Toronto-based instrumental ensemble Lavender Town has released its new single, “Starman Jr.,” now available on all major streaming platforms.
The new track follows a string of headlining performances at Toronto venues including Lee’s Palace, The Great Hall, and The Garrison, as well as appearances at the Toronto Jazz Festival, MixTO, and Wavelength.
“Starman Jr.” finds Lavender Town combining complex jazz harmony with the raw energy of progressive rock, electronic textures, hard-hitting rhythms, and spontaneous improvisation.
The Inspiration Behind “Starman Jr.”
Bandleader Lazar Miric says the song came together while listening to the work of Vocaloid producer Jin and Los Angeles modern jazz group Outside World.
“The way that both these artists combined catchy melodies with modern jazz harmony and a noisy rock and electronic aesthetic spoke to me on a deeply personal level.”
Miric says he has long been interested in finding a balance between the musical complexity of jazz and the emotional accessibility of pop and rock.
“Most lyric-centered pop/rock leaves me wanting more musical complexity, and a lot of modern jazz lacks the emotional character and relatability that pop-leaning music brings, so a big goal of mine is to write music that accomplishes both.”
The song takes its name from Starman Jr., a character from the cult-classic JRPG EarthBound, a game that also helped inspire Toby Fox’s Undertale. Miric cites EarthBound and Undertale as major compositional influences.
He describes the verse as capturing the energetic and optimistic feeling often found in anime opening music, while the chorus moves toward a darker sound influenced by indie rock and spiritual jazz.
“The chorus drifts into a sound somewhere between moody indie rock and spiritual jazz ala John Coltrane’s ‘Naima’.”
Listen to “Starman Jr.”
“Starman Jr.” is available now on major streaming platforms.
About Lavender Town
Based in Toronto, Lavender Town is an instrumental ensemble formed by a collective of formally trained jazz musicians.
Rather than following the familiar conventions of jazz fusion, the band moves toward the raw, abrasive textures of progressive rock, hard-hitting rhythms, electronic production, and spontaneous, high-voltage improvisation.
Their sound sits at the collision point of rock-forward aggression, complex jazz harmony, and electronic music, resulting in music that is dark, punchy, and expansive.
Lavender Town’s influences and recommended listening include Mandy, Indiana, Machine Girl, Hakushi Hasegawa, Toby Fox, Henry Solomon, and Kneebody.
Lavender Town Line-Up
- Lazar Miric – Saxophone
- Kae Murphy – Trumpet and EVI
- Luan Phung – Guitar
- Jen Lo – Synth and Piano
- PT Sandberg – Bass Guitar and Synth Bass
- Ambrose Veno – Drums
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