Australia’s own, The Lazys, have signed a record deal with Golden Robot Records, for the release of their new album, Tropical Hazards, outside of Canada, where the band now resides, and is one of the most talked about live acts in that country, quickly gaining a reputation for their rowdy, high-energy shows.
The release will see The Lazys hit the big road, with the album due to drop in Canada on 16 February through Warner’s HRD Records and the rest of the world via Golden Robot Records on 4 May, with their current single, Nothing But Trouble, scheduled to drop on 12 March (and was released in Canada in January).
– The Lazys
“Very excited to sign our very own Aussies based in Canada, The Lazys, to the GRR family. They join our ever-growing international roster of incredible acts that GRR will support to take their music to the world.”
– Mark Alexander-Erber, President & Founder, Golden Robot Global Entertainment
Tropical Hazards is a high-octane, hell-raising rock ‘n roll riot, written in Canada and Australia throughout 2017 with Ian D’Sa (Billy Talent) and produced by D’Sa and Eric Ratz (Big Wreck, Danko Jones, Monster Truck), including months of gruelling pre-production where the band and D’Sa (who the guys refer to as the sixth member of the band) would painstakingly craft lyrics together. “He wouldn’t settle for a one-hour brainstorm on one line,” says Leon. “He’d settle for a day.”
The result is a 10-track album that’s unabashedly outrageous, packed with classic songs about wild nights, pretty girls, heartbreak, and resilience, and it picks up where The Lazys left off in 2015 with their Top 10 Canadian singles, Shake It Like You Mean It and Black Rebel.
When those songs first smashed onto radio, fans could be forgiven for thinking they were hearing a brand new band. Fact is, these guys had been paying their dues back in Australia since 2006, where Leon Harrison and Matty Morris met while playing in local garage bands. They released a few EPs before packing bags and heading for New York City to record…then things took a surprising turn in Toronto at Canadian Music Week.
“To be honest, we took the risk of our lives,” explains Leon. “We had three shows booked in 24 hours. The first was 3 a.m. at the Horseshoe. We went out on stage and did what we had done for 10 years at home to 10 people, but it just started a buzz. Something had clicked.”
Their second gig attracted prominent booking agent Ralph James (APA), who signed them on the spot! At their third, Ian D’Sa, guitarist for Billy Talent, who became an instant fan and soon a collaborator. The band and D’Sa co-wrote Shake it Like You Mean It and Black Rebel over Skype between Australia and Canada, then recorded the tracks in Vancouver with GGGarth Richardson (Rage Against The Machine, Nickelback, Red Hot Chili Peppers). The songs were added to the already completed self-titled album, and released on Pheromone Recordings (Joel Plaskett, The Dears). “And they went Top 10. Which is crazy,” says Matty. “From all of that, we built a relationship with Ian, then decided to do a full album together.”
Having recently relocated to Toronto full-time, the band can certainly be considered honorary Canadians. And the journey that began 10 years ago in Australia is still just getting started. Says Matty, “Since the early days, being in a rock band is all we’ve ever wanted to do. We’ve shown how much love we can offer to people if they give us a chance and Canada has done that for us. It’s kind of insane when we think about all that support. But now it’s time to show the world.”
