Lore City have released two excellent albums so far with Absence And Time (2013) and Kill Your Dreams (2014). Both of these albums are vastly different to each other but show a great style of different genres of music being fused together for quite an emotional journey.
Lore City will be releasing their 3rd full length album Alchemical Task in October 2020.
I recently spoke to Laura from Lore City to find out more about this great band....
Hi Laura from Lore City. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you today?
Things are going well for Eric and I, thanks so much for talking with me.
For people not in the know, can you provide a brief history of how the band came together and where it is today?
Eric and I originally met at Syracuse University in the early 2000s, where we were both art students. Fast forward through the bulk of our twenties, and fate reconnected us. Eric took an interest in the songs I was writing, and we formed Lore City while living in New York. We got married right after recording our first album, Absence and Time. Then we migrated from Brooklyn to Chicago and secured a 2013 release on Already Dead Tapes and Records.
We kept writing songs and honed our sound playing shows across Chicago. In 2014 our second album, Kill Your Dreams, was co-released by Already Dead Tapes and Records and 1980 Records. We now live in Portland, Oregon, where we’re very excited about releasing our third album, Alchemical Task, this October.
I admire how you blend different styles such as Post-Rock, Indie Rock and Psychedelic Rock but bring your own creative style as well. How would you describe your music to a potential new listener?
I say, art rock—that term lets us shift around a bit like you said. I would describe our music simply as existential, poetic, and moody.
You’ve recently re-released your 2013 debut album Absence and Time earlier this year. How did that come about? Were you unhappy with the original version?
Not at all, we re-released Absence and Time because we had it remastered by Carl Saff. He had mastered our second and third albums, so in retrospect, we wanted him to do the first one too. It was a celebration of our roots as we moved forward.
I’ve only heard the remastered version but it’s an excellent sounding album. Are there any differences between the 2020 version and the original?
Thanks, yes, we changed the order of the songs, just for fun. We also replaced the original version of Heiress with an alternate version we recorded later in 2013.
You will be releasing your 3rd album, Alchemical Task, in October 2020, which I’m so looking forward to. What is that album about? It looks like quite a powerful and progressive album from the press release I read.
Thanks so much, the album is about how people are actually spiritual beings having a human experience—that’s the “alchemical task”. Going a step further, how do we begin to express and embody that we’re all one consciousness experiencing life subjectively? These have always been the themes of Lore City songs, but on this album, they’ve come to the forefront in a more realized way.
Was this a hard album to write and record compared to your previous albums?
From the moment we committed to recording a new album, all the writing and recording happened fairly quickly and easily. But leading up to that moment, we had gone through years of recording, while trying to find the spirit of the project again. So, it was a long climb with a huge breakthrough.
What influenced or inspired you when making this album?
Recently, I have been unequivocally inspired by the music and live performances of Thom Yorke and Radiohead, as well as Michael Gira and Swans. I also did a lot of reading on reincarnation.
What comes first for you when you record new music? Lyrics or Music?
Music comes first, while I keep a rotating selection of lyrics on hand. Eric makes a soundscape with beats, drones, and melodies, then shares it with me. And like navigating a Ouija board, I listen, and some force guides me to the right lyrics. Then I usually add additional instrumentation of my own.
You’ve had six years between your 2nd album and upcoming 3rd album. Did you have a break from Lore City or was the timing not right to record new music?
Hi Laura from Lore City. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you today?
Things are going well for Eric and I, thanks so much for talking with me.
For people not in the know, can you provide a brief history of how the band came together and where it is today?
Eric and I originally met at Syracuse University in the early 2000s, where we were both art students. Fast forward through the bulk of our twenties, and fate reconnected us. Eric took an interest in the songs I was writing, and we formed Lore City while living in New York. We got married right after recording our first album, Absence and Time. Then we migrated from Brooklyn to Chicago and secured a 2013 release on Already Dead Tapes and Records.
We kept writing songs and honed our sound playing shows across Chicago. In 2014 our second album, Kill Your Dreams, was co-released by Already Dead Tapes and Records and 1980 Records. We now live in Portland, Oregon, where we’re very excited about releasing our third album, Alchemical Task, this October.
I admire how you blend different styles such as Post-Rock, Indie Rock and Psychedelic Rock but bring your own creative style as well. How would you describe your music to a potential new listener?
I say, art rock—that term lets us shift around a bit like you said. I would describe our music simply as existential, poetic, and moody.
You’ve recently re-released your 2013 debut album Absence and Time earlier this year. How did that come about? Were you unhappy with the original version?
Not at all, we re-released Absence and Time because we had it remastered by Carl Saff. He had mastered our second and third albums, so in retrospect, we wanted him to do the first one too. It was a celebration of our roots as we moved forward.
Thanks, yes, we changed the order of the songs, just for fun. We also replaced the original version of Heiress with an alternate version we recorded later in 2013.
You will be releasing your 3rd album, Alchemical Task, in October 2020, which I’m so looking forward to. What is that album about? It looks like quite a powerful and progressive album from the press release I read.
Thanks so much, the album is about how people are actually spiritual beings having a human experience—that’s the “alchemical task”. Going a step further, how do we begin to express and embody that we’re all one consciousness experiencing life subjectively? These have always been the themes of Lore City songs, but on this album, they’ve come to the forefront in a more realized way.
Was this a hard album to write and record compared to your previous albums?
From the moment we committed to recording a new album, all the writing and recording happened fairly quickly and easily. But leading up to that moment, we had gone through years of recording, while trying to find the spirit of the project again. So, it was a long climb with a huge breakthrough.
What influenced or inspired you when making this album?
Recently, I have been unequivocally inspired by the music and live performances of Thom Yorke and Radiohead, as well as Michael Gira and Swans. I also did a lot of reading on reincarnation.
What comes first for you when you record new music? Lyrics or Music?
Music comes first, while I keep a rotating selection of lyrics on hand. Eric makes a soundscape with beats, drones, and melodies, then shares it with me. And like navigating a Ouija board, I listen, and some force guides me to the right lyrics. Then I usually add additional instrumentation of my own.
You’ve had six years between your 2nd album and upcoming 3rd album. Did you have a break from Lore City or was the timing not right to record new music?
Both—we took a break when we moved out west, and then we took our time developing and recording our new sound.
COVID-19 has pretty much put a stop to all life as we know it for the time being. How has it affected Lore City? And how are you surviving in this stressful time?
We’ve become quite reclusive over the years, so this downtime hasn’t changed our lives much. We’re lucky to have all of the people that we love safe and healthy, so we’re thankful. We get through the stress with eating healthy, daily exercise, and creative outlets. For a good zone-out session, we’ll kick back with some sci-fi movies.
After everything is back to some sort of normality, what does the future hold for Lore City? Will you be touring in support of the new album?
Our future definitely holds more albums—we haven’t stopped recording since we finished Alchemical Task. One day there will be shows again, but until then, we’re just as happy to focus on recording new music.
Who is releasing the album and what formats is the album being released on?
Alchemical Task is being released under the Lore City Music imprint. As vinyl lovers, we’re releasing the album as an LP, and of course it will be available as a digital download too. And for total availability, it will also be “free” to stream.
The album cover for the upcoming new album is excellent. Who designed the cover and how much input did you have into the overall design of the cover?
We owe the magic of the album cover to Nancy L. Greco. I came up with the initial concept after seeing one of her drawings from the early 1980s. The circle was inspired by the zodiac wheel, and the shapes themselves were mostly picked from Nancy’s existing drawings and paintings. The back cover of the album reveals the constellations of both my and Eric’s respective sun signs, Sagittarius and Scorpio.
COVID-19 has pretty much put a stop to all life as we know it for the time being. How has it affected Lore City? And how are you surviving in this stressful time?
We’ve become quite reclusive over the years, so this downtime hasn’t changed our lives much. We’re lucky to have all of the people that we love safe and healthy, so we’re thankful. We get through the stress with eating healthy, daily exercise, and creative outlets. For a good zone-out session, we’ll kick back with some sci-fi movies.
After everything is back to some sort of normality, what does the future hold for Lore City? Will you be touring in support of the new album?
Our future definitely holds more albums—we haven’t stopped recording since we finished Alchemical Task. One day there will be shows again, but until then, we’re just as happy to focus on recording new music.
Who is releasing the album and what formats is the album being released on?
Alchemical Task is being released under the Lore City Music imprint. As vinyl lovers, we’re releasing the album as an LP, and of course it will be available as a digital download too. And for total availability, it will also be “free” to stream.
We owe the magic of the album cover to Nancy L. Greco. I came up with the initial concept after seeing one of her drawings from the early 1980s. The circle was inspired by the zodiac wheel, and the shapes themselves were mostly picked from Nancy’s existing drawings and paintings. The back cover of the album reveals the constellations of both my and Eric’s respective sun signs, Sagittarius and Scorpio.
What have been your favourite records that you’ve heard this year, regardless of genre?
I’m going to veer a bit on this one and share with you what really inspired me to keep making music—the film portrait of Swans, “Where Does A Body End?”, directed by Marco Porsia. The film celebrates Michael Gira as a modern-day musical shaman, operating outside of the mainstream, and succeeding in finding an international audience. I loved watching the backstory unfold—how he never compromised his sound, and how he never gave up. Gira is in his 60s and making his best work.
Thanks for doing this interview. Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom that you want to say to your fans?
Thank you so much for talking with me. For everyone out there, I’d like to say—you are not alone, and this is not the end. Choose love over fear as much as you can.
Thanks to Laura and Lore City for all of the press materials used for this article.
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