Laurel & the Love-In

Modern bands going for a classic rock sound have a tendency to stop short in one of two ways. They strip the soul from it by aping their influences only and forgetting about the place where it all started—the blues—or they stick too tightly to those bluesy roots and ignore decades of musical growth and innovation. Laurel & the Love-In bring the best of both worlds with "Gonna Do," the lead single off the upcoming summer sizzler Don't Love Nobody. Rootsy as it gets but not stiflingly so, "Gonna Do" hits the highs with grace and dips low and easy only to blossom back into a spirited outro, all the while driving forward with the determination and experience of several different generations. We're thrilled to debut the track below, and we encourage you to keep watch for Don't Love Nobody when it releaes later this year. -Austin Why - The Deli

There's something to be said about a no-nonsense rock band. They're few and far between these days, but when they do capture your attention, there are fewer things more exciting. That's the best way to describe Nashville newcomers Laurel & the Love-In. Led by Laurel Sorenson, the quintet's throwback sound recalls a wilder, whiskey-drenched time when rockers let loose. Their new single "No More" typifies that sound. With a smattering of drums and a wall of heavy guitars, the raw intensity is reminiscent of the garage rock that's encompassed the city over the past few years. This of course, is a good thing. "'No More' is inspired by 1960s girl group vocals and bouncy, early rock and roll," Sorenson says. "I co-wrote it with one of my closest friends in the Nashville songwriting community. Her name is Katie Crone, and writing with her is great because she lets me be meaner than I would ever let myself be ordinarily. "The first line came to me as a result of the most satisfying ending to a relationship anyone could ask for. It's about an ex-love who made me feel neglected and uninteresting coming back to try and win me back, and me scoffing at the idea." - Pure Volume

Talk about an explosive debut. This past Friday, Nashville’s own Laurel Sorenson released her first studio album under Laurel & The Love-In titled: Don’t Love Nobody. Every track burns with a feminine fire, reminding us that hell truly hath no fury like a woman scorned.

After years spent honing her craft since her solo album, Don’t Love Nobody is the night to What You Got’s day. With explicitly sexual & empowering lyrics and a band as tight as the patriarchal corset binding our society today, Don’t Love Nobody is a fascinating excursion into a college age woman’s struggles. And, much to the chagrin of a few big bad wolves, her ability to conquer regardless. The album release party was held last Saturday at Meal Ticket; a charmingly grungy DIY venue in the birthplace of the Love-in: Nashville, Tennessee.

With a style that calls upon a better musical decade, Laurel’s gritty vocals display the heart & soul she divulged in her debut album with The Love-in, composed of Ian Kendall (guitar), Michael Rasile, (drums), John Lattimer (bass), Veronica Selby (background vocals) and Laurel herself on keys.

Riddled with samples from a 1950’s PSA on the pit-falls of the female psyche, Laurel’s sarcastic and razor sharp sense of humor shine through the catchy guitar lines and bombastic bass of the album. The first single: Got A Light presents a double standard too familiar to women today. Vibrant background vocals and screaming organs add multi-dimensions to this old-school blues rock & roll track.

Laurel & The Love-In’s unabashed badassery in tracks like Big Bad Wolf and Want You for Your Body might lead one to believe they’re immune to the trials and tribulations of love, but don’t let their strong front fool you. The album consists of many powerful testimonies to heartbreak like Without You Blues along with the cataclysmic opener: No More. We also become privy to a more sensitive side of Laurel’s vocal and songwriting ability in the album’s penultimate track: Ride the Rails. The ballad laments about being tired of one place, contemplating how easy it would be to skip town, but perhaps not so easy to leave behind the unhappiness.

Don’t Love Nobody; the name of which was apparently inspired by some striking advice given to Sorenson at a pool party, leaves one feeling like it’s time to up the prescription and listen again. The album’s closer Let My Heart Do will be the most honest song you’ll hear today, one of the many reasons Don’t Love Nobody is this week’s #girliecrush. With both fiery lyrical intensity and goosebump infecting musical prowess, Laurel & The Love-In’s Don’t Love Nobody is a necessary addition to your collection. Listen for free NOW on Noisetrade. - Girlie Action