Premiere: Folk-Pop Sister Trio LASKA Release Evocative Video Single ‘Dog Bite’

Fronted by three sisters who collectively write self-aware and earnest songs, Hannah, Mookie, and Bex Morton are the foundation of LASKA. 

Their melancholy, harmony-driven sound draws from the Midwestern heartland just as much as the LA coast, and continues to evolve as their landscape changes. All three sisters – whom are based out of Minneapolis – contribute to the writing, and have a way of leaving the listener in a state of wonder with their songs’ emotional territory.

Today, the trio has dropped their new single, “Dog Bite,” which is the second release from their upcoming album, Endless Patcher. It follows their well-received first single, “Funhouse.”

The video for the song sparks immediate intrigue, as the sisters are seen trudging up a hill in cinematic fashion, all with shovels in hand and wearing the same white tee and jeans.

The slow motion digging commences, and we’re left wondering what for. Gold? Graves? Answers? Before long, the lens peers up at the sisters from the hole, and we’re still left curious while the chill percussive track plays on.

The mellow indie groove acts as a comforting blanket of sound, their rich and uplifting harmonies keeping things soothing and on track. “Shadows follow / Talk tomorrow / Guilt grows through a dark night / Like a dog bite,” they sing.

The gentle vocals and intermittent harmonies create a calming sense of tranquility, and while there’s no grand conclusion to the digging, the viewer is left in a state of wonder. And like I did with the conclusion of Mulholland Drive, I immediately watched again out of intrigue and to see what I might’ve missed.

LASKA’s upcoming album, Endless Patcher, hits the sweet spot that sits between folk-influenced pop and rock. What you hear on the upcoming album isn’t really a ‘patchwork,’ as the album’s evocative title might lead you to believe. It’s an album that addresses the density of lived experience, and the complexities of life as we now know it.

Hannah says about the title, “Endless Patcher is about recognizing the magic of the going through it. Sometimes it feels like I’m always waiting to get through the next part, wondering when I will just get there. But this title is about recognizing that we’re always going through something, and that’s just another part of life we need to find the joy in. Always adding another patch to the jacket.”

The sister trio harmonize in the sort of unity that only siblings can achieve. The new album expresses poetic truths that have been honed by the focus and musicianship of trained players, and what LASKA does with the very idea of song form and pop structure marks them as true innovators.

Since their formation in 2016, the band has grown to be a six-piece act. Their live sound blends rugged guitar, synthesizers, and pedal affected violins, bringing listeners from song-in-your-bedroom intimacy to vast moments in sonic canyons. The Mortons play alongside Evan Middlesworth (producer and guitar) and Robbie Weisshaar (bass).

Along with Hannah, Bex and Mookie, the musicians on Endless Patcher play a crucial role to its rounded sound. Alongside Middlesworth and Weisshaar are Keegan Burckhard, Dave Power and Sam Enochs who rotate on drums, with Ben Lester adding pedal steel. Kyleen King plays violin and viola on “Purple Blue.”

Their sophomore album, Endless Patcher, is due out June 3, 2022. 

Catch LASKA on the “Endless Patcher Release Tour” in Spring / Summer 2022:

June 3 – Amsterdam Bar & Hall – Saint Paul, Minnesota (Endless Patcher Album Release Show)

June 4 – Riverview – Davenport, Iowa

June 10 – Dorm Eleven – Muscle Shoals, Alabama

June 12 – Melody Inn – Indianapolis, Indiana

July 14 – Spanish Ballroom – Tacoma, Washington

July 17 – Salem Art and Music Festival – Salem, Oregon