“’Strawberry’ was an integral part of discovering the landscape that the other songs on the album would eventually live within,” says Jake Brooks, guitarist of NYC-based noise rock/shoegaze outfit Laveda on the band’s newest single/video from their anticipated third album, Love, Darla (out September 12, 2025 via Bar/None Records). Evolving organically from a spontaneous session, “Strawberry” captures Laveda at a formative point in their creative evolution – where raw ideas, tested live on tour, gave way to a fully realized sonic identity.
“Strawberry started as a jam between Ali [Genevich, lead vocalist] on bass and me on guitar,” Jake adds. “We sent it to Joe [Taurone, drummer] and he completely expanded it into this sick drum part.” Performing the song at live shows and essentially workshopping it on stage, the band worked this and ‘Heaven‘ during live sets and evolved it into full songs. “Playing unfinished music live helped us discover what made the songs tick.We made tweaks over time and eventually ended up with something much more refined. It was an integral part of shaping the entire record.”
For Ali, writing “Strawberry” meant diving deep and mining her own psyche for inspiration. “It’s about trying to escape from your inner demons. It’s incredibly inspiring to create art in NYC, but the noise – literal and figurative – makes it overwhelming,” she explains. “Social media doesn’t help. People say messed up things in comments. It bums me out. I guess I consider myself to be whatever the opposite of a parasocial is.”
In addition, Laveda is also announcing a tour across the States that will see them perform in major markets such as Chicago, IL; St Louis, MO; Nashville, TN; Austin, TX; Los Angeles, CA and San Francisco, CA with more shows to be announced in the coming weeks.
Laveda tour dates:
September 16 Brooklyn, NY Baby’s Alright (album release)
September 18 Rochester, NY Bugjar
September 19 Buffalo, NY Revolution Gallery Lounge
September 20 Cincinnati, OH MOTR
September 21 Chicago, IL Burlington Bar
September 22 Indianapolis, IN Healer
September 23 St Louis, MO Sink Hole
September 24 Nashville, TN Basement (matinee show)
September 25 Dallas, TX TX Tea Room
September 26 Austin, TX Mohawk (Levitation – support for The Dandy Warhols)
September 27 El Paso, TX Rosewood Bar
September 28 Phoenix, AZ Thunderbird Lounge
September 30 San Diego, CA Soda Bar
October 1 Los Angeles, CA Permanent Records Roadhouse (late show)
October 2 Las Vegas, NV Grey Witch
October 5 San Francisco, CA Kilowatt Bar
October 10 Seattle, WA Conor Byrne
October 11 Richland, WA Ray’s Golden Lion
October 12 Bellingham, WA The Shakedown (support for Shilpa Ray)
October 14 Salt Lake City, UT International
October 16 Kansas City, MO miniBar
October 17 Padukah, KY Padukah Beerworks
“Strawberry” follows the band’s gripping singles “Heaven” and “Cellphone,” each revealing a new shade of the band’s ever-evolving palette. Where “Heaven” summoned the neon-streaked chaos of late-night wanderings and East Village nostalgia, and “Cellphone” dissected digital burnout with jagged guitar lines and punk smirks. “Strawberry” bridges the two – a woozy meditation brimming with atmosphere, honesty, and sonic abandon.
Set against the jagged concrete of their current home just outside of Manhattan in Queens, NY and the soft glow of its city’s late-night subway platforms, Laveda’s third LP Love, Darla presents their most experimental and emotionally resonant work yet. Co-written and performed by founding duo Ali Genevich and Jake Brooks, with contributions from bassist Dan Carr and drummer Joe Taurone, the album trades the pastoral tones of their Upstate NY roots for the frayed edges and fractured beauty of New York City.
Laveda will celebrate the release of Love, Darla with select shows this fall, including their recently announced album release show in Brooklyn at Baby’s Alright on September 16.
“Strawberry” is out now on all major streaming platforms. Love, Darla is available September 12, 2025 via Bar/None Records.
Love, Darla Tracklist:
- Care
- Cellphone
- I Wish
- Dig Me Out
- Strawberry
- Heaven
- Highway Meditation
- Bonehead
- Tim Burton’s Tower
- Lullaby