Illiterate Light – the duo of singer-guitarist Jeff Gorman and drummer Jake Cochran – are pleased to share “Fuck LA,” alongside the song’s video, taken from their upcoming album, Sunburned, due out January 27 via Thirty Tigers. Pre-order the album HERE. “Fuck LA” follows on the heels of previously released singles “Feb 1st,” “Heaven Bends” and “Light Me Up.” 

The song and the video hinge on a real voicemail Jeff received from his wife while on the tour in 2019. It is joyful, tender, and especially heart wrenching in contrast to the burnout on the main character’s face as he stairs lifelessly at the gas pump, watching his life’s decisions cost more and more with every second.

Speaking on the inspiration for “Fuck LA,” Gorman recalls, ““Fuck LA” has nothing to do with Los Angeles. It’s the hollow ache that sneaks up on you while you are grinding away, traveling, living apart from the people that matter. No matter how much you love what you are doing, it’s the feeling of overload that quietly turns into, “man, fuck everything.”

He continues, “This was a demo that I wrote while exhausted in 2019 after many months of touring. It’s a homesick song. It features a voicemail my wife left me. She was working her ass off as a schoolteacher – 14 hour days, while I was on the road grinding it out. It’s about wanting to be home. It’s also a subtle middle finger to Atlantic Records, and taking pride in where you’re from. ‘Fuck LA’ is nice to listen to when really stoned.”

The band announced an in-store performance at Plan 9 in Richmond, VA on Thursday, January 26th to celebrate the release of Sunburned and play a few tunes and sign albums, before heading over to Charlottesville for their Album Release Show at The Jefferson on Friday, January 27th.

For the Plan 9 event, doors are at 7pm, music is at 7:30, followed by an album signing and live interview hosted by WNRN. All ages are welcome. Preorder the new album on LP or CD from Plan9music.com to get a wristband for guaranteed entry to the event. They will also have copies for sale at the event for entry, and to have signed by the band that night.

With Sunburned, Gorman and Cochran have turned their attention inward to their songwriting and studio craft, creating their most fully-realized and ambitious work yet – one that’s full of immediate songs that update and revolutionize the band’s approach to making music. There are rich keyboard and programmed percussion textures now populating their songs, as well as soaring anthemic choruses, slathered with hefty doses of fuzz. “On our first record, we were very live-focused and wanted to make sure whatever we were writing was translated in person,” says Gorman. “Without that crutch, we could be more adventurous and take more risks. We definitely weren’t timid in the studio.” 

Photo Courtesy: Joey Wharton