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May 11, 2023 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Cheryl Georgette

Next week, LA indie singer/songwriter Lauren Early is set to share her forthcoming debut album, Don’t Take My Dream Away. After spending her early career touring in rising indie rock outfits like Girlpool and Surf Curse, Early is now stepping off on her own with a solo debut record, written after experiencing a series of devastating personal losses.

Early spent those dark months writing her debut, looking to touchstones of alt rock as inspiration. “I wanted to make a Last Splash, a Dookie, a Siamese Dream…an album with absolutely no dead weight that takes you on a journey and adds another layer of joy, catharsis, and…vibes to your life,” she says.

The full album is out on May 19th. Today, ahead of the album’s release, Early is sharing the record’s final single, “Twisted,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Twisted” is made up of equal parts hook-laden garage pop and sun-burnt lo-fi haze, making great use of Early’s listless vocal style, brittle guitar lines, and dreamy synth percussion. The chaotic drum fills and shambolic guitar solos add clever shades to the track, pairing easily with the unassuming off-kilter charm of Early’s lyrics. It’s a distinct and playful sound, and a perfect example of Early’s no-filler philosophy on the record. Even in a more subdued mode, Early brims with unrepressed energy and irresistibly catchy songwriting.

Early says of the track, “I’ve never worked harder on a song than I did on ‘Twisted.’ I fussed over this song for years, really trying to make something incomparable that has its own sound. I’ve been teaching myself to not write straight-up guitar songs and this is my feral, deepest dive at production (there’s a ‘dub’ section). Lyrically, I took a lot of inspiration from the attitude of rap music instead of indie rock on this album. I think ‘Twisted’ is a good example of this, especially the ending: ‘new life, loveless sick, you have a bad therapist…’

She continues, saying of the video, “In the video, I invest my hypothetical life savings in a beanie baby and lose everything, including my home. Then I’m left to my own devices, wandering LA with my now worthless beanie baby, foolishly performing my music. Much of Don’t Take My Dream Away is about me kind of losing everything and being left to my own devices, wandering around LA with whatever a beanie baby represents, trying to make my music.”

Check out the song and video below. Don’t Take My Dream Away is out May 19th via Danger Collective Records.