LAPêCHE is not a band that stands still. Their third full-length album, “Autotelic”, is not a statement; it’s a practice. Named after the idea of doing something for its own sake, Autotelic is a body of work rooted in presence, persistence, and the sacred mess of becoming. Out February 2026 on Tiny Engines, the record invites listeners to feel more than they understand, to sit inside the ache without needing to fix it. It's not about outcomes, it's about the process, the moment, the motion.
What began in 2016 as Krista Holly Diem’s solo project has grown into a fully collaborative force, rooted in Brooklyn’s DIY ethos and emotional intelligence. With longtime members Dave Diem (bass), Drew DeMaio (guitar), and new drummer Colin Brooks (Samiam), LAPêCHE explores new sonic terrain on this album. The band trades post-punk sharpness for gothic shimmer, shoegaze drift, and melodic minimalism. Produced by Alex Newport (At The Drive-In, Bloc Party, Death Cab for Cutie) and recorded in Joshua Tree, the record carries a desert stillness and spiritual charge.
Much of this emotional clarity comes from lived experience. Krista and Dave, who are married and in long-term sobriety, bring a shared language of healing and presence to their songwriting. That commitment to honesty, mutual care, and showing up without pretense shapes not just the lyrics, but the way the band creates together.
Lyrically, the album is anchored in Krista’s clear-eyed vulnerability. Her words offer both comfort and confrontation. They are sparse but loaded: “The process is the reason, not the means.” “Have tea with yourself.” “Do you stay with the herd or aim your heart, homeward?” These are not just lyrics. They are invitations.
“Happy 4U,” one of the album’s most quietly devastating tracks, was written in the wake of years-long fertility struggles. With melodic nods to first-wave alt-pop and a pulse more upbeat than its subject matter, the song explores the emotional whiplash of joy and grief colliding. It captures the strange tension of being genuinely happy for someone while holding your own private sorrow. This duality of defiance and softness, celebration and reckoning, echoes throughout the album.
“This song came from the strange tension of being genuinely happy for someone while still grieving your own loss. It’s not bitterness, it’s truth. That emotional whiplash of hope, envy, love, and sorrow, all tangled together.” – Krista Holly Diem
Each track offers a different emotional threshold. There is the disorienting softness of “When Are You From,” the cosmic mourning of “The Alien Dove,” and the pulsing mantra of “Autotelic Nosebleed.” The songs don’t seek answers, only presence. The band’s live shows and digital presence remain safe spaces for seekers and survivors alike.
Having toured with Jawbox and shared stages with Torche, Do Make Say Think, and J. Robbins Band, and earned praise from outlets like BrooklynVegan, Talkhouse, and Under the Radar, LAPêCHE continues to carve space for emotional complexity in indie rock. This album is their clearest, most unflinching offering yet.
