LANY

About LANY

LANY started as one of those bedroom pop projects that somehow made it out of the bedroom. Paul Klein, Jake Gourley, and Les Priest began working together remotely in 2014, scattered across Nashville and Los Angeles, sending files back and forth until they decided to actually be in the same room. They moved to LA, adopted the LANY name, and started releasing tracks on SoundCloud with minimal context or explanation, which in 2014 was still a viable way to build mystery.

The approach worked. Their early EPs caught on through that particular mid-2010s alchemy of moody synth-pop, relatable lyrics about relationships, and strategic opacity. Songs like "ILYSB" became streaming hits before they'd played more than a handful of shows. The sound was clean, professional, indebted to 1980s pop but filtered through modern production. Think The 1975 but more straightforward, less interested in genre experiments.

Their self-titled debut album dropped in 2017 and did exactly what it needed to do. "The Breakup" and "Super Far" established Klein as someone who could write about romantic dysfunction without getting too clever about it. He meant what he said, even when what he said was kind of obvious. That directness became their thing. The album went to number three on the Billboard alternative chart and confirmed they had an audience beyond SoundCloud kids.

Malibu Nights arrived in 2018 and centered entirely on Klein's breakup with pop singer Dua Lipa, though he never said her name. The title track became their biggest song, a genuine crossover moment that sounded massive on headphones and somehow even better in arenas. The whole album leaned into heartbreak with no self-consciousness about it. Some people found it emotionally honest. Others found it a bit much. Both readings are fair.

They've kept going at a steady clip. Mama's Boy came out in 2020, swapping some of the synth polish for guitar and leaning into Klein's Oklahoma roots. It felt like a bid for longevity, showing they could do more than one thing. gg bb xx in 2021 went back to breakup territory, because that's the well they know how to draw from.

Their sound hasn't radically evolved, but it's become more confident. They've figured out how to fill big rooms, turned into reliable festival bookings, built a dedicated fan base that treats their lyrics like scripture. Klein remains the focal point, his voice and romantic neuroses driving everything.

LANY exists in that space where indie credibility and pop accessibility overlap just enough to keep both camps interested. They're not reinventing anything, but they've gotten very good at what they do. Whether that's enough depends on what you need from your sad pop music.

LANY shows feel like intimate hangouts in larger spaces. Crowds are quietly attentive rather than rowdy, singing along to every word. The band keeps things understated—minimal stage presence, focus on the songs. There's a contemplative mood, though the energy builds notably on their more upbeat tracks. Not a lot of banter, mostly just the music doing the work.

Known for ILYSB, 13, Thick and Thin, Current Location, Pancho Villa

See LANY Live