LIONS LIONS – Christians to Lions Lions

Metalcore and deathcore are genres that have given the kids around the world a soundtrack to their party. This has been a template for many bands, but in my opinion it’s hard to distinguise between the cream and the crap. Whether or not you actually like the sound, it’s hard not to come under the charm of the Massachuetts based band Lions Lions. Their spoof videos on youtube like Occupy Lions Lions and 10000 likes on facebook, shows a band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously and also makes fun of band life in general. The interviews I’ve seen on the already mentioned tubesite is chaotic to say the least. The answers and jokes come so quickly that it’s hard to keep up, but that might be because I’m a old balding fat bastard and the only part of my body that actually get’s tanned are my teeth. The last album from the wild bunch is called To Carve Our Name and it will be released in Europe on june 18. It follows in the same vein as the previous albums The Path We Take and From What We Believe, but it’s more polished and the songs are tighter. They have been touring the states the past month, so I reached out via mail to vocalist Josh Herzer. Ladies and gentlemen here’s Lions Lions.

From what I’ve seen from your youtube videos (occupy Lions Lions, 10,000 likes on facebook), it seems like humor plays a large part in the band’s existence. How does that play out in your music?

Our videos reflect our personality on and off stage. We don’t take ourselves seriously. We’re not saving the world, just writing songs. There’s not a lot of humor in our music, so our videos show another side of us.

It seems like you’re also making fun of fame and band life in general. What are the most ridiculous concepts within the music industry today?

Boy Bands. Some bands in our genre are told what to wear, songs are written for them, and their music is backtracked live. It’s phony and dishonest, but people don’t seem to mind.

Are you youtube addicts?

Outside of posting videos, Id say we’re light Youtubers.

From what I’ve gathered from the promo packaged, you are based in Massachuetts, in or near Boston. Boston has a status bordering on legendary within punk/hc/straightedge circles. How has that history affected your band?

It’s affected our approach to touring, writing, and performing. We have a very DIY attitude when it comes to our band.

As a band who’s got metallic elements in your music and also melodic elements. Do you sometimes feel constrained within the confines of punk and HC? Why/Why not?

No. We just write music that we like. Throughout our albums there’s a lot of ground covered. We do a little bit of everything.

Since a lot of punk/HC fans can be hardcore about what defines a the genre, does this mean that you primarily have a young fanbase?

I think we’ve reached a good mix of people of all ages. The hardcore scene in New England is really open minded and supportive of bands, regardless of their genre.

How did you end up on Hollywood Waste Records?

We played the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival showcase at SXSW in 2010 and caught the attention of Century Media/Hollywood Waste. By January ’11 we signed the contract and started moving forward.

How was the recording process of the record To Carve Our Names?

We wrote the album over the span of a year. So we were really prepared by the time we got to the studio. Our producers (Shep Goodman and Aaron Accetta) were really easy to work with and understood what we were trying to achieve with these songs.

Qouting from your press release" The title of the record is about making your mark. Touring and recording music is our way of doing that." Why, in your opinion, do you feel that it is important to make your mark as an everyday person?

Everyone has something to offer. Too many people just settle in to a routine and stay there for the rest of their lives. We encourage people to find their niche and pursue it.

Is that your focall point with your music, not just to make an impression or mark as a band, but also to put that point across to whoever is listening to your music?

Absolutely. Our band has always had a positive message. It’s not about a religion or how to live your life, just TO live your life.

You worked with Shep Goodman and Aaron Accetta for this record. I think you’ve also stated that they made you better songmakers. How?

Aside from tightening up the structure of the songs, a big thing for them was "Moments". "Moments" are the part of a song that you look forward to hearing as a listener. That one hook that may only happen once, maybe twice in a song, but keeps you wanting more. Looking at our songs from that standpoint and defining the "Moments" really fleshed out the songs.

Any last words for your fans?

The support has been amazing, and we can’t thank you enough. Keep a look out for a lot of cool, interesting, and stupid things from us in the future.

http://www.facebook.com/LionsLionsMA