Last year, AJ Lambert, aka the granddaughter of Frank Sinatra and daughter of Nancy Sinatra, released an EP with her post-punk band Bloodslide. More recently, in February 2022, Lambert released a covers album, Manhattan Beach, Swept By Ocean Breezes. Now, Lambert is announcing her third LP, Dirt Soda, out in July, plus a lead single and self-directed lyric video, “Staff Of The Flag.”

“Staff Of The Flag” was produced by Sonny DiPerri, who also produced Bloodslide’s EP. Here’s what Lambert has to say about the single:

The idea for “Staff Of The Flag” came after I’d had to make several trips driving up to Northern California from LA. Along my route you pass the last spot where James Dean stopped on his fateful last drive. It’s called Blackwell’s Corner and they have made it into a major tourist stop, where you can see a lot of memorabilia and buy things that have his name on them — everything from snacks to trinkets. Then a few more miles up that road is the site where the crash happened, where people leave mementos in tribute to him. Also along that route are several “descansos” (roadside shrines) to other people who died driving on that dangerous road (it used to be called Blood Alley). I found it interesting that so many people know that one person who died there, but so many others have met the same fate and go unrecognized except by the people who loved them. The song is about an imaginary woman who, after selling flowers to tourists on their way to the Dean site all day, takes the leftovers to the nearby site where her own loved one died.

Lambert’s new backing band features Parker Kindred (Joan As Policewoman) and Rhys Hastings (Yves Tumor) on drums, Dave Harrington (Darkside) on guitar, and Kenny Gilmore (Julia Holter) on synths. In addition to a set of all-original tracks, Lambert features a few covers, including Pavement’s “Strings Of Nashville,” Codeine’s “Broken Hearted Wine,” and the Casinos’ “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye.”

Listen to “Staff Of The Flag” below.

Dirt Soda is out 7/8.