MUSIC NEWS: Luluc Melbourne Show to Launch Album 'Diamonds'

Described by MOJO as "Townes Van Zandt were he refracted through the lens of Mazzy Star", the invitingly austere Brooklyn based folk duo Luluc; Zoë Randell and Steve Hassett return home to Australia after a mammoth run of seven sold-out shows supporting Dinosaur Jr. at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Enlisting band members Dave Manton and Dave Williams (Augie March) to help bring to life the songs from their deep and meditative fifth studio album Diamonds when they celebrate the 2023 release on Thursday 11 April at Brunswick's Howler with special guest Hannah Cameron.

Released on LA based label Community Music, Bob Boilen (NPR Tiny Desk) ranked Diamonds as the #17 album of 2023 in his top 30, Diamonds is rich with allusions to the natural world. The body of work is layered with arrangements that shimmer without being gaudy, a precisely rendered meditation on wonders too stunning to ignore, emotions too real to dismiss and melodies too beguiling to forget. References include Simon and Garfunkel, Nico, Nick Drake and Marianne Faithfull’s records in the 1960s. Diamonds features a deep, melancholy rendition of 'As Tears Go By,' the Rolling Stones-penned weeper made popular by Faithfull.

"I/we want to create expansive, deep worlds that go well beyond the sense of author, and creators, to create musical and lyrical spaces that have layers and (hopefully) intrigue. That reward you when you come back, and that you can enjoy in different moods and modes. Loud or soft. It does feel akin to a kind of diamond mining." - Zoë Randell

Luluc rose to international acclaim following the 2014 release of their second album, Passerby, a hushed and elegant collection that drew attention to the songwriting and vocal talents of the Melbourne natives. Having already won over some notable admirers like legendary producer Joe Boyd and the National's Aaron Dessner with their self-released 2008 debut Dear Hamlyn, the duo eventually relocated to New York and began recording for the Sub Pop label, which also issued their third LP, Sculptor, in 2018. Luluc's sound has continued to become more diverse with their 2020 release Dreamboat and their latest and fifth studio album Diamonds released in September 2023.

Join the list of admirers drawn in by the wonder and awe of Luluc's raw and timeless folk.

Mistletone Present: Luluc Diamonds Album Launch
Howler, Naarm/Melbourne
Thursday 11 April
7:00 pm
Special guest: Hannah Cameron
Tickets