Interview: Ladakee

Ladakee is the solo project of Newcastle‑based musician Sarah Suri (Nano Kino, Prospect of Power), channelling guitar hooks and haunting vocals into a dream‑like diary of emotion and introspection. Her songs move through love, loss and personal discovery, and she’s just released her self‑titled debut EP.

This reverb‑drenched, melodious and spacious collection offers drive‑time riffs and momentum in opener In Where Now?, contemplative ethereal tones in Never Pretend, summery psych textures in Right Time, bubbling bass and grooves in Easy, and a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere in closing track Light.

Suri’s vocals sit deep in the mix, swirling through the instrumentation and painting vivid sonic scenes as the racy percussion keeps everything in motion. It’s a beautiful, evocative listen, nodding to influences like Melody’s Echo Chamber, Panda Bear and Beach House, while echoing the hazy worlds of Tame Impala, The Warlocks, Just Mustard and Mazzy Star.

Here, we caught up with Sarah to find out more.

How did you get into music and briefly tell us a little about your journey so far.
I initially started writing songs on a casio keyboard when I was in school. My brother is 5 years older than me and would feed me music while at university. Later, when I was 20, I met Duncan from Maximo Park and shared some of my demos with him. From there, we made Nano Kino. It was only later when I realised I had this surplus of songs on garageband that I thought to create a solo project- Ladakee. 

How did your experiences in Nano Kino and Prospect of Power inform or shape the sound of Ladakee?
I’ve been in Nano Kino for 15 years so I have certainly learned a lot along the way. Confidence to perform live was probably the hardest one as it’s one thing to write music in your room to playing it live to an actual audience. Technical aspects of live performance and composition of songs is also something I take from being in Nano Kino – sharing and making music exposes you to thing you probably wouldn’t hear on your own. Prospect of Power was something I founded at a time where I felt I was losing autonomy over my own life but also a mix of being a female on the music scene and the need for an all female power band. It’s been so great and Emily and Zoe are so close to my heart. Again, Ladakee songs almost emerge accidentally when writing for something else. Like the songs that get you to another song. In themselves they became the truest form of expression I think. 

Your influences range from Melody’s Echo Chamber to Panda Bear and Beach House — what elements of their work resonate with you most?
Panda Bear, well, Noah Lennox just has the most beautiful voice and ability to create harmonises which make me so emotional. I love Animal Collective too as the songs have this element of melancholy which I naturally gravitate to. Melody’s Echo Chamber is so dreamy and ethereal but Kevin Parker’s production makes it powerful and edgy. Beach House, namely the song Dive, just blows my mind. Soft and driving with a yearning love theme. I saw them live at Primavera Festival in 2011 and just thought wow! All of them capture this feeling of longing and otherworldliness which I love. 

Dream‑pop and ambient textures run through your music; what draws you to those hazier, more atmospheric sounds?
I think escapism. I write music everyday almost as a processing tool for my thoughts and feelings. The sound seems to naturally capture a dream-like state or a place you can’t quite reach in real life. I love to listen to music that takes me somewhere else, particularly when the lyrics resonate so strongly. 

Themes of love, loss and personal discovery run through the EP. Was writing and recording these songs a cathartic experience for you?  
Absolutely! I think subconsciously all of my songwriting is a cathartic process. You’re making something that didn’t previously exist. It’s comforting to make something out of abstract thoughts in your own head. I listen to my own songs a lot (possibly too much) almost to revisit the feeling I had at the time or to remind myself of how I processed it when writing it. 

What do you hope listeners take away from the EP?
I hope listeners resonate with the lyrics and find escapism in my music- like a dream. I hope it speaks to people who have experienced love, loss and longing but have that drive to move out of it and create something. 

How does Ladakee translate live?
Back in 2024, I performed Ladakee live really successfully. I used a loop station and a live guitarist to help achieve the sounds, layers and harmonies which worked really well. I hope to do it live again, but need to reconfigure the set up and practice A LOT. I’ll definitely get there though. 

What’s next for the project?
Next would be to make an album and ultimately try and get it out there on the live stage. This year has been amazing for music with Nano Kino’s album coming out in September and Prospect of Power really beginning to build some momentum. Ladakee is waiting somewhere in the background for the right time.