Photos & Words: Mika Earley
Laundry Day’s origin story runs somewhat parallel to that of the fictional Lemonade Mouth, sans truancy. Both were formed in basement school music rooms, uplifted by coming of age narratives. In between classes and extracurriculars, Trumpet Boy was born in March 2018. Another EP and full length release were added to Laundry Day’s discography within the year.
This tour began in the late summer after Homesick came out in March, almost exactly a year after Trumpet Boy. Since then there has been a steady stream of live shows, first for only a handful of friends and then international audiences as far away as London. In all of these, not a single cover has made its way onto the setlist. All the music that Laundry Day performs is its own.
In a place with a capacity of less than 200, the crowd was captivated. Beforehand, there was a line nearly reaching its doors. Some fans apparently traveled from as far as Martha’s Vineyard. With everyone inside the already close quarters became even more personal, as if if could have been one of their first shows.
Even so, Laundry Day put on the kind of performance that could sell out venues booked for musicians they previously performed in support of. While it is common to put popular songs later on the setlist, Laundry Day began with one. “Harvard” is yearning encapsulated, a multilayered portrait of both melancholy and youthful resilience.
Naming this the All My Friends tour reinforces how it is an experience to be shared. Near the halfway point, a girl in the audience was brought up on stage and given an early birthday serenade, complete with a party hat and mini cake. This is a moment people will remember, due in no small part to the jangly country rendition of Happy Birthday_ genre decided by audience vote). Each show gets a moment like this of their own.
Laundry Day is a passion project in its purest form, as reflected by lines like “I’m trying to change the world / Me and my friends got something planned” from “CHA”. These are sung with such conviction that you cannot help but believe every word. Set to perform at Austin City Limits weekend two and open for Clairo in Glasgow later this year, it looks like they will be doing exactly what they promised.