It’s rare that the “superhero” origin story of a band - or in the case of Atlanta based Lesibu Grand, a killer female vocalist- male bassist duo - pinpoints the exact date where creative lightning first struck, but there it is in their press materials: On June 28, 2017, multi-talented singer Tyler-Simone Molton serendipitously bumped into veteran Atlanta rock and funk bassist John Renaud at the Pains of Being Pure at Heart show at The Earl In East Atlanta. They had been acquaintances but up till that moment, didn’t realize they shared a passion for synth-happy indie pop.
All that’s beautiful, and their quirky, high energy, party-spirited yet lyrically insightful debut EP The Legend of Miranda - the result of an almost instantaneous writing frenzy - is a super fun, engaging spin with a swirl of sonic invention and adventure behind Molton’s emotive voice. Yet super seriously, if you put the date of their connection as June of 1982 or 83, such a pairing would produce almost exactly the same incredible retro sound.
Their hypnotic, inviting mid-tempo pop/rock lead single “Hush Hush” - produced by LA DJ/producer Christian James - is a compelling exploration of insecurity and battling inner voices in an overly connected yet soul-disconnected world set to a vibe that fuses icons of that time like Blondie, The Motels and Berlin. It’s almost like Molton took a time machine from that era to the present to remind us of all the joy that sound created, while using it to tell a modern, dysfunctional tale. A fascinating juxtaposition for sure, for sure!
Speaking of which, there some fascinating contrast between the booming, half sung, half spoken blister rocker “Miranda” and the ethereal dreaminess and Latin tinges that drive the raw and spacey “Mi Sueno.” Just before the start of the feisty, fun loving “Runnin’ Around” - a spunkfest owing a debt to female led groups like The Waitresses, Bow Wow Wow and The Go-Go’s - the singer asks “Are you mad because you can’t hear the music?” Easy response: I think yes, we would be furious if we weren’t able to enjoy what we’re hearing from this fresh, unique duo.