B-Side Guys

Transformation rarely announces itself. For Lani Thomison, performing as Street Peach, metamorphosis arrived during lockdown’s quiet hours, materializing as seven songs that would become “Monarch,” her solo debut set for release on October 25, 2024. This 24-minute collection chronicles a journey of rediscovery that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant.

Recording mostly from her Austin living room, with additional sessions at New York’s Greenhouse Recording Studio, Street Peach has crafted an intimate sonic landscape that defies easy categorization. Producer Willie Green (known for work with Wiz Khalifa and The Roots) proves an ideal collaborator, bringing textural depth to Street Peach’s ethereal vocals while maintaining the raw authenticity of her home recordings.

The EP opens with “Breath & Exposure,” born from a breathwork class and expanded into a meditation on community and authenticity. The production creates space for Street Peach’s layered harmonies to float and interweave, setting the tone for the journey ahead.

“Caroline” follows, exploring serendipitous love with a lightness that feels earned rather than affected. Here, Street Peach’s experience as co-founder of Austin trio Keeper shines through in her confident vocal arrangements, while Green’s production adds subtle electronic elements that enhance rather than overshadow the organic feel.

“Heavy” marks a shift in tone, with what KUTX accurately described as “seduction on thick.” The track’s “Sylvia Striplin-style chord progression” and “killer chorus guitar groove” create a perfect backdrop for Street Peach’s featherlight vocals. It’s a masterclass in tension and release, both musically and emotionally.

“Numb,” recorded during Street Peach’s first in-person session with Green, carries the intimacy of that initial meeting. The chemistry between artist and producer is palpable, resulting in one of the EP’s most affecting moments.

“Overflow” tackles betrayal with remarkable nuance, avoiding easy anger in favor of raw emotional honesty. The production here is particularly noteworthy, with Green creating a sonic environment that feels both protective and exposing.

“New Moon in Leo” emerged as an early standout, earning airplay on BBC6’s “Lose Yourself with…” The track’s message of reclaiming power resonates through both lyrics and arrangement, with Street Peach’s vocals conveying both vulnerability and strength.

The EP closes with “34,” a lo-fi love letter to self-acceptance that serves as the perfect conclusion to this journey of transformation. Written in a single take during those New York sessions, the track captures the kind of unguarded honesty that usually exists only in private moments.

What sets “Monarch” apart is its fearless exploration of evolution. Like its namesake butterfly, the EP charts a course through various stages of growth, each track representing a different aspect of transformation. The production throughout strikes a delicate balance between trip-hop, alt-R&B, pop, and folk influences, creating a sound that’s both contemporary and timeless.

Street Peach’s decision to record primarily at home during lockdown adds an layer of intimacy to these recordings. You can almost hear the stillness of those isolated days in the spaces between notes, lending additional weight to moments of connection and revelation.

The collaboration with Willie Green proves inspired. Starting from a cold DM and a few vocal stems, their partnership blossomed into something special. Green’s approach to production – focusing on textural sounds to complement Street Peach’s strong sense of melody and harmony – results in a richly layered listening experience that reveals new details with each spin.

For fans of Street Peach’s work with Keeper, “Monarch” offers both familiarity and evolution. Her distinctive voice remains, but the context has shifted, allowing for more personal expression and experimental touches that might not have fit her previous group’s dynamic.

As a debut solo release, “Monarch” is remarkably assured. Street Peach has managed to create something that feels both carefully crafted and emotionally immediate. The EP’s brevity works in its favor, offering a concentrated dose of transformation that leaves listeners feeling both satisfied and curious about what might come next.

In choosing “Monarch” as the EP’s title, Street Peach draws a fitting parallel to one of nature’s most evolved migration patterns. Like its namesake insect, this collection of songs charts a journey that’s both personal and archetypal. As we emerge from our own periods of isolation and transformation, “Monarch” arrives as a welcome reminder that sometimes the most beautiful changes happen in the quietest moments.