The band L7 is wrapping things up. They’re sending off their career with a last world tour, kicking off “The Last Hurrah Tour,” on October 6th in San Diego, and before the trip they’ve shared a fresh song, “Loma Linda.” The track first appeared over twenty years ago.
“Loma Linda” Is Back After 20 Years
Before the track was finished, an early version was recorded in 2003, with Janis Tanaka on bass in L7. The song sat unfinished for years until the band came back to it, adding lyrics, vocals, and more instruments. “Loma Linda” centers on a steady, lumbering beat, and it offers a loose look at Southern California, naming Loma Linda, Chula Vista, San Jacinto, and Rancho Cucamonga along the way.
For its first week, the song can be downloaded at no charge from L7’s website, ahead of its arrival on streaming services.
Jennifer Finch’s Farewell
Before she died from brain cancer in July at age 59, Finch gave L7 her blessing to carry on with the farewell tour. Now that Tanaka has stepped back into the lineup, the group is pushing ahead on her own terms.
Tanaka previously played with L7 from 1999 through 2001.
Donita Sparks On The Return
Donita Sparks spoke about the track’s origins in a statement. “This new single marks the return of Janis Tanaka being back in L7 on bass after the sadness of losing Jennifer Finch a couple of months ago,” she said.
“I was searching the band’s archives and came across this unfinished track from when Janis was in the band. It still sounded rather fresh and very L7 so we recorded new vocals with new lyrics and some other additional tracks and cranked it out in a couple of days ahead of this upcoming tour.”
“This new single marks the return of Janis Tanaka being back in L7 on bass after the sadness of losing Jennifer Finch a couple of months ago.”
The Farewell Run
“The Last Hurrah Tour” starts with two nights at San Diego’s Casbah before moving through Phoenix, Austin, New York, Toronto, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, and other cities. The North American leg concludes November 14th at The Wiltern in Los Angeles.
The Cities On The Map
The schedule stretches into November, touching venues such as The Wiltern in Los Angeles and The Showbox in Seattle along the way.
Jennifer Finch’s Legacy In Print
The memoir Shooting Up and Making Out: A Memoir of My Life in LA and L7, which was left behind by Finch after her death, is set to come out in January.
What The Song Says
“Loma Linda” is a portrait of Southern California towns. It mentions Loma Linda, Chula Vista, San Jacinto, and Rancho Cucamonga.
The song’s groove is steady and deliberate.
The tour is a farewell, but the music isn’t stopping. “Loma Linda” is proof of that.
See the video the story is built around at Consequence.
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