DHP Family proudly presents...
Lakes
+ Supports TBC
Live at The Bodega
Wednesday 29 October 2025
14+
Tickets on sale now:
http://alt.tkts.me/tl/q2s6
Indie/emo ensemble Lakes are set to release their new album Slow Fade, their fourth since their inception in 2018. Widely known for their self-coined ‘glock-rock’ sound and mainstays of Watford’s DIY scene and beyond, the six piece have explored a wealth of sonic shifts: from midwest emo inspired by their heroes American Football to math-rock time signatures and post-rock guitar melodies teeming with dark and vulnerable undertones. Now the band are finding contentment within themselves by shifting the narrative to characters unknown using an array of vivid yet nostalgic lyricism.
Spending no time to rest of their laurels after 2023’s full-length Elysian Skies, which Noizze lauded as “just as gorgeous as the name implies”, the band continued to write songs relying on their penchant for positivity; armed with a slew of self-recorded charm, twinkling catharsis and soaring harmonies that play out across 11 tracks as a full cinematic experience.
“Life is cinematic, life is short. Do the things you love and make those things happen. Be honest with yourself and value your friends. Value music.” says vocalist/guitarist Roberto Cappellina.
Slow Fade is the continuation of the joy and hopefulness the band have spent the last seven years discovering, only this time approaching their craft with the mantra “if it sounds good, then it's good". They called on collaborators Georgia Casey (High Regard) for guest vocals, Cory Braken (American Football) to add layers of vibraphone and synths to round out the intricacies of glockenspiel and Bennett Littlejohn (Hovvdy) to cut through the high pitches on pedal steel: all coming together to create magnificent ethereal atmospheres and breathe a multitude of textures into a sound already beaming with technicolour.
“We've always been an album band. Typically we've written way too many songs and stuck the leftovers onto EPs, but this is the first time we've thought about having an arc; a beginning, a middle and an end, like a movie, which is kind of how the title 'Slow Fade' came about.” explains Cappellina. “I think because we were going into it knowing that we'd be doing it ourselves, pacing, sequencing and dynamics were something we were more conscious of.”
It’s moments like Peach Fuzz and Trouble that really showcase the warmth emanating from Lakes. Both find a delicate balance between longing and dreamy ideals as Cappellina and new vocalist / keys player Cat Rowland work their way through lyrics “The years that passed have been calmer / I’m wondering if you’re likely / To put the work in just like me / To know the sins of your father / And not pass them onto another / I’m not saying I’m perfect / ‘cause I know my way round a burnt bridge” in a gorgeous display of vocal harmonics. Version shifts into a much more somber tone, leaning heavily into vast swathes of fuzzy guitar effects and ominous bass lines, while Hypernow sees Rowland take charge with a punchy vocal attitude, building to a heady peak that threatens to burst in a cascade of chugging riffs.
The new album comes almost six years since their debut, Constance, was released which Lakes have always joked about as being their Math-Rock album. In 2021 the band quickly gained traction with the release of their glittering album Start Again, which saw them explore their fusion of math-y time signatures and dual-vocals to craft a full-length steeped in their collective vulnerabilities and anxieties. Lauded by The Line Of Best Fit as “a shining hopefulness at its core” and Washed Up Emo championing them as “Your new favourite band”, Lakes have spent the last five years breaking ground on the UK live circuit, conquering stages at 2000 Trees and ArcTanGent and breaking free of the confines of the Watford scene while also paying homage to their roots.
“This album is dedicated to Kev Banks. He was a musician from our hometown who inspired so many people to start a band, and pretty much invented what we, and by we I mean ONLY Matt and I (Roberto) refer to as the 'Watford Sound'. He was always in the best bands when we were growing up and everything he did was just incredible. No doubt he's one of the reasons why we're still making music all these years later. We didn't really appreciate at the time how much of a bubble Watford was, and just assumed that every town had a scene and a Kev Banks. It's sad that not much of it has been chronicled, so this is our way of honouring someone who played such a huge part in our lives and so many others.”
Their 2023 follow-up album Elysian Skies was a tonal shift from math and emo into post-rock, forging themselves into something bigger and brighter than ever before. It was crowned by their biggest sold out headline show to date at London's Moth Club, as well as supporting the likes of American Football, Pedro The Lion and Michael Cera Palin during their respective UK tours. In 2025, the band have fully leaned into what they do best with a renewed joie de vivre. Put simply, Slow Fade is a spectacular display of dense instrumentation and vivid storytelling that will have you re-listening to it time and time again.
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