[Image courtesy of BrooklynVegan]

By Grace Koennecke, Columns Editor

LANNDS, the duo composed of Rania Woodard and producer Brian Squillace dropped their third EP lotus deluxe Friday. 

Lotus deluxe is inspired by Woodard’s sensibility and emotional approach towards songwriting and Squillace’s use of tripped-out production. The EP celebrates their shared commitment to producing progressive art in the south, as they are from Jacksonville, Florida. They believe lotus deluxe is the turning point for a new chapter the duo is heading into sonically.

The EP is intended to serve as a sneak peek of what’s next to come from LANNDS. Woodard said, “It’s the end of an old cycle of sounds, as we begin pushing into a new direction. It’s a peek into the new era of LANNDS, almost like a reinvention.” 

With this new material, LANNDS wants to continue to reaffirm their commitment to pushing boundaries and normalizing people of color within the indie music genre. Woodard has been pushing boundaries as a queer, Black woman fronting the duo.

So far, reviews have proven to be in favor of the duo’s EP of nine tracks with publications such as Vanity Fair saying, “Ethereal… At times evokes an acid trip,” indicating that the duo will be taken seriously for years to come. 

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/2N9PswaDSKtcHzANb4XQQP