Indie outfit Labrador Labratories return with their hypnotic new single ‘Coded to be Free’, marking a long-awaited comeback for a band whose story has always existed somewhere between fiction and reality. Originally formed in 2009 by Tom Gottlieb and Noam Vardy, the project emerged from Tel Aviv’s underground indie scene, building a reputation through layered guitars, analogue textures, and deeply emotive songwriting.
What makes Labrador Labratories particularly unique, however, is the mythology at the heart of the band itself. Initially conceived as a fictional San Francisco artist named “Labra,” the project blurred the line between invention and authenticity long before digital identities and online personas became everyday cultural currency. Over time, that experiment evolved into a fully realised band, complete with albums, European tours, and a devoted audience.
Their latest single, ‘Coded to be Free’, reflects on that strange journey through a dreamy, lo-fi lens. Balancing restrained instrumentation with immersive atmosphere, the track explores themes of identity, freedom, and emotional truth in an increasingly artificial world. Warm, subtly psychedelic, and quietly defiant, it captures a band reconnecting with its roots while embracing a more mature perspective.
So with the new single out now, we sat down with them to find out more about their origins and what has been inspiring them most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Tom: Flute
Noam: Piano
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Tom: Old Israeli songs at home, then getting obsessed with Elvis Presley, The Velvet Underground, and all the 60s hippie stuff. Later I went deep into blues, indie, and folk, but early on it was always about melody and harmony more than genre.
Noam: TV theme shows
What was the first album you remember owning?
Tom: The Stand by Me (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). I saved up birthday money to buy the CD and fell in love with that innocent 50s and 60s pop charm.
Noam: R.E.M - Out of Time, on cassette tape.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Tom: This Is the Day, by The The. It just keeps moving forward, in this circular, almost like a fairytale, without trying too hard. The music feels light, almost naive, and then the lyrics hit you with something very real, regret, time passing, life not going exactly how you thought. It’s simple, but it holds a whole life inside it.
Noam: Rock in the Sea by Shocking Blue
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Tom: I like putting on weird films in the background and improvising songs that could live inside them. It’s like scoring something I’ve never seen before. I’m trying to merge my inner world with new atmospheres, new scenes, and see what comes out when they meet.
Noam: No
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Tom: I’ve been jumping between things that don’t really belong together. Mind Enterprises, Tears for Fears, Altın Gün, and Happy End. 80s pop, Turkish psychedelia, Japanese 60s and 70s. Somehow it all connects.
Noam: XTC, Dusty Springfield, RAYE. Flea’s new album “Honora”. Hatula Nevela which is a very good Israeli band.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Tom: David Byrne. I could probably die right after and be fine with it.
Noam: AIR. Fantastic band.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Tom: When something you made actually reaches someone. Not in numbers, just one person hearing it at the right moment and feeling less alone.
Noam: Live shows.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Tom: The moment you realize the work is done and it’s no longer yours. It goes out into the world and becomes something else. It’s not even frustration, more a kind of alienation.
Noam: Live shows.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Tom: Someone once told me, “you’re writing good songs, you don’t need to try so hard.” I think about that a lot.
Noam: When I first started playing bass, I came to a rehearsal having learned all the parts from the artist’s three albums as closely as I could, almost note for note (I was nervous). At the end of the rehearsal, he said: “You played very well, but now find where the parts are set, and where you can play as yourself.” That taught me to respect the music, and you will find the space to express yourself.
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Labrador Labratories' new single 'Coded to be Free' is out now. Watch the new video for it in the player below.