NYC vintage synthpop trio Parlour Magic released a cover of Lana Del Rey’s “Bartender” on June 20.
“Bartender” by Lana Del Rey creates lyrical imagery, painting a picture of a story of life reminiscent of Laurel Canyon in the 60s. The song, a more stripped down sound than most of her songs, is just Lana’s echoey vocals and a piano.
Parlour Magic’s take on “Bartender” creates a spacey feeling with analog synth and a reverb guitar in place of the place of the piano. The bass enters halfway through the verse, adding depth to the song before a toy keyboard and more synth textures fill in the chorus. A slow drum beat enters on the second chorus.
Parlour Magic are led by the direction of composer and producer Luc Bokor-Smith. Bokor-Smith said recording “Bartender” came to the band spontaneously when they had extra studio time while recording recently released single “Queens.”
“There’s a difference when you’re working on a cover versus your own stuff, ” Bokor-Smith said. “You can have more fun with it. You’re much less self-conscious.”
From there, the cover was incorporated into the touring setlist and evolved throughout the late 2024 and early 2025 shows.
Bokor-Smith cites Lana Dey Rey as one of the best living American songwriters with her creative process influencing his songwriting process. Lana Del Rey is a New York native who was born in Manhattan and grew up in Lake Placid. Known for her melancholic and romantic style and storytelling lyrics, Lana Del Rey released “Bartender” on her 2019 album Normal Fucking Rockwell.
Parlour Magic released their second-full length album “Saturn Return” on Oct. 25, 2024 with their next album in the works for next year. Parlour Magic will play a one-night only show at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere on Aug. 2, a multi-room music venue, nightclub and art space.
To listen to “Bartender” by Parlour Magic below or to learn more, click here.
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