Lanterns on the Lake

Lanterns on the Lake are returning to Sage Gateshead later this year off the back of their much-anticipated album, Versions of Us, which will be released on the 2 June. This self-produced fifth studio album follows 2020’s Mercury nominated Spook the Herd. Its nine songs are existential meditations examining life’s possibilities, facing the hand we’ve been dealt and the question of whether we can change our individual and collective destinies. Each song’s journey is matched beautifully by the band’s performances. The grumbling, staticky synths of “Rich Girls” cede to an ascending, spine-tingling bridge of sinuous guitar and bass. “Vatican” pivots on a bluesy, midnight-black riff from ever-inventive Paul Gregory and a muted bassline from Bob Allan on a song about love’s quiet reliability. “Real Life” hares from the traps, aquaplaning on the surface tension of its fuzzing guitars and chiming central hook – a blast of indie rock on an album full of musical high-watermarks for the band. “Of course we enjoy every gig we play on tour but it always leads up to the most special night of them all – our hometown show. The Sage has been a big part of our journey as a band. We’ll be looking forward to that Friday night in December, playing songs new and old and sharing it with the people who have been on this journey with us since the very beginning.”