Connie Lansberg & Brad Rabuchin strip everything back on LP, "Aeroplane"
We live in this time where everything feels dominated by overproduction, gimmick, novelty, and so much more, but Connie Lansberg’s Aeroplane feels almost radical in its simplicity. Eight original songs with one voice, and one guitar. That’s it. No elaborate production tricks or towering arrangements. It’s just the sound of two musicians sharing a room and trusting the moment enough to let it become permanent.
That trust is what makes Aeroplane such an immediately captivating listen. Recorded live in a single day at Nolan Shaheed’s Pasadena studio, the album pairs the Melbourne-based vocalist and songwriter with guitarist Brad Rabuchin, the last guitarist to tour with Ray Charles. The entire project was captured in just eight hours, without overdubs or retakes, preserving every nuance, breath, pause, and spontaneous interaction. Truly this feels less like a studio recording and more like an invitation into a private performance unfolding in real time. It’s not necessarily a live album but it might as well be!
Though often associated with jazz, Connie’s songwriting has never been confined by genre boundaries. Instead, she follows the emotion of a song wherever it leads. That openness has earned her a global audience and millions of streams, but on Aeroplane, she strips away every distraction and places the songwriting itself under the spotlight. It’s difficult to pick out a single song on this record that stands out the most lyrically, but we quickly became partial to “Heart of Stone” and “The Way To You”.
Lansberg’s voice undeniably carries the performance from start to finish. There’s warmth in her delivery, but also a ton of restraint while the guitar gently sings. She never oversings for dramatic effect rather she allows each lyric to land naturally. Listening to Aeroplane through headphones can feel like sitting a few feet away from the performers, hearing those subtle shifts in phrasing and the quiet spaces between notes.
Of course though, we need to mention that Rabuchin’s guitar work is equally essential to the album’s magic. Rather than just accompanying Lansberg, he engages in a conversation with her with his instrument. The chemistry between the two musicians is undeniable, and because the recordings were captured live, that chemistry remains authentic. We’re not quite sure if it’s all improvisation, but there’s certainly a looseness that feels like he’s playing to her and her vocal flourishes rather than composed pieces.
By the time the album reaches its conclusion on “You Don’t Know Me”, we were absolutely gobsmacked with the experience. You feel like you actually got to learn a lot about their individual styles as musicians, but together, they’re a legitimate power duo. Connie Lansberg has created a record that proves sometimes the most powerful thing an artist can do is not overdo it. It’s simplistic, minimalistic, but ultimately chalk full of beauty. We urge everyone out there to give this a spin untouched from beginning to end!
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