Bonnaroo 2022 Artist Spotlight: LANY

Like we’ve been doing for many years now, we’re making it our mission to help you get acquainted with many of our favorite acts from Bonnaroo‘s 2022 lineup. And, for the first time in three years, we finally feel confident that there definitely will be a Bonnaroo this year, after a postponement then cancelation in 2020 due to Covid, and an unfortunate rainout of last year’s would-be September event. Returned to its traditional timeframe of June 16-19, this marks Bonnaroo’s 21st summer and 19th installment, and features a largely new lineup for the festival’s much-anticipated return!

As we dig through the entire schedule, we’ll highlight a spread of performers spanning across genres and stages, big and small, new and old, to bring you some of the most interesting, lesser-known, and most highly-recommended among this year’s crop of artists. And as our time at ‘Roo approaches, we’ll also be bringing you some special features and full list-style daily lineup guides, to help you plan your weekend ahead of the fest. While these previews won’t span every artist, and might omit some more obvious must-see acts, we hope they’ll serve as a way to help you navigate Bonnaroo’s gargantuan lineup, and to make the most of your busy weekend on the farm!

Grab your tickets right here if you haven’t already, and read on for our Bonnaroo Artist Spotlight!

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It’s often lost in their history, as they’ve been Los Angeles based for nearly the entirety of their career, but eclectic alt pop/rock outfit LANY actually first came together right here in Nashville, where founding members Jake Goss and Les Priest were based with their prior group WRLDS (third member Paul Jason Klein was pursing a solo career in LA at the time, before all three met up in 2014 and began making music together in Nashville, putting their respective projects on hold). In retrospect, it’s pretty incredible how much LANY achieved before even dropping their eponymous debut LP. Those first few years included four buzzed out EPs, a platinum single, a major label deal, viral online fame, and tours with big names like Halsey, Troye Sivan, Ellie Goulding, and John Mayer, not to mention festival appearances at the likes of Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Firefly, and more. By the time they did release their debut full-length, in 2017, the group (whose name is pronounced “lay-nee” and is an acronym for Los Angeles New York) were already breakout stars, resonating widely with their stylish, modern, electro-laced, dreamy indie pop meets alt rock sound. Sophomore effort Malibu Nights, a more introspective and intimate meditation on heartbreak, arrived in 2018, widening the band’s global audience and finally beginning a new chapter apart from their early singles and EPs. After two major collaborations, “Okay” with Julia Michaels and “Mean It” with Lauv, LANY experimented with a rootsier and less electronic sound with 2020’s Mama’s Boy, their highest-charting record to date, before returning to full-on electropop on last year’s extremely modern and hook-laden gg bb xx, which would mark their last release before the departure of founding member Les Priest. With their earnest writing style, honed visual aesthetic, and ’80s pop meets ’90s r&b meets modern indie rock sound, not to mention a captivating live presence, LANY have become a staple on the festival circuit over the years, and their third Bonnaroo appearance promises to be the most magical yet!

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