releases January 27, 2016

Hailing from Australia’s capital city Canberra, LAVERS are a four-piece band known for their energetic live shows, singalong choruses and intricate recordings. The nucleus of the band consists of the Lavers brothers Dom (lyricist and lead singer) and Seb (composer and multi-instrumentalist).

Dom and Seb have a passion for music from many different eras, and the band’s sound can be hard to pin down. There are strains of Led Zeppelin’s acoustic work as well as an appreciation for cult-favourites Big Star. The band tips its hat to legendary British bands such as the Smiths, the Cure, the Verve and Bends-era Radiohead, while also expressing admiration for the classic American sounds of Wilco, Grant Lee Buffalo and Ryan Adams.

Recording of the debut album Thought I Was King had to wait until drummer Matt Barnes finished building his own studio (converting his humble backyard shed into a professional recording studio). However, this allowed the band to move at its own pace, refining its craft and working on the songs until all members were satisfied with the results. The album combines the passion of the band’s live performances with lush and multilayered arrangements, rewarding both casual listener and music aficionado alike.

Thought I Was King was recorded by Matthew Barnes at Studio 68, Canberra. The album was mixed by Matthew Barnes (Studio Sixty-Eight) and Simon Todkill (Studios 301)

Band members:

Dominic Lavers (vocals)
Sebastian Lavers (guitars, keys, backing vocals).
Matthew Barnes (drums, backing vocals)
Ben Cumming (bass, backing vocals)

Thought I Was King - song-by-song descriptions (* = recommended tracks):

1. Phoenix Rising (5.42)*

Delicate acoustic guitars and atmospheric percussion unexpectedly give way to a lumbering bass groove and thunderous drums - it's a three-part monster.

2. Stolen Flowers (4.12)

Mandolins and McCartney-esque bass drive along this wistful ode to young love.

3. Death Rattle (3.36)*

Part Surf Rock, part Exile-era Stones, with insistent percussion underpinning a crooning vocal. The song is inspired by the seemingly futile pursuit of success in the music industry.

4. Old-Fashioned Girl (4.10)

A pretty girl, a red dress and a guitar line that gets stuck in your head for days.

5. I See Her in the Distance (5.00)

A string and piano-laden ballad about all-consuming obsession. The song was inspired by a trip to the red light district in Amsterdam, and the sorrow felt for the young girls working on the streets.

6. Never Love a Wild Thing (4.06)

Words of longing and regret set to an urgent drum part and layers of shimmering Smiths-style guitars.

7. Drowning Man (6.33)

An infectious semi-Latin groove slinks its way to an explosive, Western-themed finale (complete with El Mariachi trumpets).

The song is inspired by a bi-polar episode suffered by a family friend, who was struggling with having to take on the responsibility of having his first child.

8. Our Little Empire (3.35)*

Lush acoustic guitars and earthy percussion provide the soundtrack for a slowly fading romance.

9. Coast to Coast (3.29)*

Singalong choruses and summery vibes for a lost friend. The song was inspired by Kurt (25), an aspiring political leader with a promising future, who was killed in a Bolivian bus accident in late 2014.

10. Stars on Parade (3.32)

A lullaby for the lovers.

11. Our Love Will Bleed (6.35)

An epic, slow-burning plea for togetherness set against a backdrop of Zeppelin-esque rhythms and shoegaze guitars.

12. Bloodletting (4.21)

Intimate in its sparseness, with little more than a fragile vocal and simple piano part, as much a sigh as a song.

13. Forever, Your Protector (2.39)

A story of betrayal.