The leaves have fallen, the temperatures have dropped to single digits, and the end of the year is approaching. It's officially the season of Bat for Lashes - a period of melodrama through melancholic songs with emotionally penned lyrics and cinematic storytelling.
Famous for their post-modern singles, 'Let's Get Lost', and the emotionally devastating 'Laura', Bat for Lashes is a project that has the whole depressed 16-year-old aura down to a T. But how do they capture this energy exactly? From Bananarama to Cyndi Lauper, the music of Bat for Lashes is a blooming reflection of frontwoman Natasha Khan's love for 1980s music and the drive it gave her to become a musician.
Placed at the core of this predominantly solo project, Khan is an established singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. Learning to play the piano at the age of eleven, it was from this point she found herself enchanted by the worlds that '80s pop and post-rock music created.
Throughout her career, Khan has paid tribute to the sounds and visuals of music from the '80s as a large influence on her work. When you listen to Bat for Lashes, it comes as no surprise that Khan has taken a liking to the gothic avant-garde sounds of '80s dream pop.
"Time After Time was huge for me when I was 12. [Cyndi Lauper] was definitely a huge factor when I was learning how to sing other people's songs."
Another song from the vortex of 1980s bangers that Khan took inspiration from is John Williams's 'E.T. theme', a score that has come to be a staple piece of music in the history of sci-fi. Although this might feel like a slightly odd pick, it's not that difficult to connect the dots. In 'E.T. Theme' William offers a space for wonder which is a common theme presented in the tranquil sounds of Bat for Lashes. Sonically, their music has shown qualities of escapism through softness in Khan's whisper vocal delivery and nonchalant production.
Lastly, channeling similar notions are Drab Majesty—a Los Angeles-based experimental project formed in 2011—moulded by sounds reminiscent of '80s rock. "I think with Drab Majesty," says Khan "it sounds a lot like things from the '80s but I still felt enamoured by it."
"I was so excited to hear acts like Drab Majesty because it's still new perspectives and new lyrics from this time."
When you listen to Bat for Lashes, you're easily transported into nostalgia-filled realms woven effortlessly by Khan’s soundscapes sculpted by influences ranging across traditional pop anthems or thrilling alternative rock scores originating back in The 1980s; these inspirations propelled her musicianship skills leading us towards appreciating creations such as Bat For Lashes today.