Son Lux is an American post rock band. Originally the solo project and moniker of founding member Ryan Lott, the band's first three albums, At War with Walls & Mazes, We Are Rising and Lanterns, shaped the band's unique sound through post-rock and electronica influences.
With the release of their fourth studio album, Bones, in 2015, Rafiq Bhatia and Ian Chang joined Son Lux, transforming the project into a three-piece band. After the release of their EPs Stranger Forms and Remedy, the band's fifth album, Brighter Wounds, was released in February 2018. A triple album called Tomorrows, released in three ten-track parts, followed in 2020 and 2021. The band composed the music for the 2022 science fiction action film Everything Everywhere All at Once, which received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Score at the 95th Academy Awards, and the 2025 superhero film Thunderbolts*.
Contents
History
Son Lux started in 2007 as the moniker and solo recording project of American musician and composer Ryan Lott. His debut studio album, At War with Walls & Mazes, was released in March of that same year. Following this release, NPR named Son Lux "Best New Artist" on their program All Songs Considered.
Lott then released his second album, We Are Rising, on May 17, 2011, recorded in the entire month of February for the RPM Challenge. Adam Kivel, writing for Consequence of Sound, described the album as "the dark, operatic middle ground between Owen Pallett and In Rainbows-era Radiohead or Wild Beasts' fantastic, operatic heights."
Son Lux signed with Joyful Noise Recordings in May 2013, the same month that his "haunting rendition" of "Black Waters" was featured in the eponymous flexi-disc series released by Joyful Noise. After the announcement of Lott joining Joyful Noise, the project released "TEAR", a conceptual 7" featuring one new song in two distinct parts. Lanterns was then released on October 29, 2013. It includes vocals from then label-mate Stranger Cat, the musical project of Cat Martino. The lead single "Lost It To Trying" was named one of Pitchfork's Best New Tracks.
In 2014, Son Lux released the extended play Alternate Worlds, which contained re-imagined songs from Lanterns, including a version of "Easy" with vocal contributions from Lorde. Later in 2014, Glassnote announced that they had signed Son Lux worldwide. Additionally, Lott composed the score and soundtrack for the 2014 film The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.
In 2015, Lott was featured on The Art Assignment in a project that invites viewers to work collaboratively around music that he wrote for the program.
Son Lux's fourth album, Bones, was released on June 23, 2015. With the release of the album, the project transformed into a trio when touring members Rafiq Bhatia and Ian Chang joined Lott as members of the band.
On July 15, 2016, Son Lux appeared on stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival as a guest of Woodkid at the "Woodkid and Friends" evening.
Members
Ryan Lott – producer, composer, keyboards, vocals (2008–present)
Rafiq Bhatia – guitars, producer, composer (2015–present; touring 2013–2015)
Ian Chang – drums, producer, composer (2015–present; touring 2013–2015)
Discography
Studio albums
At War with Walls & Mazes (Anticon, 2008)
We Are Rising (Anticon, 2011)
Lanterns (Joyful Noise, 2013)
Bones (Glassnote, 2015)
Brighter Wounds (City Slang, 2018)
Tomorrows I-III (City Slang, 2020/2021)
Out Into (City Slang and This Is Meru, 2026)
Soundtrack albums
Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24 Music, 2022)
Thunderbolts* (Hollywood and Marvel Music, 2025)
EPs
Weapons (Anticon, 2010)
Alternate Worlds (Joyful Noise, 2014)
Stranger Forms (Joyful Noise, 2016)
Remedy (Joyful Noise, 2017)
Dream State (City Slang, 2018)
The Fool You Need (City Slang, 2018)
Yesterday's Wake (City Slang, 2018)
Labor (City Slang, 2019)
Tomorrows Reworks (2021)
Risk of Make Believe (2025)
Compilations
Remnants (Joyful Noise, 2019)
Reincarnates (2020, a collection of previously unheard or rare tracks)
Alternate Forms (Joyful Noise, 2023)
Other
Tear (7", Joyful Noise Recordings 2013)
Black Waters (flexi-disc series, Joyful Noise Recordings 2013. Black Waters is based on a tune of the same name by American folk singer Jean Ritchie)
WinterSpringSummerFall 2014, is a mixtape released by Boots, which featured Son Lux on the track "Troubled World"
Music videos
"Break" (2008)
"Stay" (2008)
"Wither" (2009)
"War" (2009)
"Weapons VII" (2010)
"Lost it to Trying" (2013)
"Alternate World" (2014)
"Lanterns Lit" (2014)
"Lost it to Trying (Mouths Only Lying)" (2014)
"Easy" (2014)
"Change is Everything" (2015)
"You Don't Know Me" (2015)
"You Don't Know Me (Jailo Remix)" (2015)
"Undone" (2016)
"Cage of Bones" (2016)
"Breathe Out" (2016)
"Dangerous" (2017)
"Ransom" (2017)
"Slowly" (2018)
"All Directions" (2018)
"The Fool You Need" (2018)
"Yesterday's Wake" (2018)
"A Different Kind of Love" (2021)
"Plans We Made" (2022)
"Undertow" (2022)
"In Death We've Just Begun (ft. Poppy and Son Lux)" (2026)