Lake & Lyndale Premiere Their Feel-Good Single “The Sequel”

With Lake & Lyndale, there’s something quintessentially American about them. It’s not just in their music but also in their story. You get a nice sampling of who they are today with the premiere of their new single, “The Sequel,” released via Rock Ridge Music. It’s the sound of an act that continues to evolve and isn’t about to be limited by any perceived notions of what an “Americana” band should sound like.

Sure, there are traditional elements to their sound. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room to maneuver within that space. The band’s 2020 single “Still Here” was more acoustic and typical of what you might expect. “The Sequel” is more ambient and relies more heavily on synths, which is not exactly commonplace for an Americana act.

Commenting on the origins of the song, lead singer Channing Krentz tells us:

“I got the idea for ‘The Sequel’ because I was thinking about how many sequels/remakes have been coming out over the past few years. And while I consider myself more of a TV show person than a movie person, the sequels/remakes I have seen end up leaving me with the feeling of, ‘Hmm, that was good but didn’t beat the original.’ I was trying to take that thought of a sequel and make it more about a relationship.

“My initial thought was, ‘Ok, maybe it’s about seeing an ex with someone new after a breakup and hoping that it’s not as good, and we could tie that into the title.’ I’m grateful for the co-writers because I took that into Alex Kiel and Zack Dyer and they were like, ‘Let’s maybe massage that a bit.’ We talked about it for a while and then decided to make it more about that relationship that you keep going back to because it had so much magic in the beginning.”

Elaborating on the goals within the song, Krentz adds:

“The song ended up feeling very real, because I have been through a very long on-again/off-again relationship, and, man, those were tough times. I think a lot of relationships go through that hardship of knowing that the love is there but the two people want very different things out of life; it could have to do with location, career paths, whatever it may be. You can love someone and also realize you truly aren’t right for them, which is one of the hardest pills to swallow.

“We wanted to really capture that feeling in this song, and one of the lines that always sticks out to me is, ‘Once it’s gone, you can’t remake that magic,’ because that feels so true. I remember getting back together with this person after a breakup fully knowing that the magic was gone but still hoping that we could somehow find it again. Spoiler alert: we didn’t.”

On why the song felt right, he says:

“‘The Sequel’ felt special, and we started to play it out, and it immediately felt like it resonated with the audience. That is always a good feeling, and while it was always on the radar to release, that response solidified it. We took this one into the studio, and while we have plenty of songs that are more ‘band’ songs in the sense of focusing on a jam section or the music, this one very much revolves around the story and melody.

“Our producer, Alex Kiel, has been working with us for several years now and has been a key component to the L&L sound. Having written this with him, I think we had a pretty clear direction of what we wanted it to be right from the writing room. We hope that ‘The Sequel’ continues to capture the audience and that it gives people that sense of appreciating the magic of those relationships that maybe didn’t end up exactly the way they wanted them to.”

While the band has evolved over the years, Lake & Lyndale try to stay grounded and close to their roots. Authentic and innovative American-sounding music is their ultimate goal, but they obviously allow themselves some leeway in how they get to that endpoint. They originally got their start in Minneapolis, but then in 2017 decided to uproot and move to Nashville. It has turned out to be a good decision, as they have become well known locally with a sound and style that fits within the musical history and tendencies of the area. Soulful melodies, rich harmonies, and Midwestern heart are the driving forces behind this group. That along with their working-class spirit and perseverance make Lake & Lyndale an Americana band you’re going to get used to.

Lake & Lyndale “The Sequel” single artwork