NFV Song Spotlight: Lael Neale's Down On The Freeway

Zebulon and Secret Fires hooked up the Los Angeles music scene with two awesome nights of free music. First up on Tuesday was Gustaf (you can read my review here). Then on Thursday, they hosted Lael Neale's record release party for Altogether Stranger that will be officially released on May 2nd, but those in attendance were able to buy the vinyl copy early. Let's say that again, both nights were free.

Lael Neale at Zebulon

Like Gustaf's night, Lael Neale's night also packed the venue. As she took to the stage, cheers erupted for both her and her producer Guy Blakeslee who provided backing instrumentals. Turning to the audience, she said a quiet, "Hey." She then launched into playing songs from her upcoming album, starting with "Tell Me How To Be Here." The song highlights her self-described minimalist drone pop. She wore a body suit that had reflecting material cut in the fashion of broken glass. The suit reflected the stage lights like bright stars across a moon lit night.

Lael Neale at Zebulon

"All Good Things Will Come To Pass" took a folk country shift with electric guitar playing and spoken word vocals. Guy Blakeslee showed off some style by doing a twirl while playing his guitar during "Wild Waters." He also took up playing the tambourine (the sticker price could be seen and so you know it cost $39.95 plus tax) with his right foot while playing his guitar during another song. "There From Here" shifted the music to a quiet thoughtful poem. The song reflects a moment at an airport, "Killing the time. With our magazine minds. Flipping the pages too fast. 'Who wore it best.'" During the quiet of the song, someone in the audience accidentally dropped their wine glass, which temporarily shattered the hypnotic moment. Soon after, Neale announced to the crowd, "We'll miss you, but we won't miss the LA traffic." Someone asked the situation. She responded, "We're going to Virginia to live on a farm." Was I stunned by the announcement? Yes, I was. 

Lael Neale at Zebulon

The song spotlight has to be "Down On The Freeway." The song has a psychedelic sound driven by Guy Blakeslee guitar playing and quickened tempo. As the song slowed down towards a conclusion, Neale stepped over to the keyboard that Blakeslee occasionally played throughout the set.

The song perhaps reflects the frustration that Neale has with living in one of the largest cities in the United States and why she is returning to her home state of Virginia. The music video that you can watch here has many of her friends doing a fashion catwalk, looking straight at the camera as they reach the end of the runway. During parts of the video, her fashionable friends are interposed atop video of a vehicle traveling east bound on the 10 freeway.        

Lael Neale at Zebulon

Everyone's up and down on the freeway.
Going to the mall, going to the beaches.
I'm one of us. I'm like everyone else.

Prior to her set, the night opened up with a series of music videos she created in support of her upcoming album release. Introducing the music videos was Ian F. Svenonius of Escape-ism who compared the series of videos to Tommy. Back to the video for "Down On The Freeway" got some laughs in the audience as an LSD absorbent paper was handed to her. On top of it was a QR code that she put into her month. After the videos, Guy Blakeslee played a handful of tunes before taking a supporting role with Neale. 

Lael Neale at Zebulon

Knowing that this was Lael Neale's final show in Los Angeles before she moves to Virginia (not that this will be her last show ever in Los Angeles and perhaps she'll move back someday), I am glad that I showed up in support. I still remember the first time I caught a set back in 2016 at the Resident. For some random reason, someone on her team invited me to catch a set. I initially thought her PR person suggested that they invite me (a person I still occasionally work with), but she mentioned that she had no part in my invite. Playing that night was also Weyes Blood. As for Guy Blakeslee, I've been following him since 2012 when I attended a music festival called the New L.A. Folk Fest that was held at Zorthian Ranch (recently destroyed in the Eaton fire). I saw him again at Pehrspace in 2013 -- a venue that had a DIY spirit and eventually had to shut down. The venue used to get packed and with little air, people would hang out in the parking lot between sets. I've been catching both off and on through the years.

Setlist: Tell Me How To Be Here, All Good Things Will Come To Pass, Wild Waters, There From Here, Down On The Freeway, What Am I Going To Do (The Paris Sisters cover).