Lawless

Thom LaFond delivers pure, unbridled emotion, backed with lush and curious arrangements. Fans of Pink Floyd, Tom Waits, & Elliott Smith will appreciate the sonic and lyrical worlds Thom creates. Transplanted from New York to Nederland, CO, LaFond is actively producing, performing, and touring nationally with his quartet Banshee Tree. 

LaFond and Chris Duffy started conceptualizing this record in May of 2022. The core elements were tracked live that summer. After the groundwork was laid out,  LaFond and Duffy filled out the arrangements with synthesizers, drum machines, and other instruments. LaFond’s lyrics were re-written several times over, as the story solidified. LaFond created Lawless around a cohesive storyline, with an intention to take listeners on the journey.

A note from the artist:

This album tells the story of a romance between human and alien.

While walking through the forest at night, the human encounters a magnificent shimmering creature. The human's immediate infatuation intrigues the visitor, and the two make a pact to love and protect each other. The initiation phase is blindingly beautiful. The toils and tribulations of an unconventional love begin to haunt the characters, as the world casts shadows on them. The time spent together in hiding offers a glimpse into the alien’s violent side. In a swift decision, the alien abducts the human, promising eternal life in space.

The trust is now broken. The human obsessively looks over their shoulder, constantly questioning their sense of safety. Life on the spacecraft is cold, mechanical, and lifeless. Newfound immortality feels more like a curse than a blessing, as lifetimes on Earth pass by. Transfixed by grief, the human mourns for friends and family they left behind. Jealousy overtakes the alien, and they direct their anger to the place that has stolen their lover’s attention. In a fit of rage, the alien obliterates the earth, silencing the heartbeat of the planet. The human is left floating in the nothingness of space eternal. When the smoke clears, there is a bright light trailing off into the distance. The alien is not dead, they have just moved on.