Okay Lindon
OKAY LINDON
Okay Lindon’s new album and sixth release, “Passion Pain”, brings another swerve in sound from this mostly Cincinnati quartet. The meandering, ambient songs take their time floating over cold, synthy, reggae rhythms but when they finally they reach their destination, band members Dustin Smith, Jordan Elam, Erica Biemesche, and Andrew McEwen deliver hooks and melodies that are instantly memorable.
“Lately I’ve been much more interested in exploring the negative space in music” explains songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist Dustin Smith. “Certain subgenres of electronic music and reggae evoke visuals of black infinite space, which is really appealing to me. There is a haunting mystery to it, and it almost feels sacred in that way.”
The foreboding tone of a title like “Passion Pain” is intentional according to Smith, “I wanted to make a record that was kind of a rebuttal to the joy and clarity I felt on the last two albums. There is this unwavering tension in me between a progressive, relativistic spirituality and this old, comfortable feeling of having someone else do all the thinking for me. I felt like my anger could be an expression of love, so I just wanted to outpour all the darkness and frustration that I feel right now.”
Smith continues, “I’m typically songless until I get really worked up about something new that I’ve discovered. For this record I was really inspired by this electronic music subgenre coined ‘Dub Techno’, which had its moment in the early 2000s in Detroit and Germany but is totally new to me.”
Listen to the the opener “Something About That Name” and you can hear Smith’s struggle with his friends, family, and his spirituality. The mood and sonics of each song on “Passion Pain” will lead you into that tension. The beauty about this album is that the insanely catchy choruses of “Temporary Blindness”, “Pain is Lonely”, “Certainty”, and “Yesterdays Wisdom” will allow you to smile and just bask in the friction that Okay Lindon has created.
Smith’s bandmates share their anticipation for the new album. “When I was done recording my parts in Portland and I eventually heard what the songs had become, it blew my mind in a good way,” describes keyboardist Andrew McEwen. Violinist and vocalist Erica Biemesche adds, “This is so different from anything we have done before and I’m excited for people to enjoy the soundscape and the journey.”
Poptek Records is equally excited to release the “Passion Pain” that is Okay Lindon into the rest of the world on October 20, 2023.
Okay Lindon = Dustin Smith- vocals, guitars. Jordan Elam- drums, vocals. Erica Beimesche- vocals, violin. Andrew McEwen- keyboards.
Location = Cincinnati, Ohio and Portland, Oregon
