Q&A with Loose Lips

Loose Lips is a fairly young band, created in spring of 2008. Have you found your niche, your sound, your image... or are you still trying to add elements and define yourselves as you grow as a band?

Donny: I think we’re definitely still trying to figure it out, and in a way I hope we never do. I don’t think we ever really want to define our sound as something specific–that way we can have the freedom to just play what we like and let the sound evolve and grow organically.

Adding new elements and trying new things are definitely what we’re interested in doing. For example, Andrew just got a new synth that can play more than one note at a time; the one he currently uses is monophonic, so I’m really looking forward to writing new songs around that.

Andrew: I agree with Donny. I think experimenting with new and different sounds will keep things exciting and allow the band to constantly evolve. If we defined our sound as something specific we’d probably end up using that template for every song and limit our creativity.

You claim a number of musical influences including such bands as REM, The Beatles, The Doors, Radiohead, and Franz Ferdinand. You definitely channel a number of these bands in your EP "Weighing Winter." What are some other non-musical influences that inspire you and that have helped in the creation of some of your songs?

Donny: That’s a hard question. I guess I would say that my lyrics are mostly influenced by people and ideas and experiences from everyday life more than anything specific. I do read a fair bit and watch movies, so I’m sure there’s a little Vonnegut and Cohen brothers in there somewhere too.

Andrew: One of our newest songs has a Western feel to it, so I tried to channel a guitar part straight out of a Western movie soundtrack. I also think that the type of mood you’re in will greatly influence the direction of a song and overall feeling to it. That and beer.

I particularly like your song "Youth Obsession." It has a mesmerizing opening and is a well formed song that bodes well for future Loose Lips endeavors. Why did you write this song and how do you think it's relevant to today's youth?

Donny: That song is basically a satirical jab at society’s obsession with youth. I just think it’s a bit crazy how our culture holds up this ideal of agelessness that can only be achieved through mutilation and injections and other things that can, and often do, go horribly wrong. Unfortunately there’s no money in telling people that it’s ok to age naturally, so we’ll probably never see that commercial.

The poster for your recent show at Rock and Roll Hotel is attention getting to say the least - I love the simple ink drawing of the pirate, princess and squid. You have a great knack for designing these show posters and artwork. How do you try to incorporate your style into your promotional materials?

Andrew: As the person in charge of doing the posters and artwork, I try to come up with ideas that are eye-catching and different, which doesn’t necessarily reflect the band’s style, but rather the strange and random ideas that pop up in my head. I’m pretty new to designing posters and using graphics software, so be on the lookout for bigger and better weirdness to come!

Inspired by your poster art featuring sea creatures such as jellyfish and squid - what's the most adventurous sea dwelling creature that you've ever eaten?

Donny: I love seafood. I was probably a shark in another life, or a mermaid. I guess the weirdest sea creature I’ve eaten in this life was either Octopus or Sea Urchin. I’d like to try mermaid someday.
Andrew: I tried mermaid once back in college.