the lava province
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the lava province

Band Pop Singer/Songwriter

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This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Full of Hooks"

“Full of hooks and strong guitar chords, this CD will take you back to the 80's when bands like REM where stretching the limits of New Wave. Laurens Vernot , who is the band, has a strong understanding of how to write a pop song, and rarely deviates. You might find yourself delightfully surprised by this unassuming CD.”

thepromiselive.blogspot.com June, 2007
- thepromiselive.blogspot.com


"Full of Hooks"

“Full of hooks and strong guitar chords, this CD will take you back to the 80's when bands like REM where stretching the limits of New Wave. Laurens Vernot , who is the band, has a strong understanding of how to write a pop song, and rarely deviates. You might find yourself delightfully surprised by this unassuming CD.”

thepromiselive.blogspot.com June, 2007
- thepromiselive.blogspot.com


"It’s this kind of thing which makes it all worthwhile"

“I love it when I get sent albums like this: albums from artists I have never heard of, that turn out to be excellent. It’s this kind of thing which makes it all worthwhile.”
twowaymonologues.com, February, 2007
- twowaymonologues.com


"It’s this kind of thing which makes it all worthwhile"

“I love it when I get sent albums like this: albums from artists I have never heard of, that turn out to be excellent. It’s this kind of thing which makes it all worthwhile.”
twowaymonologues.com, February, 2007
- twowaymonologues.com


"Laurens Vernot clearly has big dreams, and . . . he might just catch one"

“Laurens Vernot clearly has big dreams, and seems to cast the net of his songs wide enough that he might just catch one. Easily beguiling enough to appear in the opening sequence of a PG movie or an after-school Disney Channel TV show for the “Tween” market, his songs also maintain just enough edge to cause older fans of late 80s and mid-90s radio rock to take notice . . . Vernot’s clear, doubled vocals and easy-access melodies have a universal quality aimed to please . . .”
onlinerock.com February, 2007
- onlinerock.com


"Laurens Vernot clearly has big dreams, and . . . he might just catch one"

“Laurens Vernot clearly has big dreams, and seems to cast the net of his songs wide enough that he might just catch one. Easily beguiling enough to appear in the opening sequence of a PG movie or an after-school Disney Channel TV show for the “Tween” market, his songs also maintain just enough edge to cause older fans of late 80s and mid-90s radio rock to take notice . . . Vernot’s clear, doubled vocals and easy-access melodies have a universal quality aimed to please . . .”
onlinerock.com February, 2007
- onlinerock.com


"Excellent Effort"

“Writing, singing, and playing all instruments except the drums, SoCal’s Laurens Vernot proves to be multi-talented on his debut. This is an excellent effort featuring acoustic-driven music with just the right amount of electric energy. With roots in classic rock but a strong modern alt feel, there is a comfortable vibe and distinct edginess. His varied guitar personalities, and smooth, fervent vocal presentation delectably flavor the songs.”
musicmorsels.com January, 2007
- musicmorsels.com


"Excellent Effort"

“Writing, singing, and playing all instruments except the drums, SoCal’s Laurens Vernot proves to be multi-talented on his debut. This is an excellent effort featuring acoustic-driven music with just the right amount of electric energy. With roots in classic rock but a strong modern alt feel, there is a comfortable vibe and distinct edginess. His varied guitar personalities, and smooth, fervent vocal presentation delectably flavor the songs.”
musicmorsels.com January, 2007
- musicmorsels.com


"Extremely Highly Recommended"

“Gripping debut album from The Lava Province that really sneaks up on you. First listen, it comes across as a bit laid back but second and third listens reveals not only lots of special aural levels, sinewy melodic builds, unusual melodies, but a powerful pop punch. They sound not like any particular parade of pop bands, but at different times, you`ll hear echoes, pleasant ones, of Squeeze, The Posies ("Back Here Again" best example of this), Superdrag, The Well Wishers and a bit of the poppy side of Sugar. This one started out as being "very" on the recommended scales has pushed into the "Extremely Highly Recommended" podium in a most unique manner. “
Bruce Brodeen , NotLame Records October, 2006
- NotLame Records


"Extremely Highly Recommended"

“Gripping debut album from The Lava Province that really sneaks up on you. First listen, it comes across as a bit laid back but second and third listens reveals not only lots of special aural levels, sinewy melodic builds, unusual melodies, but a powerful pop punch. They sound not like any particular parade of pop bands, but at different times, you`ll hear echoes, pleasant ones, of Squeeze, The Posies ("Back Here Again" best example of this), Superdrag, The Well Wishers and a bit of the poppy side of Sugar. This one started out as being "very" on the recommended scales has pushed into the "Extremely Highly Recommended" podium in a most unique manner. “
Bruce Brodeen , NotLame Records October, 2006
- NotLame Records


"The music has a cool hypnotic quality I can't really describe"

"He has an early Marillion pop vibe meets Robert Pollard. The music has a cool hypnotic quality I can't really describe. This music also reminds me alot of Bob Mould's poppier stuff."
powerpopaholic.com September, 2006
- powerpopaholic.com


"The music has a cool hypnotic quality I can't really describe"

"He has an early Marillion pop vibe meets Robert Pollard. The music has a cool hypnotic quality I can't really describe. This music also reminds me alot of Bob Mould's poppier stuff."
powerpopaholic.com September, 2006
- powerpopaholic.com


"Perched Atop That List"

“A gentle reminder of how much fun we had growing up listening to 70’s album rock stations, ‘Strangeway’ is the perfect anachronism that suggests that there are indeed a few artists out there who do ‘write ‘em like they used to’ and Laurens Vernot is comfortably perched atop that list”
foxydigitalis.com October, 2006
- foxydigitalis.com


"Perched Atop That List"

“A gentle reminder of how much fun we had growing up listening to 70’s album rock stations, ‘Strangeway’ is the perfect anachronism that suggests that there are indeed a few artists out there who do ‘write ‘em like they used to’ and Laurens Vernot is comfortably perched atop that list”
foxydigitalis.com October, 2006
- foxydigitalis.com


Discography

"Strangeway" LP, 2006

Photos

Bio

the lava province is the solo recording project of Laurens Vernot.

The cd “strangeway” was written and recorded in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Laurens played all of the instruments and sang all of the vocal parts (except for the drums, and the harp on one song).

Strongly influenced by both 70's album-oriented radio and current indie pop artists, his tunes use a classic pop song structure with a focus on melodic vocal lines, hooky guitar riffs and juicy choruses with two and three part harmonies. Attention to production and a bit of studio shenanigans complete the package and make for a satisfying listen that sticks to your ribs and stays with you even on those rare occasions when you remove your ear buds. The CD art is composed of original oil paintings by noted Marin County, California landscape and portrait artist, Tim Horn.

Laurens wrote songs at an early age, once performing them solo with his mother’s auto-harp during a 5th grade chorus concert.
In 2004 a small record label released a cd of music from an earlier band, The Keepers, from their raucous years in the Ohio and Boston music scenes. To his surprise, the songs began popping up again. “I used to have a theory that good songwriting is like mathematics - the best work is done very early in life. Perhaps this is true for me as well, but I prefer to believe otherwise”.

“Lava Province' is a geological term describing vast, ancient lava flows that cover large areas of the earth's surface. Because we cannot see them, most of us do not know or care that they exist, but they are evidence that there is more to the story of our planet to be understood, and certainly much more to be written in the future. In the same way, there is always more to the story of each person we know, encounter or even just glimpse across the room. In my songs, I try to imagine these stories.”