Over an eight-year period from 2005 to 2013, the Pill Halloween show was a highlighted staple of Great Scott’s fall party calendar. And the Daily Pravda performed at half of them, taking on David Bowie, Suede, Radiohead, and just last year, the Psychedelic Furs. They were just as part of the indie dance party’s Halloween tradition as the Pill itself, and now they return to Allston’s den of debauchery this Friday at the Vanyaland Halloween with a spin on gender roles and rock and roll excess with a set as modern icon Lana Del Rey.
And they’ll have some added weaponry for the experience: Celebrated singer Ruby Rose Fox will supply backing vocals and take the lead on a song or two, and acclaimed Fenway Park organist Josh Kantor will join the band on keys.
We’d call this a supergroup, if Pravda weren’t already so fucking super on their own. The Lana Del Rey set will fill the middle slot at Friday’s party at Great Scott, sandwiched between opener Pale Hands as Robyn and headliner Vary Lumar as the Smashing Pumpkins. To get us up to speed on what to expect, we caught up with Pravda frontman David Jackel for a peek behind Del Rey’s curtain into this new cruel world.
Vanyaland: What can we expect from your set as Lana Del Rey?
David Jackel: You can expect a bigger Pravda, with help from two of Boston’s best musicians: Josh Kantor (piano) and Ruby Rose Fox (vocals). Expect some dazzling solos from Ruby. And expect a theremin at some point. Things will get a little David Lynch, which is just what Lana would have wanted.
How will you interpret the sound of Lana Del Rey?
Our interpretation is fairly faithful, with deviations in places where they feel right. I’m dueting with Ruby Rose Fox throughout most of the set to the create the same rich layers you hear on Lana’s recordings. But Ruby and I are both singing with our real voices — neither of us are doing Lana Del Rey impressions. All the instruments are the standard rock fare — none of the fancy drum loops and synth patches we use in Pravda these days.
How has the sound of Lana Del Rey influenced your band’s own music?
Playing through the songs on Ultraviolence, we realized we already kind of sound like (the new) Lana Del Rey. She should cover “The Shadow Life” — she’d kill it. In our most recent mixing session at Moontower, I asked Mike Quinn to affect my vocals like “Cruel World” … so you’ll hear the influence soon.
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What do you think Lana would think of your cover set?
I like to think Lana would be pleased. We sincerely love her songs, and we’ve worked hard to replicate their nuances while adding our own touches.
What other Vanyaland Halloween show are you most looking forward to seeing?
It’s a solid bill, all three bands will carry the night. With that said, I’m betting Vary Lumar’s Pumpkins set will outshine the Billy Corgan one I saw in Boston.
What is next for Pravda?
We’re releasing a new Surfer Rosa-ish single called “The Morning Was the Worst Part” next month (the first track off our upcoming EP), and playing at the Sinclair the night before Thanksgiving, with the Sheila Divine, Mean Creek, and the Life Electric. On the farther horizon is a full-length record and touring.
Excellent.
VANYALAND HALLOWEEN with PALE HANDS as ROBYN + THE DAILY PRAVDA as LANA DEL REY + VARY LUMAR as the SMASHING PUMPKINS + DJ MICHAEL V + HOST GODDAMN GLENN :: Friday, October 31 @ Great Scott, 1222 Commonwealth Ave., Allston, MA :: 9 p.m., 21-plus, $10 :: Costumes required :: Advance tickets :: Do617 event page
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