Here’s the thing about singers you may know named “Lana”. Lana Del Rey’s actual name is Elizabeth. She chose the stage name “Lana” after Lana Turner, a film actress from Hollywood’s Golden Age whose mystique made her a leading lady. But even Lana Turner’s real name was Julia. This name “Lana” carries with it a sense of darkness, mystery, and captivation.
The vocalist and guitarist behind Minneapolis shoegaze group Lana Leone is… Alana Christen. Alana, Lana. Close enough.
In any case, Lana Leone has a new single out called “Isabell”, and it contains all of the haze and churning dark atmosphere that you would expect from high-quality shoegaze. Christen’s voice rings high and melodic over the distorted music, which ebbs and flows from withdrawn and pondering to high-octane grunge, like a storm brewing. At about two minutes in, the band opens up the rainclouds and sends a torrent of sound down from the heavens.
While Christen is the namesake of the band and the owner of its mystical voice, Josh Frenier and Brandon Tang back her up on their thunderous guitars, with Tang also providing the pounding drums. Brandon Burmeister handles the low end of things on bass. All together, they form a unit that doesn’t hold back when it comes to raw sonic output rife with emotion.
“Isabell” channels early Smashing Pumpkins and Slowdive, making Lana Leone one of the next big shoegaze acts to watch out of the Twin Cities. Take a listen to “Isabell” below and follow Lana Leone on Instagram to keep up with their latest music.
Written by Will Sisskind
