When Paul Jason Klein decided to fly to LA to meet up with friends Leslie (Les) Priest and Jake Goss in 2014, LANY was born. LANY was born. Priest and Goss had been working on their own project, WRLDS, but this was quickly discontinued after LANY was formed. The band’s name, pronounced Lay-nee, is a reference to New York and Los Angeles as well as their goal of having their music reach from coast to coast. Considering their contrasting styles of music, they managed to blend those differences into the band’s signature sound. Inspired by California sunsets and young heartbreak, LANY’s dreamy synth-pop sound is reminiscent of summer love. With limited resources, the band began making music in a small bedroom in Nashville. Within four days, they released the tracks “Hot Lights” and “Walk Away” on SoundCloud anonymously, unaware of where their musical ambitions would take them.
LANY’s growth was not immediate, but rather a steady incline. The band released multiple songs before revealing their identity. Shortly after dropping their first two songs, they came out with their debut EP Acronyms. In 2015, they went on tour with artists such as Tove Styrke and X Ambassadors, which allowed them to build more of a following. From there, they started playing festivals and released their second EP, the five-track I Loved You. One song off of the EP, “ILYSB,” generated a huge amount of online popularity and even garnered attention from celebrities. In December of that year, the band signed to Polydor Records and dropped a re-release EP titled Make Out, which included songs released before I Loved You. They then began to go on tour with bigger artists like Ellie Goulding and Troye Sivan. This ultimately led them to their own US headline tour, The Make Out Tour. In June of 2017, they released their debut self-titled album, consisting of new singles as well as their most popular, “ILYSB.” Their first full-length album proved to be a success, as it peaked at number four on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart. In 2019, they released their sophomore LP, Malibu Nights, which was inspired by Klein’s difficult breakup from pop singer Dua Lipa. This release was followed by an international tour that led to very successful collaborations while on the road. In particular, “Mean It,” featuring Lauv, became their first track to reach the Billboard Hot 100. In 2020, they announced the release of their third studio album, Mama’s Boy. The new album is meant to be a nostalgic tribute to their roots. With their steady growth in popularity and unique blend of musical styles, it is safe to say this band has fulfilled its goal of spreading its music from coast to coast.
Written by: Sophie Wade