NEWS : WED, MAR 26, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Lael Neale Shares “Down On The Freeway” Official Video
Today, Wednesday, March 26th Lael Neale is sharing “Down On The Freeway,” her new Motorik-powered single and official video. The track is a standout from Altogether Stranger, her expansive forthcoming new album, out May 2nd, 2025 worldwide on Sub Pop.
Neale offers this on the song and its haute visual, which she stars in and also directed:
“This song is specific to Los Angeles. The drum machine really wrote the song. It conjures the endless sea of cars. Moving, bottlenecked, bumper to bumper. I’m always amazed that so many of us have somewhere to go. The video appeared in my mind’s eye as soon as we recorded the song. I saw that cars on the freeway are like people walking in a fashion show, pacing back and forth. The fashion show is the epitome of movement going nowhere. The video is a part of a larger story being told by the album and accompanying film, in which my character is an alien bewildered by the modern way of life on Earth. The QR code I ingest at the end of this video suggests that humanity is caught up in an escapist fantasy of techno-consumerism.”
Lael Neale’s headlining and festival date run for Spring and Summer 2025 in support of Altogether Stranger has been extended. In April, Neale and bandmate Blakeslee will perform two US album release shows – Thursday, April 10th in Los Angeles at Zebulon, and Friday, April 25th in New York City, NY at Public Records.
Then, in May, they’ll head over to the UK and EU, beginning May 10th in Dublin, IE at Workman’s Cellar and running through Saturday, June 14th in Hilvarenbeek, NL at Best Kept Secret Festival. Highlights for this announcement include support on headlining shows from collaborator Guy Blakeslee as Entrance (select dates*, May 10th-June 12th); A new in-store at London’s Rough Trade East (May 2nd); EU festival appearances at Stockholm’s Echo Three Fest (May 24th), and Guastalla, IT’s Handmade Festival (June 8th). Tickets for these shows are on sale now,
Neale offers this on the song and its haute visual, which she stars in and also directed:
“This song is specific to Los Angeles. The drum machine really wrote the song. It conjures the endless sea of cars. Moving, bottlenecked, bumper to bumper. I’m always amazed that so many of us have somewhere to go. The video appeared in my mind’s eye as soon as we recorded the song. I saw that cars on the freeway are like people walking in a fashion show, pacing back and forth. The fashion show is the epitome of movement going nowhere. The video is a part of a larger story being told by the album and accompanying film, in which my character is an alien bewildered by the modern way of life on Earth. The QR code I ingest at the end of this video suggests that humanity is caught up in an escapist fantasy of techno-consumerism.”
Lael Neale’s headlining and festival date run for Spring and Summer 2025 in support of Altogether Stranger has been extended. In April, Neale and bandmate Blakeslee will perform two US album release shows – Thursday, April 10th in Los Angeles at Zebulon, and Friday, April 25th in New York City, NY at Public Records.
Then, in May, they’ll head over to the UK and EU, beginning May 10th in Dublin, IE at Workman’s Cellar and running through Saturday, June 14th in Hilvarenbeek, NL at Best Kept Secret Festival. Highlights for this announcement include support on headlining shows from collaborator Guy Blakeslee as Entrance (select dates*, May 10th-June 12th); A new in-store at London’s Rough Trade East (May 2nd); EU festival appearances at Stockholm’s Echo Three Fest (May 24th), and Guastalla, IT’s Handmade Festival (June 8th). Tickets for these shows are on sale now,
Thu. Apr. 10 - Los Angeles, CA - Zebulon*
Fri. Apr. 25 - New York City, NY - Public Records*
Fri. May 02 - London, UK - Rough Trade East
Sat. May 10 - Dublin, IE - Workman’s Cellar *
Sun. May 11 - Belfast, UK - McHughs *
Wed. May 14 - Lausanne, CH - Le Romandie*
Thu. May 15 - Dijon, FR - La Vapeur *
Fri. May 16 - Paris, FR - Le Hasard Ludique *
Sat. May 17 - Brussels, BE - Les Nuits Botanique
Mon. May 19 - Amsterdam, NL - DOKA *
Tue. May 20 - Hamburg, DE - Nachtasyl *
Wed. May 21 - Berlin, DE - Kantine am Berghain *
Fri. May 23 - Copenhagen, DK - Huset
Sat. May 24 - Stockholm, SE - Echo Three Fest
Tue. May 27 - Bristol, UK - The Louisiana *
Wed. May 28 - London, UK - Omeara *
Thu. May 29 - Manchester, UK - YES Basement *
Fri. May 30 - Newcastle, UK - Cumberland Arms *
Sat. May 31 - Glasgow, UK - Hug & Pint *
Sun.Jun 08 - Guastalla, IT - Handmade Festival
Thu. Jun.12 - Luxembourg, LU - Rotondes *
Sat. Jun. 14 - Hilvarenbeek, NL - Best Kept Secret Festival
Fri. Apr. 25 - New York City, NY - Public Records*
Fri. May 02 - London, UK - Rough Trade East
Sat. May 10 - Dublin, IE - Workman’s Cellar *
Sun. May 11 - Belfast, UK - McHughs *
Wed. May 14 - Lausanne, CH - Le Romandie*
Thu. May 15 - Dijon, FR - La Vapeur *
Fri. May 16 - Paris, FR - Le Hasard Ludique *
Sat. May 17 - Brussels, BE - Les Nuits Botanique
Mon. May 19 - Amsterdam, NL - DOKA *
Tue. May 20 - Hamburg, DE - Nachtasyl *
Wed. May 21 - Berlin, DE - Kantine am Berghain *
Fri. May 23 - Copenhagen, DK - Huset
Sat. May 24 - Stockholm, SE - Echo Three Fest
Tue. May 27 - Bristol, UK - The Louisiana *
Wed. May 28 - London, UK - Omeara *
Thu. May 29 - Manchester, UK - YES Basement *
Fri. May 30 - Newcastle, UK - Cumberland Arms *
Sat. May 31 - Glasgow, UK - Hug & Pint *
Sun.Jun 08 - Guastalla, IT - Handmade Festival
Thu. Jun.12 - Luxembourg, LU - Rotondes *
Sat. Jun. 14 - Hilvarenbeek, NL - Best Kept Secret Festival
The songs on Lael Neale’s Altogether Stranger, which includes “Tell Me How To Here,” “Wild Waters,” and the aforementioned “Down On The Freeway,” were written by Neale. The album was produced and mixed by Blakeslee at home in Los Angeles and mastered by Chris Coady.
Altogether Stranger is available to preorder on CD/LP/All DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com (North America), MM2 (in UK/EU), your local record store and at Neale’s live shows will receive the limited Loser edition on Lavender (NA) and Magenta (UK/EU) vinyl. There is also a special edition available through Rough Trade in the UK and EU on Cream White vinyl (All LP colors whilst stock lasts!).
More on Lael Neale’s Altogether Stranger:
Lael Neale’s minimalist drone pop draws inspiration from the Transcendentalists, the alienation of modern life, and a rich array of musical influences—ranging from Dionne Warwick and John Lennon to primitive American gospel and Spacemen 3. Her expansive new record, Altogether Stranger, was written and recorded in the early morning quiet of Los Angeles. Clocking in at just 32 minutes, the 9-song LP covers an unexpected breadth of musical and lyrical terrain—from garage rock nursery rhymes and creation myths to Motorik dance dirges and solitary Omnichord meditations. A brilliant lyricist, Neale has a unique ability to uncover the extraordinary within the mundane, tackling themes of polarity that recur throughout her work—country vs. city, humanity vs. technology, isolation vs. society. This album is her third collaboration with producer Guy Blakeslee who helps expand the tonal palette while staying true to Neale’s commitment to the raw immediacy and hand-made intimacy of home recording (read more at Sub Pop).
Lael Neale
Altogether Stranger
1. Wild Waters
2. All Good Things Will Come To Pass
3. Down On The Freeway
4. Sleep Through The Long Night
5. Come On
6. Tell Me How To Be Here
7. New Ages
8. All Is Never Lost
9. There From Here
Altogether Stranger
1. Wild Waters
2. All Good Things Will Come To Pass
3. Down On The Freeway
4. Sleep Through The Long Night
5. Come On
6. Tell Me How To Be Here
7. New Ages
8. All Is Never Lost
9. There From Here