In the vibrant tapestry of Los Angeles’s music scene, LA LOM stands out for its ability to seamlessly weave together the diverse genres & cultures of the city into its music. Short for The Los Angeles League of Musicians, LA LOM is composed of LA natives Zac Sokolow (Guitar), Jake Faulkner (Bass), and Nicholas Baker (Drums/Percussion). The roots of LA LOM reach back to 2019, when the band was assembled to play five nights a week in the lobby of the historic Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard. Initially tasked with providing background music for hotel patrons, tourists, & passersby off the street, LA LOM soon began experimenting with a genre-transcending repertoire that reflects the diverse musical diaspora of Angelenos. LA LOM started out reimagining instrumental renditions of the soulful ballads from the 1950s and ’60s that they grew up listening to on LA’s oldies station, K-EARTH 101, evoking the laid-back aesthetic that defines the region, and drawing inspiration from luminaries like Smokey Robinson, Aaron Neville, & Brenda and the Tabulations. Their sonic palette expanded to encompass the romantic allure of classic Mexican Boleros and the Cumbia Sonidera woven into the very fabric of the city’s soundscape, resonating through the streets from car stereos, backyard parties, and lively dance halls. LA LOM carved out a sound that blends all of these elements with the guitar-driven twang of Peruvian Chicha & Bakersfield Country. Zac Sokolow’s musical lineage spans generations. He began his creative journey performing alongside his father, a respected figure in LA’s bluegrass community, whose family relocated from Buenos Aires to LA in the 1930s. Jake Faulkner comes from a family of Venice artists and met Zac at age 16. Zac and Jake honed their craft through years of collaboration in various bands within Southern California’s vibrant Rockabilly scene before eventually joining to form LA LOM. Nicholas Baker was steeped in Latin music from childhood by his grandmother, who hailed from a musical family in Durango, Mexico, and gained fame as a DJ on a Spanish-language radio station in Tucson, Arizona. He studied Latin percussion with renowned Nuyorican bassist and percussionist Roberto Miranda. LA LOM have quickly ascended to playing to thousands of people and have captured the attention of Beck, Vampire Weekend and Zane Lowe.
I had the chance to catch up with Zac Sokolow ahead of the event in Madison on September 25th at The Sylvee that features, LA LOM, The Womack Sisters & Thee Sacred Souls. WOW. Zac and I talk about just how cool of a billing that actually is and how the sounds of this show gel from start to finish. We talk about the bands beGinnings, old music and what starts to excite me, some new music and work ahead. Zac easily talks about his city of Los Angeles and how much of the music they artfully work on is a reflection of home and with that we talk inspirations and he builds a setlist choosing one or their tracks.
