Lindsey Mills by Liam Milano
Lindsey Mills is a such mainstay of the South Florida scene, one wonders about the abyss that might open up locally if Mills were somewhere else doing what she does. Here, she splits time between a world-famous band, Surfer Blood; a collaborative performance and media production space, Salt Witch Studio; a curated live-music series, Salon, at Voltaire in West Palm Beach; and, of late, a solo project with her backing band, the Lazy Lovers.
With so many plates spinning, one imagines Mills waking up, making coffee and working without interruption late into every evening in order to sustain her creative output. Mills’ latest endeavor is a new album, “Ecotones,“ which she and the Lazy Lovers will be performing on March 9 at Voltaire.
Mills is not interested in replicating her Surfer Blood bona fides under her own name; “Ecotones” is her own voice and sensibility at play. The first track, “What is a weed??,” adopts a bouncy gait while discussing the merits of fences, weeds and daisies in the context of autonomy. “No Mud” (featured on this month’s PureHoney SoundCloud mix) could be the work of an indie-rock Billie Holiday.
Mills and the Lovers will be joined at their record release show by Like Diamonds, the solo project of Phoenix-based Ark Calkins. A Florida native, Calkins plays psych-rock that has shades of yacht rock and is all chill. Dreamend, from Savannah, Georgia, will be deploying a brand of shoegaze-y, post-rock bluegrass that has been described as Mono meets Explosions In the Sky. Rounding out the bill is Kid Dakota, from Minneapolis. Kid Dakota is the moniker for Darren Jackson, whose current release is a 7” called, “Get Her Out of My Heart.” It’s a beautifully lush and seemingly forlorn treatise on lost love, a la Elliott Smith.
”Ecotones” surfaces digitally on March 2 and on vinyl soon after. Along with a good shakedown cruise for the new Mills record, expect a fun night of fuzzed-out indie bliss, with no shortage of surprises from this varied, one-night-only lineup.
Lindsey Mills and the Lazy Lovers debut “Ecotones” at an album release party with Like Diamonds, Dreamend and Kid Dakota, March 9 at Voltaire in West Palm Beach ~ Tim Moffatt
