Lala Lala and WHY?’s “Siren 042” is a true collaboration between friends
Hear the new single and watch the video now.
Thumbnail credit to Katie Hogan.
Lillie West from Chicago rock group Lala Lala joins forces with WHY?'s Yoni Wolf for "Siren 042," a collaboration that the FADER's premiering today. If you read on to the end of this post, you'll gather that the two have clearly had a very long, tender friendship, something that's evident in the song and video. Gauzy and bright, "Siren 042" finds West apologizing to someone and expecting punishment. "I'm sorry I was evil," she sings, "I'm in trouble from before." It sounds a lot like self-deprecation, as well as an open door to let someone else in — maybe for comfort, maybe for help. The way the two frantically run alongside each other in the video, it's hard not to think that person could be Wolf.
"Yoni once talked me down when we were on the the strongest LSD of my life and I claimed to be ‘drowning in a river of sadness,'" West wrote via email. "I text him when I'm sick. Is he my life coach? Seems that way. I am a WHY? super fan and making this song was a dream come true. I hope to trick him into letting me into his home and more collaboration soon.”
And Wolf wrote of West: "From the golden, olden days when Lillie used to sneak backstage at WHY? shows to drink up the whole rider and taint the water supply while the band was on stage, I never would have guessed I would end up such close friends with the Lala Lala songwriter. But fate has a strange way of contorting space, time, and our better judgements. I’d say we started to get close when we sat down for my podcast and talked it all out. I feel confused. I just adore her."
Lala Lala Tour Dates:
01/17 - Chicago, IL @ Metro +
01/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
01/20 - Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo *
01/21 - Rock Island, IL @ Rozz Tox *
01/23 - Lakewood, OH @ Mahall's *
01/24 - Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong *
01/25 - Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA *
01/26 - Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade *
01/28 - Burlington, VT - Nectar’s *
01/29 - Montreal, QC @ Casa del Popolo *
01/30 - Toronto, ON @ Baby G *
01/31 - Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx *
02/01 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Calvin College *
02/02 - Grinnell, IA @ Grinnell College *
+ w/ Snail Mail
* Headlining w/ Sen Morimoto support
WHY? Tour Dates:
01/15 - Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom ^
01/16 - Ithaca, NY - The Haunt ^
01/17 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club ^
01/18 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel #
01/19 - Providence, RI - Columbus Theater ^
01/20 - Holyoke MA - Gateway City Arts ^
^ w/ Tomberlin
# w/ Japanese Breakfast, Hand Habits