Louisville, Kentucky synth pop trio MODISTE have released their new single ‘Blur’, out now on all major streaming platforms. The track is the latest preview of the band’s forthcoming debut full-length album, due in August 2026, and arrives on the back of a busy year that has seen the trio establish themselves as a formidable live proposition from the River City.
Clocking in at just under five minutes, ‘Blur’ is a lush, unhurried piece of new wave-adjacent pop built around the familiar MODISTE formula: all-analog instrumentation including synthesisers and keyboards drawn predominantly from the 1980s and paired with live guitar and vocalist Sydney Sleadd’s emotive, rising delivery. The track moves from a measured verse into a full-bodied chorus with the kind of ease and pop sensibility that suggests a band who know exactly what they are doing. Jangling guitar sits alongside warm synth textures in a production that is clean and controlled without sacrificing warmth. The band have cited the single as both a statement of intent and a stylistic evolution ahead of the album.
“We wanted ‘Blur’ to have this ebb and flow that tapped into the feeling of not being able to pull away even when something isn’t good for you,” says Sleadd.
MODISTE formed in Louisville and self-describe their sound as “Lynchian Synth Pop”, a reference to the late filmmaker David Lynch and to the band’s commitment to 1980s analog sonics and a certain atmosphere of unease beneath the pop surfaces. The trio are Sleadd on vocals, Dennis Stein on synthesisers, and Kyle Stallings on guitar. Stein brings over 25 years of synthesis and production experience to the project, and has worked alongside acts including Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, Crystal Method, and Cold Cave. Sleadd arrived in MODISTE after fronting Sydney Sleadd & The Swarm, with whom she co-headlined Louisville Public Media’s Waterfront Wednesday in 2025 and won Best Album, Best Single, and Best Band at the 2024 LEO Weekly Awards. Stallings brings a background in Southern Indiana rock and has spent eight years with Indianapolis psych-punk outfit Hyper Tensions.
Their live show, which incorporates synchronised lighting, projected visuals, props, and costuming, has sold out their last three local headline dates. In May 2026, they headlined 91.9 WFPK‘s Waterfront Wednesday to a crowd estimated between 5,000 and 8,000 attendees.
“I’ve seen the future of pop music and its name is MODISTE,” wrote Laura Shine for 91.9 WFPK following the Waterfront Wednesday performance.
The band are unequivocal about their production ethos. As Sleadd has noted previously: “Every sound you hear on the song is an analog synth or keyboard, mostly from the 1980s, or guitar/vocal – we’re very passionate about using real instruments and not using midi/AI/autotune, which is a fun challenge when making pop-based music.”
‘Blur’ is available now on all major streaming platforms. The band’s debut full-length album follows in August 2026.
Stream ‘Blur’ via SoundCloud. Follow MODISTE on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or visit modistemusic.com for further information.
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