Landshapes is a UK band known for their psychedelic take on the alternative rock genre. They are eclectic and tend to play a variety of music that doesn’t fit into just one genre. Their take on music utilizes effects combined with forlorn pop melodies, palpitating percussion and layered harmonies that elicit ethereal sorrows and wonderful broken down emotions and imagery.
They were formally known as Lulu and the Lampshades. The band’s four members are Dan Blackett, Jemma Freeman, Heloise Tunstall-Behrens and Luisa Gerstein. As Lulu and the Lampshades band members Heloise Tunstall-Behrens and Luisa Gerstein became a viral hit in 2009 on YouTube after their rendition of Carter Family’s 1931 hit “When I’m Gone” also known as Cups reached over 3 million views and counting. They were the first to perform the song in way that associated the song with the cups game and forever renamed the song “Cups (When I’m Gone)”.
The band got its start pretty organically; initially it started with Heloise and Luisa who were school friends, Jemma was invited to play bass on very short notice for one gig. She liked it and never left, Dan was seen playing drums in another band at a gig the trio was at and they found his creative approach as something that could work well with what we they were doing. The band became a quartet under the moniker Lulu and The Lampshades until they played a show in Paris and their name was misspelt as Landshapes. This title evoked so much imagery for the quartet they decided to keep it.
Landshapes live performances can be quite organic and experimental. They play around with different sounds, and alternate between various instruments and often use house-hold objects including typewriters for percussion, plastic cups and tea chests. As to what started this unique way of performing the band states “paying songs live always allows for different interpretations and versions of the songs to be realized. It’s sometimes possible and interesting to play melodies or beats on different instrumentation. It’s great to be part of an audience and feel that you are seeing something unique, it makes the experience of watching something live relevant and engaging.” There is never a dull moment with Landshapes.
They released their debut album “Rambutan” on the indie record label Bella Union on June, 17, 2013. They choose the name “not so much after fruit but for the sound the word makes”. The album produced by Ash Workman is a mixture of old songs and new songs reworked and edited skillfully and meticulously. Their song “In Limbo” embodies courage and aims to be a dignified celebration of courage its jamming harmonies aim to portray a fight but not in a violent bad way more in a powerful strength way. According to band member Luisa Gerstein “It’s always felt like a fighting song both musically and lyrically” and what better way to showcase that strength then with Cholita’s Bolivian female wrestlers. She was enamored with them ever since she saw photos of the Cholita wrestlers at a photography exhibition several years ago. It was such a powerful image, especially in Latin American society where being both indigenous and a woman is like being a double sub-class. The song’s video truly is a triumphant tribute to those women who are truly powerful. “Demons” is a song from their Lulu and the Lampshades days yet it’s reworking on the album truly illustrates their evolution as a band. It creeps in with an eerie Tim- Burtonesque chords that pair nicely with such hauntingly beautiful lyrics as “that you’ve punctured me and raptured at the scenes, and always strange to me, but I’ll do my best to keep the rest from falling out”. Landshapes are truly a band like no other you can check out their music and merchandise on their website http://landshapesmusic.com/ or feel free to get their latest albums on iTunes.