BUFFALO, NY- Mix in a classic indie rock sound aesthetic with pop oriented tones and you’ve got Arizona’s own, Lydia. Acting as direct support for numerous popular acts in the past, Lydia has gained a lot of attention and a respectable following over the years. This time around on their 2018 tour across North America, they are opening for emo/pop punk rockers Moose Blood (an odd pairing if you are familiar with both band’s music), I got to catch Lydia’s stirring set at the Town Ballroom which was a great representation on just how far these guys have come.
2003 marked the year when Lydia was first formed, and a listen to old and new recordings in their repertoire group reveals that they have really honed and matured their sound overtime. With the release of their latest single titled “Goodside”, any fan of these guys can tell that they have added some new elements into their already existing sound. Deploying the usage of synth and electronic beats that create darker overtones, Leighton Antelman’s rich vocal range plays very well off these new textures.
This was heavily bolstered by their live performance, which was enjoyable to witness. Antelman’s soft/powerful voice and then band’s intricate keys, heavy bass, catchy guitar rifts was perfectly accented by the low lighted atmosphere which shrouded Lydia in dark colors. You could tell there were quite a number of fans in attendance for them considering half the crowd was singing along and harmonizing with Antelman during Lydia’s 30 minute set, but Lydia’s live performance impressed those fully initiated with their music as well, like myself. It is always great to discover music that captures the listener’s senses, and that is exactly what Lydia’s sound achieved with me.
Their material, old and new, calls to mind occurrences that we as individuals handle at one time or another in our lives: youth, ignorance, love, heartache. However, Lydia addresses these topics in such a way with their sound that no matter what meaning it has, you’ll walk away with a new found love for this band. A band that sounds killer in the studio and stellar on stage is very hard to come by nowadays, but Lydia is definitely one of the few. No doubt, these Arizona indie rockers are busting down each obstacle on their way to bigger and better things.
Lydia’s new album, “Liquor”, is set for release on July 13th, 2018.
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