Words by Ariya Arshadi-Cunningham / Cover photo & live photos by Elizabeth Acosta / Band portraits by Julia Tarantino
On Friday night, New York City based band LAVEDA is platformed on stage, instruments in hand, bathed in red light at Night Club 101. They are about to put on a show as enigmatic and passionate as the atmosphere portends. With Ali Genevich on vocals, guitar, and bass, Jake Brooks on vocals and guitar, Dan Carr on bass and guitar, and Joe Taurone on drums, they stand looking confident and ready to entrance the audience and pull them into the world of Laveda.
Kicking off with a high energy entrance, Genevich’s vocals are nonetheless delivered in a whisper, luring the audience closer. This enticing introduction sets the perfect tone for the captivating set to come, full of yearning vocals and lyrics paired with the band’s innate stage presence [editor’s note: and innate fashion sense!] grabbing everyone’s full attention.
Ali reveals that the next song they’re about to play was released two days previous. It’s called “Heaven” and it’s the first advance single off their upcoming Love, Darla LP, serving as the band’s debut on the venerable Bar/None Records label. [editor’s note: Hoboken in the hizzy!]
The instrumentals perfectly synthesize with the vocals about “losing all my self control” with the feminine rage conveyed being highly evident. As the guitarists deploy their arsenal of pedals, the breakdown begins with emotion pouring out like hot tears from the amps offered unto those watching.
Laveda released the new single on June 18th, 2025, alongside a gorgeous music video. It’s a house party video with the band playing in the midst of other partygoers in attendance, undisturbed by their dancing and drinking, pawing and snogging. Clipped with digital pics taken during the video shoot, interwoven and a little meta, it’s an earnest representation of the experience of being young in New York City. [editor’s note: outside of the “dangerous young loner” contingent, that is!]
There is a guitar switch for the third song. I can’t help but draw parallels from this artistic decision coupled with the lyrics, “I don’t want to be your girlfriend anymore; I don’t want to be your boyfriend anymore; I don’t need to have a cell phone anymore.” It’s all very harmonious—a song about change incorporating a change in the performance itself.
“This song is about whatever you want…shitty ex-relationships…“, Genevich explains to the audience before the next song begins. At this point in the set, the band is absolutely shredding on their respective instruments, somehow managing to sound so perfect, yet so raw. Ali’s voice is full of desperation as she calls out “every little thing wrong with me…break my heart eventually“—an angelic voice crying in the wilderness, complemented by the electric intensity of the guitars, bass, and drums.
Next, there is a bit of an ambient switch as they begin to play an older song. The tone shifts—more vulnerable and softer than the others. With lyrics like, “Do you want to be my baby?”, one can’t help but relate to the longing feeling she’s singing about as the band sonically portrays the image of a sacred heart, cracked open and bleeding out onto the floor.
For their last song, Genevich is off guitar, on vocals only. Laveda lights the stage on fire as she interacts with her bandmates, screaming lyrics to one another. The chemistry between the band is tangible and they are so in sync with each other. At this moment, you can see, hear, and feel how much this band loves what they are doing.
In conclusion, Laveda’s set was like a cocktail of yellow-red cherries muddled into a sweet elixir, with a heavy pour of liquor. Strong, delicious, and intense. Alternative music fans, I implore you to see Laveda live the next chance you get. Their mix of vulnerability, dichotomy of lyrics and locals make for an addictive experience. You don’t want them to stop, each turn a surprise. Extremely raw and human, yet so melodic and pleasing to the ears.
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Photos above by Elizabeth Acosta