Beach House is no stranger to playing its psychedelic dream-pop tunes in Oxford, and the band’s latest tour will bring those jams back to Mississippi in the form of a new album at 8 p.m. May 4 at The Lyric Oxford.
The Baltimore-based band, which is made up of vocalist Victoria Legrand and guitarist-keyboardist Alex Scally, will debut its seventh album, “7,” on May 11.
While working on the new album, the band expanded its music beyond previous limits of writing and recording sounds they could perform live and, instead, wrote whatever came naturally in the studio.
“‘7’ happened really quickly because we changed a couple things, and we didn’t stay at the studio so long that the creativity died. The energy was always flowing,” Legrand said. “The record was a huge gift for us because we didn’t expect it to happen as quickly as it did.”
The direction for the album was inspired by the changes in life that can arise from darkness and trauma. The theme of finding beauty in difficult situations echoes throughout “7.”
“We’re inspired by everything, and we’re just living life and feeling changes in the world. Feeling darkness and feeling the light is one of the most inspiring things that pushes our band further,” Legrand said.
Beach House will perform a variety of songs, from old music to previously unreleased songs that will appear on “7.”
“There are a few songs that we are really excited about playing, but we’ve never been really aggressive about putting ourselves out there,” Legrand said. “People have found their own way into Beach House, and we’re ready to start performing the new album.”
The band is especially anticipating the audience’s response to hearing “Lemon Glow” and “Dark Spring,” two tracks that appear early on the new album, live for the first time.
“Our live show is an opportunity to have a more immersive experience, and I think our music can be that for people,” Legrand said.
Touring is one of the band members’ favorite aspects of their jobs because it gives them the opportunity to feel audiences’ energy and to create an immersive listening experience.
“Touring is great because there’s always a new face or place or theatre or room,” Legrand said. “There’s a different energy each time we play, and each audience has a different energy that keeps the tour alive. That’s really amazing.”
Legrand and Scally have been working together for over 13 years, and they have released 77 songs together. They have developed a unique friendship that carries over into their on-stage performances.
“Imagine your best friend in the world: It’s the person you can work with, share time with (and) share experiences of life with, and its intense, but its familial. It’s a lot of water under the bridge, because at the end of the day, it’s really just familial,” Legrand said.
As the release of its new album approaches, the band expressed immense gratitude for the people that listen to its music and choose to attend its shows. The duo hopes that its audience genuinely enjoy the music.
“We are excited to come back to Oxford. We had a great time when we were here last, and it brings back good memories. People are kind to one another in Oxford, and it’s always nice to come down,” Legrand said. “We want people to enjoy themselves. If you haven’t listened to the music before, come to the show and just see how you feel.”
