Ravi/Lola Tells Stories with ‘The Journalist’

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Third wave psychedelia? Chronologically, Milwaukee’s Ravi/Lola fall under that heading if first wave means local ‘60s acts such as the Corporation and second wave bands such as Plasticland in the ‘80s. Ravi/Lola began in 2008 as vocalist-multi-instrumentalist Casey Seymour’s home recording project and has since become a band around the core lineup of bassist-keyboardist-percussionist Anton Sieger and drummer Nick Wieczorkowski. They have just (digitally) released a new album, The Journalist, and have a show on the calendar.

Not unlike Ravi/Lola’s previous album, 2019’s Neighborhood Daydream, The Journalist makes use of the album format to tell a story. This time, it’s about the fraught career of a journalist opposed by his fellow townspeople (Henrik Ibsen’s Enemy of the People?) for exposing the truth. But it’s not a one-sided account. “I couldn’t tell you who is the hero and who is the villain,” Seymour says. As faced by professional journalists today, “there is truth telling and the pressure to create content that people are interested in. Reporting on the truth isn’t necessarily what people want to read,” he continues. “It’s a give and take with pressure on a journalist to make a living, and then there is the integrity piece: ‘What are you adding to society? Is it positive or negative?’”

With access to a full recording studio, Ravi/Lola took their time, recording The Journalist over the past two and a half years. Comparisons? Some of Ravi/Lola’s numbers suggest the late ‘60s songbook of Ray Davies—had he lived in 21st century America. Dreamy psychedelic harmonies are dominant throughout The Journalist, even on songs that rock with a steady pace. Ryan Miracle’s pedal steel guitar adds texture and Olivia Dobbs’ flute helps melodies to soar. Playfulness is at work on many tracks.

“I like the feeling of whimsical sounding music,” Seymour replies when asked about Ravi/Lola’s psychedelic inspiration. “The music makes you feel like you’re a child engaging your imagination, going wherever you want to go in your mind. Lots of pop music in the ‘60s gravitated toward that.” Seymour is the father of a three-old daughter, adding to the inspirational drive toward the childlike openness that the best of psychedelic music can achieve.

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