Four-piece Australian indie rock band Lipstereo were formed in 2019. After performing in a string of shows in all over pre-lockdown Melbourne in 2019 and 2020, they have recently released their four-track debut EP, Modern Mythology. We had a chance to talk to Sam Stranges from band, and he told us about their formation, influences, upcoming plans, and the new record. Find out the intriguing conversation below:
First off, what does the name Lipstereo mean? How did you come up with the name?
Lipstereo was coined by the Spotify algorithm. Don’t know how we got there, but listening to ’90’s Japanese music will point you to all kinds of cool songs, and of course, cool band names. Lipstereo is this one-minute groovy little track with only like 8,000 streams and was the perfect band name for us.
When was Lipstereo formed? Can you tell us how your first rehearsal went?
Lipstereo was formed about half way through 2019, and the first rehearsal went just about as good as you’d expect a first rehearsal to go. We didn’t know each other prior to starting the band, and we were probably quite guarded with one another initially, so a lot of energy would’ve gone towards being more open with each other both musically and personally. Being in a band is about 50% playing music and 50% relationships, so it’s important at the start to develop healthy friendships and a sense of camaraderie in a new endeavor such as starting up a band.
Who are your musical influences? Have you ever planned to record a cover song?
I think the artists that everyone in the band really gets around are Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, and Weezer, and you can certainly hear them in our sound. Other band favorites include The Mars Volta, Catfish and The Bottlemen, Dream Theater, and The Posies. With regards to recording a cover, we actually came really close to recording a version of ‘Be My Baby’ by The Ronettes (1963). We kind of did the song in the style of different rock genres: dad rock, punk and hard rock. We’ll probably get around to recording it eventually, like everything, it’s a matter of time.
Tell me more about your latest EP, Modern Mythology?
Modern Mythology is kind of the first chapter of a long story that’ll mirror the Course of Empire series of paintings by Thomas Cole, the first of which you can see on the album art for Modern Mythology. The EP really tries to highlight the raw and grand aspects of a civilization in its infancy. All of the tracks contribute to this feeling in their own way.
How long did it take to write Modern Mythology? Do you have a favorite track?
Although the EP only runs at like 11 minutes, it did take a while to get it to the state it ended in. We really tried to distill the essence of the songs into short studio tracks, taking a very “all killer, no filler” kind of attitude. The songs that are on it are some of the earliest stuff we were working on as a band, they go all the way back to 2019. We recorded in 2021, and released them in 2022, so they certainly took a long time to get out. Favorite track might have to go to “Take The Bus.” It certainly hints at where the Course of Empire story might head, and that glorious guitar solo is definitely something else.
Watch the official music video of “Little Spaceships” on YouTube:
How would you differentiate your new single “Push The Tide” from your last singles from the EP?
I think the main difference between Push The Tide and the old EP is that we recorded Push The Tide essentially live. Recording live, particularly for a video, adds an extra level of complexity, trying to get the balance of the physicality that you want to bring for a music video, but also the technicality and faultlessness that a studio quality recording demands. We did three takes for Push The Tide and picked the best one afterwards to mix at Thirty Mill Studios. I think we stole a couple of notes from another take of the guitar solo, and I think a couple of lines from a different take for the vocals, but other than that, it’s pretty much exactly what was happening in the room. It was certainly a different experience from the studio, where you have endless opportunities to tweak and ask yourself is this how you want to present this phrase, or this embellishment with the bass.
What are your near-term and long term plans? Who would you like to tour with in the future?
The major plan for the band is to continue the Course of Empire story, next with a new EP which will complete the ‘Modern Mythology’ chapter of the story. A dream act that we’d love to play with one day would have to be Rival Sons. Their songs burst with so much rock goodness it would be hard to contain ourselves backstage. We’d probably explode.
Follow Lipstereo on LinkTree.
Photo courtesy of Lipstereo
