just wait until you’re crying on the shower floor

Romper: Spell & The Gypsy Collective Lotus Kimono Romper

You might be wondering why I decided to shoot inside a bathroom for this week’s blog post. It’s kind of an odd location, isn’t it? Truth is, I actually had this idea for the longest time. I knew I wanted to shoot in a bathroom and use LANY’s song The Breakup while wearing something that resembled a kimono/bathrobe – it just went so well together in my head. It took us a while to get around to actually shooting these pictures because while the weather was still decent outside, we wanted to make the most of it, and save the indoor shoots for when the weather became unbearably cold.

The time finally came around about two weeks ago. On a lazy weekend, we decided to go for it. I must say, it was definitely much more difficult to take pictures in such a tiny, crammed space when we’re usually so used to shooting outside, with lots of natural sunlight and a vast landscape. We did the best we could given the limited space we had, and I’m pretty happy with the way the pictures turned out, although they’re not my favourite set of pictures we’ve ever taken.

As soon as I had this whole concept in mind and I stumbled upon this romper at my local Free People store, I knew it was meant to be. The colours and the pattern on this romper are so beautiful, and the style of it so ethereal with the kimono sleeves and billowy fit. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was what I was going to wear for this specific shoot. It’s such a fun and pretty piece, and I can’t wait to actually wear it outside my house next time, perhaps to the beach, on vacation, or just on a warm summer day strolling around the city.

Like I mentioned earlier, I knew that I wanted to use LANY’s The Breakup song for this post as it’s pretty much the inspiration behind the entire thing. LANY is a band that I first discovered through my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist early last year. Their song Bad, Bad, Bad was the one on my playlist, and as soon as I heard it, I knew I had to hear more. After giving ILYSB and a few of their other songs from their EPs a listen, I came to the conclusion that these guys were great, and they were gonna be big one day. Fast forward to over a year later, I can confidently say that LANY was one of my favourite discoveries within the last year and a half. And I was right about their rapid success too.  Their last North American tour which finished up a few weeks ago saw them play several sold out shows in several cities, including a sold out show at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, where I was lucky enough to see them live again (my third time!!).  It’s funny because the first time I saw them live was at WayHome music festival last summer, and they had one of the earliest set times and therefore not a very big crowd. It’s amazing to see the 180 degree change in a matter of just over a year, headlining sold out shows across the country this time around.

If you’re into catchy alternative pop with a mix of R&B and atmospheric synths, you’re going to love LANY. They just do it so well. Another thing they do well? Their ability to write simple yet relatable singalong songs about young love, heartbreak, and everything that happens in between using transparent, generational lyrics and acronyms. Love songs for millennials, in simpler terms.  That’s why The Breakup, off their debut album, is a classic LANY song in my books. It encompasses everything you would find in a LANY song including honest and personal lyrics and smooth (but still catchy) instrumentals. The result being a beautiful song that’s different enough from their upbeat, poppy songs from their early EPs, yet is still so addicting that you can’t stop listening to it.

The Breakup is obviously about the end of a relationship and how you just sometimes realize it’s not going to work anymore, but their debut album also consists of all the songs in between, from the initial feeling of being in love, to dealing with post-breakup sadness, letting go, and the uncertainty of whether or not the relationship could still work after the fact. The album closes off with the song It Was Love, and upon hearing it conclude after listening to the entire album,  you feel as though you have been through all the ups and downs in a relationship yourself.  I highly recommend that you check out their entire album from start to finish if you’re in for a personal and emotional roller coaster. By the end of it, you’ll feel more connected to LANY than you ever thought possible, and they may just end up being your new favourite band, just like how they’ve become mine.