, and touring five recordings, including LPs Bones (2015) and Brighter Wounds (2018). A carefully cultivated musical language rooted in curiosity and balancing opposites largely eschews genre and structural conventions.
And yet, the band remains audibly indebted to iconoclastic artists in soul, hip-hop, and experimental improvisation who themselves carved new paths forward. Distilling these varied influences, Son Lux searches for equilibrium of raw emotional intimacy and meticulous electronic constructions.
‘Tomorrows III’ will be released digitally on April 16th via City Slang and will be released physically in its entirety on July 30th. Pre-order links here: https://sonlux.lnk.to/Tomorrows_III