Lightning Bug announces the upcoming release of their fourth album, No Paradise, a triumphant endeavor born out of frontwoman Audrey Kang's introspective solo motorcycle journey covering 4,000 miles from Mexico to New York. This grueling adventure became the catalyst for Kang's songwriting process, channeling the beauty and darkness encountered along the way into the fabric of the new record.
No Paradise marks a seismic shift for the band, which is comprised of Audrey Kang, Logan Miley, Kevin Copeland, and Dane Hagen. Following their last record, "A Color of the Sky," released on Fat Possum, the band has opted for full independence by self-releasing the new album. Befitting its title and the symbolism of a point of no return, No Paradise descends from the heavens, firmly grasping the earth with a determination to make its voice heard.
To introduce the forthcoming album, Lightning Bug shares the lead single, "December Song," a poignant exploration of what Kang describes as a "deep personal winter in the midst of high summer." Drawing inspiration from ancient Greek mythology, Kang paints a vivid picture of depression as a season of waiting—waiting to come back to life. Her voice resonates with a newfound intensity, weaving through instruments that evoke the gentle fall of snow, gusts of wind, and the icy brilliance of winter.
Audrey Kang reflects on "December Song": "I’d just gotten back to New York City after spending every last droplet of energy I had on riding a motorcycle from Nayarit to NYC. When the trip was over, I fell into the lowest low I’ve known. 'December Song' was my way of giving my life some meaning again, by thinking of my sadness as part of a story, a season. In the song, I retell the myth of Persephone from the perspective of Demeter as she awaits her daughter’s return to a land made barren with grief."
Listen to "December Song" now below.