Laura Palmer (song)

"Laura Palmer"
Single by Bastille
from the album Bad Blood
B-side	"Thinkin Bout You"
Released	3 June 2013
Format	Digital download, 7" vinyl
Recorded	2011
Genre	Indie pop
Length	3:04
Label	Virgin Records
Writer(s)	Dan Smith
Producer(s)	Dan Smith, Mark Crew
Bastille singles chronology
"Pompeii" (2013) "Laura Palmer" (2013) "Things We Lost in the Fire" (2013)

"Laura Palmer" is a song by British band Bastille. It is the fifth single from their debut studio album Bad Blood, and the follow-up to their hit single "Pompeii".^[1] The song was originally released in 2011 as a track from their self-released EP of the same name (along with the tracks "Overjoyed", "Things We Lost in the Fire" and "Get Home").^[2] It was re-released as its own digital download on 2 June 2013. It peaked at number 42 on the UK Singles Chart. The song took its name from the character in David Lynch and Mark Frost's TV series Twin Peaks.

Critical reception

Lewis Corner of Digital Spy gave the song a positive review stating:

The track is immersed in inspiration from the popular show – from the blood-racing beats, to the haunting echoes. "What a year and what a night/ What terrifying final sights/ Put out your beating heart," Smith asks the American victim in his sonorous vocal tone, before he bursts into a swooping chorus as compelling as the series itself. The final result not only serves as an ear-friendly ode to Twin Peaks, but is sure to strengthen Bastille's very own cult following even more. ^[3]

Music video

A music video to accompany the release of "Laura Palmer" was first released onto YouTube on 11 April 2013 at a total length of three minutes and twenty-one seconds.^[4] In the video, which depicts a vague and bizarre story where group leader Dan Smith is kidnapped and released within less than two minutes, four people wear rubber masks. Toward the end, after being released, Smith is given a rubber mask; Smith dons the mask and removes it after a few seconds.

The version of the song used in the video is unique to it because of a sudden and unexpected interruption in the music. During the scene where Smith is kidnapped, which is shown as a camcorder shot, there is a jump-cut - as in a badly edited VHS tape - to a completely unrelated shot of a dog howling, also shot with a camcorder, and the song stops in the middle of the second chorus (the dog had already appeared in the video but with no accompanying audio). After five seconds, the video cuts back to a more neutral point-of-view shot and the song resumes.

Track listing

Digital download^[5]

1. "Laura Palmer" – 3:06
2. "Thinkin Bout You" (featuring O.N.E.) – 3:05
3. "Laura Palmer" (RAC Mix) – 3:11
4. "Laura Palmer" (Imagine Dragons Remix) – 3:49
5. "Laura Palmer" (Kat Krazy Remix) – 3:32

7" vinyl^[6]

1. "Laura Palmer"
2. "Thinkin Bout You" (featuring O.N.E.)

Charts

Chart (2013)	Peak position
scope="row"	Australia (ARIA)[7]	26
scope="row"	Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8]	12
scope="row"	Ireland (IRMA)[9]	29
scope="row"	Italy (FIMI)[10]	28
scope="row"	Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[11]	8
scope="row"	Scotland (Official Charts Company)[12]	30
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[13]	42
scope="row"	US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[14]	29

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Italy (FIMI)[15]	Gold	15,000
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone ^xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
United Kingdom[5][6]	31 May 2013	Digital download	Virgin Records
	3 June 2013	7" vinyl
Italy[16]	14 June 2013	Contemporary hit radio	EMI

References

1. Bastille to release 'Laura Palmer' as new single – listen. Digital Spy
2. Laura Palmer EP
3. Corner, Lewis (24 May 2013). "Bastille: 'Laura Palmer' – Single review". Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
4. "Bastille – Laura Palmer". YouTube. 11 April 2013.
5. "Laura Palmer – EP by Bastille". iTunes Store (GB). Apple. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
6. "Laura Palmer [7" Vinyl] [Single]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
7. "Australian-charts.com – Bastille – Laura Palmer". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
8. "Ultratop.be – Bastille – Laura Palmer" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
9. "Chart Track: Week 24, 2013". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
10. "FIMI – Classifiche – Top Digital – Classifica settimanale WK 34 del 2013". Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (in Italian). Retrieved 25 April 2015.
11. "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
12. "Archive Chart: 2013-06-15". Scottish Singles Top 40. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
13. "BASTILLE | Artist". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
14. "Bastille – Chart history" Billboard Hot Rock Songs for Bastille. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
15. "Italian single certifications – Bastille – Laura Palmer" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved May 31, 2014. Select Online in the field Sezione. Enter Bastille in the field Filtra. Select 2014 in the field Anno. The certification will load automatically
16. Mompellio, Gabriel. "Bastille – Laura Palmer (EMI)" (in Italian). Radio Airplay SRL. Retrieved 8 June 2014.