Summer is the perfect time for love songs — especially the ones about endless romances, which drift into brief flings, littered with sunburns that hurt like the burn of the inevitable break-up. The Regrettes, a California band, are looking to soothe that burn this summer with the release of their latest album, How Do You Love? 

“We really wanted to show all sides of it, all the ugly parts and everything,” said lead singer Lydia Night. “There are parts that are romanticized because that’s a part of love, but the majority of it is just trying to show very honest approaches.” 

The realities of love can be ugly, brash, and colorful in a million ways, and The Regrettes have done all they can to see the nitty-gritty feelings and experiences that love has to offer. How Do You Love? takes us on an amalgamated journey through the ups and downs of the relationships Night and the band have experienced. While these experiences and their portrayal aren’t linear, they all come together to form a rounded, all-encompassing story. 

“It’s about finding bravery through [love],” said Night in a press release regarding their album. “Learning and accepting that, yes, you went through a shitty breakup, but that’s amazing — because all that means is next time you’re in a relationship, you know so much more about yourself and about what you want.”

The release of the album, set on August 9, comes in the midst of a North American tour that Richmond is lucky enough to be a stop on. The Regrettes will be hitting the River City for a huge rock-and-roll night this weekend, at Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House on Sunday, June 28th. 

While touring hasn’t been the smoothest over the past year, the band is back in the game — and better than ever, ready to rock their fans and headline several months of shows. Earlier this year, in the process of a tour with West Coast friends SWMRS, Night encountered vocal issues that ended their time on tour. 

“It’s really scary. All I can do is try my best, and I have a lot of people around me who have to put the pressure on it which sucks, but when your voice is your instrument there’s only so much you can do,” said Night. “There’s a lot of pressure, and it’s definitely not a fun thing to deal with or feel from others.” 

Even in dealing with this obstacle, Night has come back with a powerful fire on her tongue, and the blunt feminist attitude she’s become famous for. The focus of the new album may not be fully political, like the content of their previous releases, but Night drives her woman-empowering passion into every song on this jammin’ record. 

The album encourages those in the highs and lows of relationships to love themselves first, to be open and strong in who they are — and with who they love — and to straight up “feel your feelings, fool” (a reference to their memorably-titled first album). 

“It’s impossible to build strong relationships when you don’t love yourself. Self-love into loving others is extremely important in my eyes, and should be in everyone’s,” said Night. “[In break-ups] I think there’s a lot of pressure on just getting out of it, and going out to go live it up like a single person… but if you want to sit and cry for a second, and then go and have fun, take your time. Everyone is different.” 

As the tour continues, Night looks forward to going back to the drawing board for new songs, already composing despite the fact that their second album isn’t even out yet. The Regrettes are as hard-working as they come, and to their fans’ advantage, there will be no shortage of new material in the years to come. 

Come join The Regrettes at Richmond Music Hall, located downtown at 619 E. Main St, for a kick-ass night of strengthening, heart-mending, power-pop punk music this Sunday starting at 7 PM. Advance tickets are $15, and can be found online — so grab some.

Top Photo: Claire Marie Vogel

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond