In 2023, Psychic Lilac went on hiatus after releasing a couple of singles as a band. Now, the band has returned with two of its original members and a debut album. 

Psychic Lilac originally started out with five members. However, years after dissolving, Brad Beaty, a senior majoring in music industry, revived the group with fellow band member Riley Michlovsky, forming a duo. 

During this hiatus, the two worked together in a Pink Floyd tribute band, as well as with the projects of other members of Psychic Lilac’s original lineup. Now, these two have come back with their own work. 

“We’ve been doing the Pink Floyd for so long, and we love doing that, but it’s way different with your own music. We’ve been working on so many things,” said Michlovsky.

“You can’t compare performing someone else’s music to your own music. It’s two different boundaries,” said Beaty.

With influences like The Smiths, Pink Floyd, and The Beach Boys, the duo draws influences from the bands they adore while putting their own spin on their music. They describe their musical output as “shimmer pop”, noting the haziness and hypnotic energy within the sound of the project. 

“Despite my deep influences and respect for artists like [The Smiths, Pink Floyd, and The Beach Boys]. I try, when I make music, to not to listen to anything because when you listen to something before writing, it gets so ingrained in your mind that you don’t want to copy them without knowing. All the mixes of influences to one, into this melting pot, creates something new,” said Beaty.

“Something always comes from something. It doesn’t come from nothing. You have to have an influence somewhere, but you have to watch out that you’re not writing somebody else’s song,” said Michlovsky.

On Friday, April 2, 2026, the duo released their second single post-hiatus, “The Perfect Spell.”  This single follows their first, “Back To You,” and both are part of their upcoming album, “Mass Movement,” which also serves as Beaty’s capstone project. 

“Before this album, we only released a few singles back in the 2022-2023 era. This is really new ground for us as a project. With this new album, we now have a new sense of cohesion. We have a central aesthetic. Although our songs do range, there is some type of cohesion we haven’t had in the past,” said Beaty. 

The album itself covers a variety of personal themes for the two, such as broken dreams, childhood nostalgia, and alienation. Both members contributed to the songwriting process, both individually and collaboratively. 

“I mean, we all experience these things in life, and it’s easier to write about that stuff. I put like a twist on it, I keep it somewhat vague on purpose. I want to keep some things open in the lyrics, I don’t want them to interpret themselves. There was a theme which I write, but I do try to keep it open somewhat so someone else could really relate to it and add their own spin to it,” said Beaty

Even with the band going from five to two members in the main line-up, the original members still make appearances within the new project. 

“We still have some of our old people featuring as guests. It’s not like there’s any bad blood or anything, we just reunited as a smaller but tighter group”, said Beaty.

“I feel like it’s boiling down to a more cohesive sound because it’s just him and I. There’s no bad blood; it was always fun. Everybody goes different ways, and it was a very informal thing,” said Michlovsky.

For the two, a debut album serves as an incredible milestone for their musical work. The two note how intimate the process behind creating the project was, as well as the immense pride they feel for completing it.

“I’m just happy to get something out there. I mean, I’ve worked with other bands, but this is the first time getting original stuff out there. We’re pretty proud [of the album], not to toot our own horns. We’re definitely gung ho about keeping it going,” said Michlovsky.

“At the end of the day, I just really want someone to listen and really have a spark, some feeling of somebody. To me, there’s no point in creating any type of art without having an audience that likes it. I really hope this album reaches people and those people will enjoy it,” said Beaty.

Psychic Lilac will be releasing their third single from “Mass Movement” on April 17, 2026. Afterward, the band will have their album launch the following week on April 24.

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