Biography
Samuel Eastgate performs solo under the LA Priest name, pronounced Lah Preest, as an unpredictable musician who consistently sidesteps expectations. His earlier work encompassed fronting Late of the Pier and forming the duo Soft Hair alongside Connan Mockasin. Early in 2015 he signed to Domino Records, where he issued the colorful and enigmatic art-pop statements GENE in 2020 and Fase Luna in 2023, the latter assembled while Eastgate remained stranded in Mexico.
Although the LA Priest endeavor began with a 2007 twelve-inch on Erol Alkan’s Phantasy label, Eastgate’s primary focus at the time remained his role as Late of the Pier vocalist. That band issued its sole widely praised full-length, Fantasy Black Channel, in 2008 along with several singles before entering hiatus in 2010. During the ensuing period the reclusive Eastgate relocated repeatedly, including an extended stay in Greenland devoted to sonic experiments and electromagnetic research as well as a series of undisclosed, uncredited productions.
He eventually established residence in a small village outside Welshpool, Wales, and resurfaced publicly in early 2015 with the Domino announcement. The initial LA Priest offerings were the singles “Oino” and “Party Zute/Learning to Love,” both signaling his expansive new approach. Inji, the debut album, followed in June 2015 and contained those tracks plus eight additional immersive art-pop pieces. In 2016 Eastgate reunited with former tourmate Connan Mockasin to launch Soft Hair; their self-titled eight-song Domino release included the single “Lying Has to Stop.”
Eastgate maintained a lower profile for several years afterward, though he devoted months to constructing a custom drum machine that shaped the highly structured compositions on his second LA Priest album, Gene, released in June 2020. Listener interest in that machine’s distinctive rhythms prompted numerous build requests, one of which originated in Belize and prompted an in-person visit. Travel restrictions instead left him in Mexico for an extended stretch, during which he recorded the third LA Priest album with local musicians in Mexico and the Costa Rican rainforests. The resulting Fase Luna largely dispensed with the synthesizers and electronics that had previously defined the project, favoring instead direct, unprocessed expression.
Although the LA Priest endeavor began with a 2007 twelve-inch on Erol Alkan’s Phantasy label, Eastgate’s primary focus at the time remained his role as Late of the Pier vocalist. That band issued its sole widely praised full-length, Fantasy Black Channel, in 2008 along with several singles before entering hiatus in 2010. During the ensuing period the reclusive Eastgate relocated repeatedly, including an extended stay in Greenland devoted to sonic experiments and electromagnetic research as well as a series of undisclosed, uncredited productions.
He eventually established residence in a small village outside Welshpool, Wales, and resurfaced publicly in early 2015 with the Domino announcement. The initial LA Priest offerings were the singles “Oino” and “Party Zute/Learning to Love,” both signaling his expansive new approach. Inji, the debut album, followed in June 2015 and contained those tracks plus eight additional immersive art-pop pieces. In 2016 Eastgate reunited with former tourmate Connan Mockasin to launch Soft Hair; their self-titled eight-song Domino release included the single “Lying Has to Stop.”
Eastgate maintained a lower profile for several years afterward, though he devoted months to constructing a custom drum machine that shaped the highly structured compositions on his second LA Priest album, Gene, released in June 2020. Listener interest in that machine’s distinctive rhythms prompted numerous build requests, one of which originated in Belize and prompted an in-person visit. Travel restrictions instead left him in Mexico for an extended stretch, during which he recorded the third LA Priest album with local musicians in Mexico and the Costa Rican rainforests. The resulting Fase Luna largely dispensed with the synthesizers and electronics that had previously defined the project, favoring instead direct, unprocessed expression.
Albums
Singles
