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Aug 30, 2023 By Mark Redfern Photography by Sylvie & Seven

Lael Neale has shared a brand new song, “I’ll Be Your Star,” via a self-directed music video where she plays an elementary school teacher. It was filmed at Neale’s actual elementary school. The song was recorded during the sessions for her recent album, Star Eaters Delight, released in April via Sub Pop, but instead was held back as a standalone single. Watch the video below, followed by Neale’s upcoming tour dates.

Neale had this to say in a press release: “Getting to make this video at my beloved elementary school felt like coming full circle. I had my first and only film class there in which I learned the spontaneous and primitive approach to making things that I’m still committed to.”

Neale’s regular collaborator Guy Blakeslee produced and mixed the song. “I’ll Be Your Star” follows “White T-Shirt,” another Star Eaters Delight outtake, which was shared in June and was one of our Songs of the Week.

Pick up our current print issue (Issue 71) to read our new interview with Lael Neale on Star Eaters Delight.

Read our rave review of the album here.

Stream the album here.

Previously Neale shared the album’s first single, “I Am the River,” also via a self-directed music video. “I Am the River” was one of our Songs of the Week. Then she shared its second single, the over eight-minute long “In Verona,” via a self-directed video in which Neale plays a newscaster. “In Verona” was #1 on our Songs of the Week list. Then she shared its third single, “Faster Than the Medicine,” also via a self-directed video and also one of our Songs of the Week. Then she shared its fourth single, “Must Be Tears,” via a self-directed video. “Must Be Tears” was also one of our Songs of the Week.

Star Eaters Delight is the follow up to 2021’s Acquainted With Night, which was her debut for Sub Pop and was recorded in 2019. The new album was recorded after Neale moved from Los Angeles to her family’s farm in rural Virginia in April 2020.

“Acquainted with Night was a focusing inward amidst the loud and bright Los Angeles surrounding me. It was an attempt to create spaciousness and quiet reverie within. When I moved back to the farm, I found that the unbroken silences compelled me to break them with sound. This album is more external. It is a reaching back out to the world, wanting to feel connected, to wake up, to come together again,” explained Neale in a previous press release.

Guy Blakeslee produced the album with Neale.

Read our 2021 interview with Lael Neale.

Lael Neale Tour Dates:

Wed. Sep. 06 - Rotterdam, NL - Roodkapje
Thu. Sep. 07 - Utrecht, NL - Ekko
Fri. Sep. 08 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Upstairs
Sat. Sep. 09 - Asten-Heusden, NL - Misty Fields Festival
Mon. Sep. 11 - Bristol, UK - Crofters Rights
Tue. Sep. 12 - Brighton, UK - The Prince Albert
Wed. Sep. 13 - London, UK - Moth Club
Thu. Sep. 14 - Dublin, IE - The Workman’s Club
Sat. Sep. 16 - Leffinge, BE - Leffingeleuren Festival
Wed. Sep. 27 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theater ^
Thu. Sep. 28 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre ^
Fri. Sep. 29 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theater ^

^ w/ Weyes Blood

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