RELAAY is an indie pop band from Louisville, KY. They strive to make the kind of music they would have loved listening to as teenagers. But more importantly, RELAAY is being the band they needed to see when they were young. Audrey Cecil and Amanda Lucas have been through a lot. Together. Having met as young kids in Kentucky in the late ‘90s, where being different was generally discouraged, and rigid norms steamrolled young people who didn’t fit neatly in conventional boxes, Audrey and Amanda have forged a life-long friendship and creative partnership, one based in shared struggles, in an unforgiving, male-dominated industry. In their coming of age, they had no access to music and entertainment that truly reflected queer culture or identities. They strive to be the representation they needed as kids by showing up as who they are without reservation. Audrey and Amanda’s contrasting personalities aid in creating music that doesn’t feel genre-specific. These personality differences peek through in the studio and on stage, where their sibling-like relationship shines.
Their debut album, Midtempo Magic, tackles soul-crushing loss, impossibly difficult conversations, and good, old-fashioned hard knocks. And much like Audrey and Amanda themselves, Midtempo Magic is both yin and yang. Danceable and exhilarating, yet contemplative and comforting. A reminder to the listener that, if you stay true to yourself, you can be defiant and welcoming, uncompromising and inclusive all at once.