Lutalo

Today, Lutalo — the Minnesota-bred, Vermont-based project of producer/songwriter Lutalo Jones — presents the new single/visualizer, “PLPH,” from their forthcoming EP, AGAIN, out August 25th on Winspear. “PLPH,” an acronym for “Pretty Little Painted House,” sees Lutalo expand their sonic palette into fuzzy, distorted indie rock, both a stark contrast to and natural extension of lead single “Push Back Baby,” in which “Lutalo’s hypnotic lull reverberates through a jazzy, circuitous lo-fi backing track” (Paste). On “PLPH,” Lutalo’s ever-kinetic compositions reach new heights atop overblown guitar, all while remaining distinctly Lutalo by-way-of lyrics that critique the ails of American life.

“The core idea behind ‘PLPH’ is reflecting on living in the United States,” Lutalo says. “The pretty little painted house is referencing the White House, the symbol of the United States government and status quo. The song is speaking about the struggles of navigating the political structure in America as a racially marginalized person/person of lower income.”

Tonight, Lutalo begins their August tour with Katy Kirby before linking up with Claud next month. After the tour with Claud, Lutalo will play a special headline show at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, NY. In November, Lutalo heads to Europe for performances at Pitchfork Music Festivals Paris and London. All currently-announced dates are listed below and tickets are on sale now.

Growing up between the Twin Cities, commuting from their home in Minneapolis to school in St. Paul, young Lutalo was quickly ushered into West African drumming lessons by their music-loving father, who exposed them to everything from classical music, jazz, and hip-hop such as MF Doom and Talib Kweli. Comfortable with dabbling in all instruments growing up, they got into the indie rock of Tame Impala and Unknown Mortal Orchestra as a teen, around the same time they learned to produce music on Ableton by a DIY-minded friend.

After releasing their 2022 debut EP, Once Now, Then Again, the 24-year-old born Lutalo Jones emerged as a rising presence in the indie world, catching the attention of Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold and Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker, who invited the young musician on tour. Along with the vinyl release of that breakthrough project, they are releasing its companion EP, AGAIN, which reveals their prenaturally masterful range in sonic expression and philosophical thought.

After about a year of getting acclimated to life in Vermont, Lutalo then wrote the two EPs, and then recorded the tracks in a nearby cabin with friend and collaborator Patrick Hintz. Once Now, Then Again is acoustic-driven and gentle, like the lush natural environment of the forest thrush, while AGAIN is potent and knotty, like the restless inner workings of Lutlao’s mind.

Through their music, but also through their lifestyle that’s alternative to America’s economic and political systems, Lutalo asks listeners to imagine new possibilities: “I want to help people question the way they’re living so we can create a better reality for us to exist in together.”