“Thematic cohesion, emotional control, better rhymes” – An Interview with Lane
Boston’s Lane are back today with a brand new single “Love is in the Rain” which is taken from their upcoming third album of the same name and is due for release this autumn.
Bandless in 2019 after playing in The Channels and The Craters, Wes Kaplan started Lane, thinking there might be common ground between his pop ambitions and mutant guitar style, drafting Jesse Weiss on drums (Palehouse, Pet Fox) and tapping into Boston’s evergreen coterie of DIY guitar freaks. Lane released Copse in 2020, earning comparisons to Calgary stars like Women and Each Other.
Longtime friend, Julian Fader (Ava Luna, Nadine), took over for Weiss in 2022, after having produced 2021’s Theremin EP. 2024’s Receiver brought Lane to national underground prominence, with Hump Day News calling them “a guitar-driven band that takes a surgeon’s scalpel to rock n roll clichés” and ranking Receiver among its Top Albums of 2024. Likewise, QRO Magazine praised the band’s vintage “Lower East Side flavor” and “arch, angular intensity.”
New single “Love is in the Rain” is the third single to be released from their upcoming album and features a slew of inventive math-rock guitar riffs from Kaplan and an offbeat, driving drumbeat from Fader all crammed into under two exhilarating minutes.
We had a chat with Wes as he prepared for the new release.
Hi Wes! How’s everything going right now?
Life is good. Album III is in the final mixing stage plus I’ve got the summer off from school which means I’ve got time to start writing Album IV.
What classic album cover art is your current mood?
Definitely Check Your Head by the Beastie Boys.
We met at this year’s New Colossus Festival where you played a great set at our showcase – what have you been up to since then?
That was a killer show. Since New Colossus we’ve been in overdrive finishing this record. Re-writing lyrics, re-recording vocals, trying to make it good. Plus we played with Prewn in April which was bonkers, kids literally screaming call and response with us. Also Prewn were incredible, totally different flavor from the record, I strongly recommend folks catch them on tour this fall.
Your cracking new single “Love Is in the Rain” is out this week – when did you write and record it?
According to the metadata, it took me from September 2023 to March 2024 to write “Love is in the Rain.” That’s not counting lyrics. Recording started a year later…I think we finished mixing in May.
If you could only listen to one record, what would it be?
If we’re talking no-skip + flawless start-to-finish, the only answer is Ramones’ self-titled.
“Love is in the Rain” is accompanied by a video from experimental pop legend Jib Kidder – how did the collaboration come about?
I’m a longtime admirer of Sean’s music and video work as Jib Kidder. I’ve probably listened to IV a hundred times. He’s one of the only video artists (along with like, Michel Gondry) I’ve felt compelled to re-watch, study, send to all of my friends. So I reached out and that was that. He achieved what every artist should strive for, which is for the video to be better than the song.
What/Who made you want to become a musician?
I was always interested in music, but hearing the 0:49 mark of “Come As You Are” at age 12 sealed the deal.
You released your first tracks in Feb 2020 – what have you learnt since then (apart from how to name your Instagram after one of the songs)?
Thematic cohesion, emotional control, better rhymes. Tapping into the shit I really like, like Can, Wire, Queens of the Stone Age. One-note riffs.
You’ll be playing NICE in Somerville, MA later this month – looks like a great lineup! What’s the favorite show you’ve ever played?
The NICE lineup this year is insane. Our night has Krill, Downtown Boys and Landowner (this will be our first show together in a long time), Black Beach, Pinklids (deep homies), friends and local heroes front to back. Favorite show so far: Prewn.
What would go on your signature pizza and what would it be called?
Uh, red sauce and mozzarella: “Smells Like Cheese Pizza.”
What else do you have on the horizon for 2026 (and beyond) that we should know about?
We’re playing with A Place to Bury Strangers (at the Sinclair in Cambridge on November 6th), who I’ve been into since their first album (which came out when I was a teenager). Probably one more single and if things stay on track, Album III.
Check out Lane’s previous releases and merch by visiting their Bandcamp site and follow the band on Instagram for all the latest news.
Feature Image Credit – Zaffira Medici
