Sydney hard rockers The Lockhearts long-awaited debut full-length album “Americana Doom Fuzz” dropped recently with a run of shows that followed including their upcoming appearance at this year’s Meltdown Festival in Sydney before heading to Europe to join Golden Robot label mates and ex-pat Aussies, The Lazys, on tour.
Out through Golden Robot Records and available on CD, vinyl and digital, “Americana Doom Fuzz” harks back to a golden fertile era when studio exploration/experimentation was young, and embodies The Lockhearts “keep it loose, keep it tight” approach to moody, guitar-driven songwriting. We jump into another Q&A session, this time with singer/guitarist Tim Meaco to give us a cheeky rundown of the new album and more.
Tell us about the process of writing and recording Americana Doom Fuzz.
We were essentially goaded into making the record by great friends and mentors, Jon Boy Rock and Mo Mayhem, both of whom produced and engineered the album. I had been writing for a while and we were sick of putting out short releases, so JBR and Mo got us rolling with preproduction, really got stuck into the songs we had and brought the best out of them, it was all very hands on with a lot of live rehearsals and workshopping before we hit record.
What were some of the things you wanted to achieve with the release?
World peace and lower taxes.
Do you enjoy the process of creating? Are you someone who continually writes or does the best come out under a little gentle pressure?
Writing is probably the most rewarding experience for me personally. Not financially or in terms of accolades, recognition, acknowledgement or support, I just enjoy the process of building and layering musical elements to create a finished song that feels cathartic, it’s kind of the whole point for me. I’ve heard those other things are nice though. I tend to write in bursts, record a bunch of half baked ideas, put them down for a bit, then come back and refine them so I have something coherent to bring to the rehearsal studio.
What does it feel like as an artist waiting for the songs you’ve lived with for some time to get released to the fans? Is there a sense of excitement or a little panic in there too?
I suppose that depends on the length of and reason for the waiting period between finishing the record and release. In our case it was like being trapped a really drawn out production of Waiting for Godot, starring The Three Stooges, with no intermission and bad lighting.
How does it compare to previous releases?
In a word, it’s better.
What were the lyrical themes of the songs?
There’s underlying themes of finding your place in the world as a young adult (Little Eden, Call For Help), dealing with loss (Spectre at the Feast, Polaroids), and living with mental illness (Xanax, The Ocean). Those elements spread across the record, but each song does have it’s own specific story and feeling.
What were the main inspirations for America Doom Fuzz?
Russell Crowe. Gladiator just gets me really pumped.
Any favourite moments or songs on the release?
At the end of London Bound, you can hear me get up put down the guitar and close the studio door. I like those little moments in records that make you feel like you’re in the room with the music.
Did you imagine how these songs would play out in a live situation?
We played some of these tracks at shows as we were writing them and got a feel for them, but generally the last thing I’m thinking about whilst writing is playing live, I just get focused on what I think sounds right.
How do you pick out a setlist and is that a difficult process?
Well when your latest record only has 11 songs and you like to throw in a cover every now and then, it pretty much writes itself.
What is your favourite song to play live?
Burn for You by John Farnham.
How has the experience of playing live been like for the band so far?Favorite places to play and any stand out shows or personal highlights from the road?
Mostly good. Sometimes not as good, but then good again, so it evens out. The Lansdowne in Sydney is lots of fun, we’re stoked that it’s back and better than ever. Oliver’s on the Hume Highway does a mean vegan breakfast pocket. Most important meal of the day.
How did The Lockhearts form and get started?
Jameel (bass) and myself were both on our way out of different bands, I was writing a lot of new songs that didn’t really fit what I was doing, but he seemed to like them so we got to talking put a new band together. Woodie (drums) and Sam (guitar) jumped on board later to tour our 2015 EP and we started writing the album.
What have been your greatest challenges to date, and your favourite moments musically?
I tend to struggle with IKEA wardrobes, in general I find IKEA furniture pretty straightforward to put together but the wardrobes are trying. Maybe I’m just picking the wrong ones but it can be very stressful, Sam and I ended up destroying the last one with a sledge hammer. We saw the Book of Mormon last weekend, and I would have to say that “Man Up” is probably my favourite musical moment of all time.
With technology changing so much over the last few years and seemingly not slowing, and TV force-feeding us the lowest common denominator, what hope is there for rock & metal music?
I don’t really watch free to air television, video streaming is the way of the future, but I tend to just watch shows from the past like The Office, Black Books or Louie Theroux. Metal is apparently the most streamed genre of music so I’d say that’s pretty hopeful, aside from that playing guitar is pretty fun so I’ll probably keep doing it.
From what you’ve learned so far what is the most valuable advice you’ve been given so far as a musician?
My friend Cam, who’s an amazing songwriter once told me a really great burrito seasoning recipe but I forgot what it was. Some kind of special paprika I think.
Who are some of your main influences?
Tom Petty, Aerosmith, The Band, Ryan Adams, The Rolling Stones, Mastodon.
Who or what inspired you to be in a band and play music?
Most likely seeing Aerosmith on the Simpsons for the first time, or just watching Almost Famous a lot as a teenager. My friend Gavin was pretty good at guitar when we were kids too.
How do you feel about the current music scene right now?
I think that music is good for the community and humanity and I’m glad that young artists are putting the effort in to write, record, get up and play it for anyone who gets out to watch and listen.
Do you believe music can still change the world?
The heat generated by tube amplifiers is probably adding to global warming, so I’d be inclined to say yes.
If you could be a fly on the wall for the recording of any album in history, what album would it be?
Traveling to an arbitrary point in spacetime has a very limited support in theoretical physics but hypothetically speaking if it were possible I’d appear to Dr. Brian May during the recording of ‘39 from A Night At The Opera, because I feel he’d be the most appreciative of witnessing temporal displacement, being a physicist himself, though ‘39 specifically has more to do with the twin paradox and principal of relativity, but it’s the thought that counts. It’s also a very good record.
What is the meaning of life?
Well, it’s nothing very special. Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.
Catch The Lockhearts at their next show:
Saturday May 19th – Meltdown Festival, Sydney
