Post-rock, noise-rock band Down the Lees, with roots in Vancouver, Belgium and now the Okanagan, is set to release its new album Dirt on May 3, and promote the album with live shows around B.C. in May.
Fronted by Laura Lee Schultz, renowned for her work with Queazy, Skinjobs, and New Years Resolution, Down the Lees was initially a solo project. Later, Chris Carlson was brought in on bass and Andy Ashley on drums, resulting in the band’s current sound; a blend of post-rock, shoegaze, hardcore, slowcore, and no-wave.
The band’s fourth full-length album, Dirt, comes after the band’s transformative phase in Belgium, marked by a 2020 European tour for their critically-acclaimed album Bury the Sun produced by Steve Albini. In a response to the global pandemic, the project paused and Schultz returned to Canada, giving herself the space to channel adversity into the creation of new music. Soon after, the Canadian incarnation of the band emerged.
Their latest album Dirt, produced by Jesse Gander of Raincity Recorders (Brutus, Japandroids) brings forth the band’s signature emotional sound with heavier hitters such as Douse and the slower, melodic track Downplay. In celebration of that album, Monday Mag interviewed Schultz who gave us insights into the band’s development, dealing with imposter syndrome, and getting through the pandemic with resilience as an artist.
Where did the band draw inspiration from for Dirt?
We had this idea to name all the tracks with a ‘D’ at the start, except for Since La Vie En Rose. I’d been itching to try that out for ages. That was the spark. And as we kept crafting the songs, it became evident that together, the album centered on resilience—embracing vulnerability, anger, and forgiveness all at once.
Why the album name?
Dirt is the first song on the album, and its significance shows in the artwork. Mirabelle Van de Put, a talented Belgian artist who is also in the band Haze and on the same label as us, Off White House Records, crafted the album cover. It shows our relationship with the Earth, climate change, and humanity’s impact. Being based in Kelowna, B.C., where the Okanagan wildfires are raging, we couldn’t ignore the issue. That’s why we decided to channel our thoughts into song and action. Alongside our music, we’ve commissioned a special poster by Norah Bowman, with a portion of the proceeds dedicated to the BC Wildfire Recovery Fund. And this is just the beginning—we’re committed to further initiatives aimed at aiding the recovery efforts.
What’s your favourite song on the album and why?
That’s always a hard question as it’s almost like asking a parent, “Who is your favourite child?”. But if I were to choose, it would be Douse. Douse was the first song that the new Down The Lees line-up (Chris Carlson, Andy Ashley and I) worked on together. We took a lot of time to perfect the nuances. The main riff started very early on in the pandemic when I was living in Belgium. Then the project was put on hold as I moved back to Canada and tried to regain my footing. As the new line-up formed, we took the skeleton of Douse and started the new phase of Down The Lees.
As the song started to come together, it really became my personal anthem, a constant reminder to never back down. Dealing with setbacks and feeling like I’m invisible in the music scene, I constantly battle imposter syndrome. That line, “Don’t you douse my flame,” came from that internal struggle. You know, as artists, especially us older ones, we’re often our own harshest critics. I needed something to hold onto, to keep me moving forward. Breaking through industry barriers feels like climbing a mountain, especially with all those outdated sexist and ageist standards holding me back.
We knew we had something special with this song when we recorded it with Jesse Gander at Raincity Recorders in Vancity. It came out so effortlessly. Critics noticed too as it won the Best Song at the Okanagan Screen Awards in March before the video was even released.
How did your time in Belgium most influence your sound?
I lived in Belgium for five years between 2015-2020 and can safely say that the music scene over there completely inspired me to turn Down The Lees from a recording project into a live band. Belgium, and specifically Ghent, has the most exciting rock scene. Vibrant, abrasive, noisy and loud. It really spoke to me. It made me want to find band members and finally make my dream come true of recording with Steve Albini. Not long after I found Kwinten (bass) and Jonathan (drums), we wrapped up writing the songs for ‘Bury The Sun’ and headed off to Chicago to record with Steve for a week. That album set us on the path of touring Europe, had shows booked with Sargent Artists (Brutus, Helms Alee) and even garnered an invitation to tour with Sisters of Mercy in Italy, until it all came crashing down in 2020.
What are some of the themes that emerge in this album?
Climate disaster, imposter syndrome, resilience, ageism, sexism, depression. You know, light topics. I tend to write under a microscope of what is happening in society. Which in turn, helps me cope with the struggle of being human.
Down the Lees tour dates:
May 3 - Penticton, BC @ Clancy’s
May 4 - Vernon, BC @ May the 4th be with BBDB’s Fundraiser
May 23 - Vancouver, BC @ Green Auto
May 24- Victoria, BC @ Little Fernwood
May 25- Nanaimo, BC @ The Vault
For more information on the new album, go to downthelees.bandcamp.com or follow them on Instagram/Facebook @downthelees.