Rising star Lava La Rue recently spoke with NME ahead of the UK general election. With issues like the Windrush scandal, dwindling government support for transgender individuals, and the threat of austerity shaping much of their life, it seems ripe for a hard-hitting, kitchen sink debut album. However, La Rue’s debut album, ‘Starface’, takes a rather unexpected turn.
La Rue describes themselves as an alien who has crash-landed in rural Britain and is masquerading as a boy scout to blend in. This concept serves as the narrative for the upcoming album and will be incorporated into the photoshoot for NME. La Rue has been working their way up in the music industry for years, founding the radical pop collective NiNE8, acting as a creative director for Wet Leg, and releasing a critically acclaimed EP, ‘Butter-Fly’ in 2021. ‘Starface’ is undoubtedly ambitious, delving deep into the human psyche in a psychedelic fashion.
Although Lava La Rue is from West London, they never set out to be the voice of the area. While growing up in Harlesden and Stonebridge and having stints in Kensal Rise and Ladbroke Grove, they became enamored with punk music through their first teenage band, The West Borns. La Rue credits the band’s bassist, the grandchild of Ian Dury and the Blockheads’ Mick Gallagher, with most of their musical education.
La Rue founded the NiNE8 Collective with the dream of creating a hub for eager creatives with limited resources. Members of the collective, like Mac Wetha and Biig Piig, are credited as songwriters, and payments are split equally between all members—credits that the internet has tried to refute. La Rue’s upcoming album is influenced by various genres like funk, indie, and soul, but psychedelia is its primary touchstone.
La Rue has made a name for themselves as a rising star in the British music industry, and their upcoming album, ‘Starface’, is generating buzz. Influenced by West London’s punk scene, the NiNE8 Collective, and psychedelia, La Rue’s debut album promises to be a fantastical, psychedelic journey exploring radical love and compassion
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