Chloe Burdette
Editor in Chief
The first time I ever heard the musical genius of the band LANY was my first year of college at a John Mayer concert. (His music is, without a doubt, a guilty pleasure for most. Just admit it.) It was 2017, and Mayer gave the opening slot of his “The Search for Everything” tour to a drummer named Jake Goss, a guitar player by the name of Les Priest and a vocalist and songwriter named Paul Jason Klein — together known as LANY.
At concerts, I never really paid even the slightest bit of attention to the openers — mainly because my attention span was short, and I never had the patience to wait for the main act. But this day was extremely different. LANY took advantage of all of the stage lights, videoboards and design right as they stepped foot onto the stage and forced absent-minded Mayer fanatics to pay attention. The first song they sang to the crowd on that night, “Hericane,” weirdly wasn’t memorable for its powerful vocals, the flashy video background or the stage production. Instead, the performance itself was memorable because of the emotional aura that Klein created. He gripped the microphone like it was his lifeline, and the way he controlled the stage was like none other. Cheesy, over-the-top love songs are normally the bane of my existence, but this one struck a chord in most of the audience by the silence he elicited.
Once Klein sang the last lyric of his original song, I whipped out my phone to Google search LANY’s almost-blank Wikipedia page. I knew in that moment, I was roped into a new love affair of edgy, yet mellow love songs that I would inevitably blast through the speakers of my 2007 Hyundai Tucson during midnight drives
If you fast forward a couple of years, LANY has now captured many hearts through their relatable lyrics on struggling relationships, family ties and the real emotions that come with these issues. For me, one of the most notable tracks that frontman Klein has created is “If This Is The Last Time,” which is sung from the perspective of Klein as he pays homage to his parents for raising him, even when times were difficult and fights ensued between them. Klein sings, “Sorry for the nights when I made the wrong choice. Life is flying by and it’s hitting me now … I hope it’s not, but if this is the last time please come close, I love you with all my heart, you know …” This song not only inspires me to stop and appreciate the good and bad moments that have morphed me into the person I am today, but to hug my loved ones just a little tighter anytime I get the chance.
Many things have changed since I first saw LANY in concert. I am soon to be a college graduate, I am searching for real-world jobs and I am not at all equipped emotionally to leave The College of Wooster within the next year. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the resonance of LANY’s songs, no matter what stage of life I am in. So, for now, I will just be taking the world by “Hericane” instead of storm, one Klein lyric at a time.