Coming out of a huge 2019, the group doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Great news for
music lovers and the city of Los Angeles. This trio of ladies are taking over the city in the
near future.
Automatic is Izzy Glaudini on synths & vocals, Halle Saxon on bass and Lola Dompe on drums. No guitarist is featured in the band lineup. Very few groups can pull off sounding so spectacular without that element, so it's definitely impressive what they have accomplished. All 3 members have towering personalities that compliment each other beautifully. It's something very apparent when they hit the stage and get the whole crowd moving.
The release of their first album, Signal, on Stone's Throw Records was a huge part of their success in 2019. It was highly regarded around the music world as a top record of the year. Not only that, they embarked on their first European tour in the fall after the record dropped. They played just about everywhere in LA and had a month long residency at The Echo. A late tour of the U.S. saw stops at Desert Daze & Levitation in Austin.
As if that wasn't enough, the trio opened up for legendary goth rock icons Bauhaus for two shows at the Palladium in Hollywood. For those of you who don't know, Lola's father is the original drummer in Bauhaus, Kevin Haskins. Appearing on KCRW's MBE, they sure finished off the year strong.
2020 was looking very promising as well for Automatic. Just before the world shut down, they went on an 18-date tour of Europe. With stops in Geneva, Amsterdam, Stockholm and Munich to name a few. They returned to America in March and began a tour in support of the band Shopping. You may have guessed by now, the tour was cut short due to the global crisis we all find ourselves under. The tour only lasted 6 dates before being cancelled. Last one was in Los Angeles at 1720.
I recently had a conversation with Lola to discuss the new album, touring, growing up, playing Desert Daze & Levitation and more.
Here's what she had to say:
Q: What year did the band form?
A: 2017
Q: Where did all 3 members grow up?
A: Halle in Texas, Lola in Los Angeles, Izzy in NYC.
Q: Do you guys all have other jobs besides being in the band?
A: Yeah, we all have to work other boring jobs. Although right now no one can work because of the virus!
Q: When it comes to writing music, are you all usually on the same page?
A: For the most part! We have different but overlapping tastes and it always comes together in the end. We really try to stay open and sensitive to each other while being creative.
Q: How did the relationship with Stone's Throw come to be and how has the experience been working with someone like Peanut Butter Wolf?
A: Our friend, Matthew, who works at Stone's Throw showed some of our songs to the team and they really liked it. We had a few meetings at their bar Goldline in Highland Park and it just felt so right. Peanut Butter Wolf is so supportive and you can tell he just really likes music.
Q: How did both European tours go for the band?
A: Our first EU tour was right after the album came out in Fall 2019. It was insanely fun. We returned for round two in February of this year and it was cool to see how the crowds grew. Especially in Germany!
Q: What was it like having a parent in a legendary band growing up and what it did it mean to you opening up for them?
A: I feel so grateful to have grown up in an environment surrounded by music. I got to see and experience so much amazing music from a very young age. It's also so nice to have such a supportive family who comes to all our shows. Opening up for Bauhaus was insane. It felt so special in so many ways.
Q: How was the experience playing Desert Daze & Levitation for the first time?
A: Desert Daze was our first festival, which was super exciting. I think we got to play to a lot of fresh ears, people who had never heard us before. It was really hot, I think I actually did that thing where people pour water on their heads on stage *laughs* And then we got to hang out and watch Anika, DEVO and Viagra Boys! Levitation was also a great show. It was really fun playing in Halle's hometown of Austin.
Q: Are you guys working on new music for a new album in the near future?
A: We're trying. We've never worked on music remotely, so it's an experiment.
Q: Where did the concept for the cover of Signal come from?
A: The album art was done by Jayson Payne. I think Halle had a zine or something by him and we really liked his work. We saw the outlet wrapped in plastic and just thought it fit the album well.
Q: Speaking on it, how does it feel to release the very first album for Automatic and having it so acclaimed?
A: We worked really hard and didn't really have any expectations going into this project. It feels great to be rewarded with the positive response.
Q: Thoughts on doing another residency after the successful one at The Echo last year?
A: Not sure. It was definitely a highlight of the year and I think we'd love to do another one when we can.
Q: Final question, did you guys almost call yourselves something else besides Automatic?
A: We almost called ourselves Hallo.