Words By: Natalina Zieman

The world was first introduced to Laundry Day in the summer of 2017, and from the start they made it clear they wanted to use their own unique sound. Inspired by bands like Brockhampton and artists like Tyler the Creator, Laundry Day used the pop-rap inspo and eventually added an electronic/dance twist – a very original sound that has very much gotten noticed. The band – made up of Jude Ciulla (lead vocals), Sawyer Nunes (lead vocals/guitarist/pianist), Etai Abramovich (drums), Henry Weingartner a.k.a HW (guitarist), and Henry Pearl a.k.a HP (bassist) – is based out of New York City, not even done with high school school and have only just played their first show at the beginning of this year.

Though the boys have only just begun, they quickly found themselves in Los Angeles, back in November, as part of Tyler the Creator’s Camp Flog lineup and now, at the very end of the year, they’ve found themselves opening for bands like The 1975 and are currently in Europe opening for Caliro.

Singles “Harvard” and “CHA” off their summer release HOMESICK especially highlighted their uniqueness and showed their influences make them an upbeat alt. pop act with a hip-hop feel. These influences, while completely valid, stem from the common occurrence with new, up-incoming bands -they still feel like they haven’t exactly honed in on their sound just yet which leads to dipping into other genres for more inspiration. From electronic dance to a pop and rap flair, their album HOMESICK gives audiences a little taste of everything, including a saxophone solo. While these kids may not even be old enough to vote, their talent is evident as they work tirelessly to show off their artistry.

With another full length album in the books and now a new EP – Light Up Shoes 2 – having just been released, it’s becoming more evident that these high school seniors have no plans in slowing down. With zero songs having been dropped prior to the EP’s release, fans and critics alike where taken back by the overall popularity and success in this 4 track record. Normally, releasing tracks prior to the release of an EP is a great strategy to give listeners a taste of what’s to come – but in the case of Light Up Shoes 2, each track is strong enough that the small collection of songs feels like a decisive era with the songs that give fans a snippet of future records. Related to such, Light Up Shoes 2 makes an important transition of eras for the young band. Compared to their first EP – Light Up Shoes, released in April 2018 – it becomes clear that these young artists have made quite the change since their early releases and never succumbing to modern pop trends.

With Light Up Shoes 2, we hear their success motives in “Creme”, see the struggles of communication with girls for teenage boys in “Bulldog”, hear their persistence in “Denim” and finally we listen to their brokenness in “Karat”. Each song seems to depict the realities that teenagers these days have to face, not knowing who to turn to, what to say, or even how to handle overwhelming situations. “Karat” is the more emotional track on the EP, embracing their true emotions. “I just wan’ shine / Dressing up to your nine’s, ain’t no time to front (Ain’t no time to front, front) / Eyes welling up, you don’t tell me what you want (You don’t tell me what you want) / It’s mutual, it just ain’t fruitful, it’s on the fritz (It’s on the fritz) / I got caught up in the glitz, to passive to see what this is (To passive to see what this is) / Too passive to see what this is / How could I miss what this is? / Teary eyes as it hits / Smokey eyes for the pics / Throw it out to the kids / They cannot see what this is / They cannot see what this did…” Laundry Day’s lyrics are intuitive, full of emotions that many teenagers – boys in particular – feel are too hard to speak about – which makes Laundry Day all the more relatable to a young audience. Their song “Bulldog” is a mere fan-favorite and has also been featured on BBC Radio last week in London.

Laundry Day undeniably puts in their strongest effort when making music. It is important when listening to Light Up Shoes 2 to recognize the dramatic changes in music compared to Light Up Shoes. Their sound lives between genres, and they do not seem like the type of band to conform to certain sound, which is great and it will keep fans on their toes as new music is makes its way to the air waves.