An intense, enveloping noise, like a cosmic alarm going off without warning, welcomes “Hank the Dragon,” the new track from the duo Landroid. The seasoned band uses a highly unusual opening to hook the listener, like casting dozens of lines into a school of sardines in a move that is as controversial as it is effective.
Once the initial shock fades, percussionist Greg Gordon takes over and supports the voice of the other half of the team, singer and bassist Cooper Gillespie, in a seamless symbiosis that sounds like pop, disco, and punk, but above all, nostalgia.
The song speaks about a relationship on the verge of collapse after a mistake has just been made, at that precise moment when there is no turning back, and the steps forward feel blurred, complicated, and uncertain.
Landroid, based in California’s High Desert, was born after decades of touring and stages. Cooper Gillespie, on vocals and bass, and Greg Gordon, on drums and sequencing, left behind the punk and rock circuits of Los Angeles to settle in Landers, a small desert enclave that would ultimately shape their sonic identity. It is no coincidence that the band’s name nods to their adopted town, with its vast views, cinematic mood, and ethereal character.
Their debut, “Imperial Dunes” (2019), released through their own label Mojave Beach Records, introduced an exuberant, almost supernatural sonic universe, thanks to songs like “Yellow Sea,” which seemed destined to shine.
Since then, their presence has only grown stronger within the local scene, fueled in part by initiatives like Mojave Goldin Joshua Tree, a cultural space and musical epicenter of the area.
Now, as they prepare for the release of their “Constellation” EP in 2026, the duo expands their narrative ambition. The upcoming album promises to move between agnostic creation myths and an intimate story of lovers marked by inheritance and the consequences of their choices.
“Hank the Dragon” serves as the gateway into an intense emotional world that promises to take your breath away, only to give it back through an organic yet highly intentional journey where talent and experience meet and celebrate one another.
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