Lona’s free-range creative process has most recently led them to an intentionally alt-rock soundscape, reminiscent of old school Britpop. “Wonderland,” is more than a mere homage to the alt-rock that marked the turn of the century, as Lona have added their own aggressive twist. It sounds like Coldplay have gone off the rails just enough to bring an edge to their sound. The track is laced with psychedelic loops, adding a vague shoegaze haze to the finished product.
“It’s about everyone caring about each other and forgetting about the smaller things in life that you get worried about and actually looking at the bigger picture and just loving each other and picking up and looking out for each other,” says frontman John Clancy of the track. “It’s that kind of message that I wanted to portray to everyone, that sometimes when it gets hard and you get depressed or you get stressed out or anxious that everything's going to be okay as long as we’re all in it together because we are.”
“Wonderland” had such an exciting live reaction that the collective made the decision to film a live music video to go with it. Filmed by Hamish Kay, the video for “Wonderland” shares exciting black and white shots of the band mid-performance and backstage. It has a nostalgic feel, but with warped beams of glitching color dashing a modern edge through each shot.
Compared to Lona's previous releases, “Wonderland” is a left-hand turn. The band's handful of 2019 singles and 2020’s “Black Paradise” are tinged in hip-hop, marinated in EDM, but served up with analog, alt-rock instrumentals. Their sound is a reflection of their all-inclusive playlist. “You should see our Spotify algorithms,” jokes drummer Sam Horvath. “When we go on Spotify we don’t know what we’re going to get,” adds Clancy. It could be anything from 21 Pilots to Kings of Leon to Calvin Harris to 50 Cent to The Beatles.
The four-piece hail from all different corners of the United Kingdom (Cambridge, Andover, Portsmouth, and Liverpool), but have since moved to London. Clancy, a Liverpool native, went to the same school as Paul McCartney and grew up on the same road as John Lennon. Now in London, when the group has time to spare, they visit their favorite grimy Shoreditch dive bar for some karaoke. In lieu of karaoke, they’re hard at work in quarantine recording an Eminem cover.
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