“Making this album felt like making a movie”; Lava La Rue Unveils 'STARFACE'

An expansive indie project, Lava La Rue has utilised their gifted visual approach whilst incorporating a variety of artists from around the world. The resulting STARFACE, is a remarkable odyssey of a debut album that twists-and-turns through many poignant emotions.

STARFACE is both a conceptual project, as well as a re-introduction to Lava as an artist. Having taken some time focusing on other endeavours, it feels as though Lava has now fully realised their musical personality. A carefully curated approach has been taken on the artists featuring with them on STARFACE. Early on, we have Cuco joining Lava for stand-out single ‘Better’, an indie-bop that possesses a hugely relatable message.

Speaking on their approach to features, Lava expressed, “I approached it in the way I learned through coming up in NiNE8: making it feature-heavy. I’ve gone out of my way to get a featured artist that is a part of every continent or culture that’s influenced my music taste, from alt K-pop in Korea, to psychedelic Chicano music, to the Irish music scene, to my London family.” 

Fan favourite ‘Push N Shuv’ continues to see popular support, with a notable performance of the song when Lava made their TV debut on Jools Holland in June. ‘STARFACE’s Descendant’ with London’s tendai is another highlight, as is the touchingly-relevant ‘Humanity’, released earlier this year. The title of this song also serves as a key theme of the album, along with ideas of love and self-discovery. It’s Lava’s vulnerable exploration of these concepts that makes STARFACE a must-listen project for 2024.

Having already achieved so much in music, Lava La Rue somehow still feels like the star of tomorrow. Their approach to art is unique to them, with a fearlessness in creation that results in STARFACE reframing the idea of what an alternative album can be. Lava has harnessed the power of possibility, looking to the future to electrify the present. STARFACE is a triumph, and a debut offering that should not be overlooked.