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The lo-fi/indie-rock band LVL UP have put out their final single, “Orchard.” In 2016, we named the New Yorkers The Best of What’s Next and one of our 20 best new bands of the year, but unfortunately “what’s next” now doesn’t see this band together, as LVL UP announced Monday morning that they’ll be splitting up.
“We have decided to retire this project,” the band said in a note to listeners. “It has been an extremely rewarding journey beyond anything we could have ever realistically imagined.”
A Note & A Song: https://t.co/m1AqioLssa _ pic.twitter.com/sSJcEgWArh
— LVL UP THE BAND (@LVLUPBAND) June 11, 2018
With three writers, throughout their life, LVL UP have blended different backgrounds and influences to create music that is collaborative and cohesive without locking into a pattern. Although fans may have expected an announcement of new music this year, the band’s latest album Return to Love will be their last. Still, “Orchard” is both a moment of freshness and a point of closure. The fuzzy guitar and distant vocals give the song the tranquility one would associate with the noise of rushing water. Even the feedback melts into the relaxed, even dissociated, scene painted by the lyrics. In context of today’s news, the song’s slow fade-out becomes a lingering goodbye—you can see, or hear, it coming, but you still have a little longer.
You can see LVL UP live on their final tour this fall—the last date sees the band closing out in their home state at the Bowery Ballroom. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, June 13 at 10 a.m. local time.
Listen to “Orchard” below and check out the band’s final tour dates further down.
LVL UP Tour Dates:
August
27 – Boston, Mass. @ Great Scott
28 – Montréal, Quebec @ Casa Del Popolo
29 – Toronto, Ontario @ The Garrison
30 – Cleveland, Ohio @ Mahall’s
31 – Chicago, Ill. @ Beat Kitchen
September
01 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ 7th St Entry
04 – Missoula, Mont. @ Union Ballroom
05 – Seattle, Wash. @ Barboza
06 – Portland, Ore. @ Mississippi Studios
08 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Cafe Du Nord
09 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Echo
10 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Rebel Lounge
13 – Dallas, Texas @ Three Links
14 – Austin, Texas @ Barracuda
16 – Nashville, Tenn. @ High Watt
17 – Asheville, N.C. @ The Mothlight
18 – Carrboro, N.C. @ Cat’s Cradle
19 – Richmond, Va. @ The Camel
20 – Washington, D.C. @ DC9
21 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Boot & Saddle
28 – New York, N.Y. @ Bowery Ballroom