slumberland records

keeping it foolish since 1989

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When the world — and his previous band Star Tropics — crumbled in the early days of the pandemic, Chicago's Loren Vanderbilt began rebuilding himself through song. Daydreaming to the chime of IRS-era R.E.M., Felt, The Railway Children, New Order, and 90's staples like Ride, Pale Saints and Slowdive, he fell backwards in time through records as a means of escape. To break away from the present and embrace the nostalgia of musical eras gone by, Loren formed Humdrum — a band built around his favorite elements of dreampop, indiepop, shoegaze, and new wave.

On his debut album, "Every Heaven," Loren establishes himself as a talented songwriter across 10 tracks brimming with jangly guitars and lovelorn vocals—all punctuated by the pulse of a driving beat. Slated for release by Slumberland Records on October 18, 2024, "Every Heaven" is Humdrum's first collection of songs, presented on teal blue vinyl manufactured at Chicago's own Smashed Plastic Record Pressing plant.

The album's opener (and eponymous track) invites the listener in, with each guitar riff and beat slowly falling into place. As the gate is opened and disappears behind you, a new world is revealed of cascading pastel-colored reverb and the hum of guitar amps eager to feedback. The sound can be described as celebratory and introspective in a way that feels both familiar and unexpected.

A deeper listen reveals a juxtaposition between the album's carefree melodies, and its sobering truths about the life, loss, and questions of being a queer 30-something artist. In the song "There and Back Again," Loren references the final Sarah Records release to catalog the on-again-off-again moments of a relationship with the lines, "Will we make it ‘round the bend / or are we too tried to be true?". The following track, "Superbloom," is far more romantic in its playful optimism, as Loren sings, "In the heavens where you run to / I'll be running right beside you / don't you wanna run away with me too?"

Ultimately, "Every Heaven" centers around departure and return, the devastation of loss and the hope for renewal. The pause between heartbeats for some may be an instant. For others, it can feel long and silent, and if they are lucky, the next beat arrives on time, springing them back to life. Humdrum is this moment for Loren. With "Every Heaven" he has presented 10 songs that speak to life's dynamic moments, and he can't wait for you to hear them.