LES: RAG AND BONE SHIRT PAUL: H&M STRIPED SWEATER JAKE: LEVI’S SHIRT / LEVI’S DENIM JACKET / GLASSES - JAKE’S OWN
It would take little more than a Dell computer and a $150 microphone to match their equipment, but multitudes of musical mastery to rival their success. Boasting a bassist by the name Les Priest and a front man who describes their live performances, as “like sex with the lights on,” it’s no surprise this group is making a name for itself in the music world. Calling themselves LANY, band members Paul Klein, Les Priest, and Jake Goss have been more than busy this past year exploding into the music scene. They’ve released two handfuls of original songs and played countless shows (including the hit Chicago-fest, Lollapalooza), which makes them perfect for our #ONTHERISE issue. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg for these guys. I had the chance to explore the story behind the trio, and there is a lot more than music driving these men.
48
The band had a pretty typical start; that is, if you’re on the fast track to mega-success. Some fifteen months ago, LANY released two songs, “Hot Lights” and “Walk Away,” which at the time wasn’t much more than a “let’s see what we can come up with” effort, as Klein explains the band’s initial intentions. Immediately, he says, the group started receiving e-mails from record labels asking for more, but they didn’t have anything to show them— largely due to the fact Jake and Les were living in Nashville; Paul in LA. “I found myself on a plane headed to Nashville with my fingers crossed hoping we could come up with something good. In 6 days, we wrote and recorded “ILYSB,” “BRB,” and “Made in Hollywood,” says Klein. Not a bad week for LANY. Especially if you take into consideration that “ILYSB” would bring in 620,000 streams for the group on SoundCloud in just 12 months and inspire