Half-life by LAUNDER
Los Angeles-based musician John Cudlip came of age cueing dream-pop records to the beachside backdrop of his hometown in Orange County. He's a student of the sound — melodic, textured guitar music — and a believer that, when honest and real, it can enthrall and facilitate catharsis. Under the name Launder, his recording project developed in 2018 out of casual sessions with friends Jackson Phillips (Day Wave), Soko, and Zachary Cole Smith (DIIV). The resulting EP, Pink Cloud, received unexpected attention, with Stereogum placing it “somewhere at the intersection of ’90s lo-fi and shoegaze,” and Gorilla vs. Bear noting Cudlip’s “serious knack for the kind of wistful, soaring choruses that immediately make you feel like you've known these songs forever.” It also encouraged Cudlip to play shows and begin work on a new batch of songs, adopting a more solitary approach writing and arranging. Now he emerges with his debut single on Ghostly International, the first of new Launder material that will arrive in 2020.
"Half-life" passes steady acoustic strums, tight drums, and self-harmonies through the disorienting undertow of a conflict "between dependence on someone/something toxic and trying to get away from that," says Cudlip. The song encapsulates Launder's quiet/loud style of songwriting with lyrical introspections, nuanced interludes, and darkly shimmering riffs.
Los Angeles-based musician John Cudlip came of age cueing dream-pop records to the beachside backdrop of his hometown in Orange County. He's a student of the sound — melodic, textured guitar music — and a believer that, when honest and real, it can enthrall and facilitate catharsis.