Just as the dust was settling from their successful fall run with Rise Against, L.S. Dunes have unleashed “Violet,” a track that serves as both a mission statement and a warning shot for their sophomore album of the same name. The single proves that the band’s 2023 debut wasn’t just a one-off supergroup experiment but the beginning of something more substantial.
Where many supergroups struggle to transcend the sum of their parts, L.S. Dunes seems to be hitting their stride. Bassist Tim Payne’s comments about the track reveal a band that’s developed their own musical shorthand, taking Frank Iero’s initial demo and transforming it into something that pushes beyond their collective comfort zones. It’s the sound of five veteran musicians who’ve found their groove together, building on the foundation of their debut “Past Lives” while pushing into new territory.
Front man Anthony Green, never one to mince words, frames the track as a karmic revenge fantasy, describing it as “about someone getting exactly what they deserve.” The raw emotional honesty that’s become his trademark finds a perfect home in the band’s increasingly sophisticated sound. Green’s admission that the song helped him process being ghosted adds a relatable layer of vulnerability to what could otherwise have been just another angry rock song.
The timing of the single’s release couldn’t be better, coming just weeks before the band embarks on an ambitious European tour with Rise Against. The itinerary reads like a wishlist of venerable venues, from Dublin’s 3Olympia to Berlin’s Velodrom, suggesting that the industry’s faith in this “supergroup” experiment hasn’t wavered.
“Violet,” both the single and the upcoming album (due January 31st via Fantasy Records), positions L.S. Dunes as more than just a side project for its accomplished members. It’s the sound of a band that’s found its voice and isn’t afraid to use it. If this track is any indication, we’re about to see what happens when a supergroup truly becomes a band.
The real question now isn’t whether L.S. Dunes can match the success of their debut, but rather how far beyond it they’re willing to push. Based on “Violet,” the answer seems to be: as far as it takes.
