Interview with Berlin based indie garage rock band LOBSTERBOMB. We talk about thier new single 'Wake Up', fashion influences and just about the band in general.
Band Members:
Nico Rosch: Guitar & Vocals Crayon Jones: Guitar Vik Chi: Drums
How did you all meet and decide to create LOBSTERBOMB?
V: We met via the Instagram account @weformedaband, an initiative by Laura Lee from the Jettes and Andreya Casablanca. You can share handwritten ads looking for fellow musicians. First Nico and Crayon met this way and then Nico replied to one of my ads. In January 2020 we met for the first time and jammed together. It was the first time for me that I found people who are dedicated to making music.
You guys created this band in 2020 what has it been like making music during the pandemic?
V: We had a lot of time to focus on writing music and it was very helpful for my mental health this year however we are more than ready to play live. C: It would have been very easy for us to drift apart while we weren't allowed to meet but the fact that we couldn't wait to get back together and play again was a very good sign that we had good chemistry. N: I finally had time to put my whole energy into something and I'm very grateful to have met two like-minded people to play music with. Making music really kept me focussed and sharp and not going completely nuts during the ongoing lockdown.
I have to say LOBSTERBOMB is a pretty interesting and stand out band name. What was the idea behind that?
C: The secret answer to that may well be hidden in our songs...
What is the story behind your new single 'Wake Up'?
N: I wrote the lyrics during a time of big frustration when I worked a corporate 9-5 job. It was a time I woke up to many truths about myself and also even more to the reality that our current society isn't mentally and physically healthy for us.
'Wake Up' has such a powerful message to it. Do you think that music is a good way to get people to listen and actually think about issues?
C: I think it really depends on the listener. We are playing more for our personal creative gratification than trying to make someone think a certain thing. But the world is inherently full of politics and issues so those themes will appear in the course of writing about our lives and experiences. N: Every time I write a song it is a pure expression of my experiences and emotions and if we can empower and inspire people to reflect on certain issues, that is just really awesome.
Do you have a favourite lyric from the new single?
C: "We won't stop!" N: "Step by step we're walking, together we will scream and stand tall."
What was the process like for creating 'Wake Up'?
C: Most of our songs follow a similar process - whoever writes the song makes a basic demo and then we just play the song a lot to figure out the structure and fine-tune it. We record in a very DIY way at our rehearsal space which allows us to go at our own pace without the pressure of paying for studio time. Our friend Peter from the band Akne Kid Joe does a great job mixing for us.
I have to say from looking at pictures of you guys that I love your style! Is there anyone your fashion is particularly inspired by?
C: I am very inspired by 70s glam and new romantic fashion with a healthy dose of goth thrown in too since wearing black is so practical. N: My background is in fashion. I studied it and ran my own avantgarde brand for several years. It was such a fun time and I love the stories you can create with clothing. I was heavily influenced by Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and Yoshi Yamamoto. Now with great pleasure, I'm observing a rise of creative and beautiful sustainable fashion brands.
Do you think having a certain image is important for a band?
C: I always appreciate when bands make an effort visually but it should be authentic and ultimately the music is the main thing. V: Our image is probably a combination of our personalities and I personally like to see that in other bands. But I don't think it should be a concious decision to act a certain way.
Being an underground band from Berlin, what is the music scene like there?
C: The main music culture here is techno/dance music so the band scene always feels a little underground which is nice. It helps that a lot of things are community organised which means the events and venues have more character and a less corporate feel. V: Right before the pandemic the GRRRL-NOISY collective started an event series of jam sessions especially for woman and non-binary people which was a great experience because it was so supportive and fun. We met so many cool bands we'd love to play with in the future.
What is the story you wish to tell with your music?
C: The good thing about music is that it means different things to different people. We just want to express whatever comes out of us and it's up to the audience to put their interpretation on it.
If you could create a song with any artist dead or alive, who would you choose?
C: A big dramatic over-the-top dance-pop anthem with Cher please. N: A psychedelic, punk-grunge experiment with Kevin Parker.
What can we expect from LOBSTERBOMB for the rest of 2021?
C: We have an EP in the works, hopefully out by the end of summer. It's hard to plan too much in terms of shows but we definitely can't wait to get on stage.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything you would like to add?
C: Thank you for supporting independant musicians!
Interview by Kayleigh McKenzie
Listen to LOBSTERBOMB's latest single 'Wake Up' here
You can find LOBSTERBOMB on social media at the following links
Comments