Laveda is one of the most exciting bands to emerge from New York’s indie scene, blending dreamy textures, shoegaze grit, and raw emotion. Formed by Ali Genevich and Jacob Brooks, the band has grown from college projects in upstate New York into a powerful four-piece now based in NYC. With their new album Love. Darla on the horizon, Laveda is hitting the road, launching their tour with an album release show in Brooklyn on September 16 before heading to Chicago for a stop at The Burlington Bar on September 21 — where we’ll be catching the set. I caught up with the band to talk about their journey, creative process, and what’s next.

How did Laveda come together as a band?

Ali - Joe, Dan, and I all went to college together. Jake was basically living with me in Albany while we started writing What Happens After and we wanted to find other people to play the songs with live. Joe actually responded to a post Jake put out in a DIY group on facebook. We met Dan shortly after through Joe. The rest is history.

Can you walk me through the early days? Did you all know each other before forming the band?

Jake - Ali and I knew each other in high school. We were in a few different projects together before forming Laveda. After Ali moved to Albany for college, we started writing music together. Those songs became the first Laveda album. We recorded everything with our friend Dylan Sky who lived in Greenpoint at the time. I met Joe and Dan through Ali’s college music community in St. Rose College in Albany. When we started playing these songs live, we wanted to do it as a band. Joe joined first and then Dan for our first tour.

How did growing up in NYC shape your music or sound?

Ali - None of us are originally from NYC. I grew up in Saratoga Springs, NY; Jake grew up in Plattsburgh, NY and Saratoga; Joe is from Metuchen, NJ; and Dan is from Westminster, MD. I didn’t really start writing music until I moved to Albany for college. I was mostly inspired by my friends and idols early on. Going to basement shows and sharing music with people opened my eyes to a lot of music that I otherwise wouldn’t have found on my own.

Was there a certain part of the city's culture or music scene that influenced your style?

Ali - Since moving to NYC in 2023 I’ve grown to really love more of the legacy NYC bands. Blonde Redhead might be one of my favorites. They show an interesting sound evolution from record to record and never fall short when it comes to writing a good song. It’s incredibly emotional music. As is Sonic Youth’s early work.

Your sound blends dream pop, shoegaze, and indie rock in such an interesting way. How do you describe your music to new listeners?

Ali - I’ve grown to hate genre labels. I think we have a lot of different sounds and we don’t really fit into one specific genre. I would call us nostalgic noise rock. It’s more about the evoked emotion behind the notes than the sound of the guitar tones. Sure genres can be helpful when talking about music, but my preferred way of hearing about a band is through the music itself. We all interpret everything differently.

Where do you draw inspiration from when you're writing?

Ali - My environment. My emotions. Writing music is an outlet of self expression for me. Lately it’s kinda like journaling.
 
What’s your songwriting process like?

Ali - Usually I will have a song idea or sometimes it will be something Jake and I write together. Then we’ll demo it, or sometimes a song is written and recorded at the same moment. Melody typically comes first and then lyrics follow. We’ll bring a song to the band to try and make sense of it in that context. If it doesn’t work we might thoroughly reshape it, or scrap it altogether. I don’t hold myself to strict rules. There’s no right or wrong way. 

The lyrics in your songs often seem to delve into themes of nostalgia and longing. What do you hope listeners take away from the stories you tell through your music?

Ali - I don’t really expect anything from our listeners. I’m just making music for people to enjoy in whatever way they need it.

Do you find that your lyrics reflect personal experiences or do you prefer to explore abstract themes and concepts in your writing?

Ali - Definitely both. Sometimes a song is purely an emotional outlet, a way for me to make sense of my own feelings. Other times it’s more of a fun fantasy dreamlike creation. It all just depends.  

Can you share the inspiration behind one of your favorite songs?

Ali - I wrote "Highway Meditation" after watching Natural Born Killers, one of Tarantino’s earlier films. I was constantly envisioning scenes from the movie while Jake and I were working on the song. Lyrically it became my sort of analysis of the movie.

Since your debut, it seems like your sound has evolved. How do you feel your music has changed over time?

Jake - I think it has become less digital and more analogue. We used to make everything in a bedroom with drum machines and synthesizers. Now we have been playing music as a band for 4 years. We work out the songs together before recording. The change in process has dramatically changed the end result. And we’ll probably change it again.

Are there any specific moments that pushed you to experiment or grow in a new direction?

Jake - Not exactly. We just listen to our heart and taste as a group. Ali and I have always been experimental with how we make music together. Every album we make always feels like our first.

How would you describe the NYC indie scene right now? Has it changed since you started?

Jake - I think it has both grown and become more interconnected since moving here. The scene is full of so many people doing different things but we are all getting to know each other. It’s a cool thing to be a part of. Not only are some of my favorite bands from here, but some of my favorite people too.

Do you feel part of a community of like-minded artists?

Jake - Yes.

What’s next for Laveda?

Jake - We are touring in September - October and then we are gonna write some more songs.

Can you elaborate more on the upcoming album?

Jake - It’s my favorite album we’ve made so far. It was written in a relatively short period of time and tracked live. It really captures us at our highest energy. Super proud of what y’all are going to hear. I think this record holds our most raw angry passages, while also our softest moments.

What do you hope to achieve with your music in the long run?

Jake - Just having a bunch of great songs out in the world.

Is there a message you want your music to convey or a feeling you want to leave people with?

Jake - No. We want people to interpret the songs on their own. Whatever it makes them feel is valid.

If each member of the band could pick one song they think represents Laveda’s sound the best, what would it be?

Jake - I think we have too many different sounds throughout our discography to pin it down to one song haha.

What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned since starting the band?

Jake - Dan taught me how to play a fiddle tune on the guitar the other day. I never expected to learn anything like that in this band.

If you weren’t making music, what do you think you’d be doing?

Ali - It’s hard to say. I love traveling and being outdoors. I really just want to have fun all the time, so maybe I’d just find odd jobs here and there and check out different parts of the world.