The Lunar Laugh is an Alternative Pop Rock band based in Oklahoma City. At the group’s core is the singer/songwriter duo of Connor Anderson and Jared Lekites. Drawing inspiration from the classic pop masterworks of the 60’s and 70’s, as well as notable contemporary artists such as Beck and Brandon Flowers, The Lunar Laugh released their debut album, Apollo, in May 2015 following a successful crowdfunding campaign.

The Lunar Laugh are currently back in the studio recording the followup to their critically praised debut. More information regarding the new album will be available by summer 2016.

What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?

Jared: Coming up with new and interesting ideas for each part. For example, recording the drums and vocals for “Beds on Fire” in an empty racquetball court for a natural reverb/echo effect or clapping while standing on top of a bass amplifier with Graham Colton to create party sound effects for “Apollo”.

Connor: I didn’t officially join until later in the recording sessions, but for the album we’re recording now I got to throw down on some electric piano. Also, having my friend Sarah Feist come sing some background vocals on a couple of songs was a highlight for me.

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

Jared: Anything I’ve written is good for a small glimpse into my innermost thoughts and such. I don’t think just one song will do it. I’m not that easy to pin down.

Connor: It’s hard to pick just one, but ‘Rivers and Roads’ by The Head and the Heart has been in my head a lot lately. Also, they’re performance of the song when I saw them a couple years ago was simply incredible.

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not? 

Jared: Being independent, it’s all very much home grown for our music. That means we make decisions usually made by 15 people in a boardroom. The upside of that is we get more control and more satisfaction out of the final product than we might have if we were more “industry-based”. We are still pretty underground, I think. With things like Spotify and Pandora it’s becoming a bit more easier for people to hear us without having to actually buy our music, which is both a blessing and a curse.

Connor: Pretty much what Jared said, it’s nice having a home-grown feel to our music. It makes it more personal.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet?

Jared: Probably not me.

Connor: Some people might know him already, but Cody Fry is crazy talented. Look him up.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mix tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

Jared:
1. Bitch – The Rolling Stones
2. The Bitch Is Back – Elton John
3. Cold Hard Bitch – Jet
4. Go Away – Elvis Costello
5. Don’t Bother Me – The Beatles

If she can see past the charming sarcasm, she is a keeper.

Connor:
I Like You – Ben Rector
Tell Her About It – Billy Joel (hopefully she gets the hint at this point)
Forget Me Not – The Civil Wars
Stay Young, Go Dancing – Death Cab for Cutie
Sweetness – Jimmy Eat World

Nice band name, is there a story behind it?

Jared: Graham Colton who co-produced Apollo suggested that I think up a band name for the project instead of putting it out as a solo artist, which that album pretty much started life as.
The name itself is a phrase from the psychedelic concept album, Cosmic Sounds – the Zodiac. I believe the track the name appears in is titled “The cancer Moon”. Before I started working on the album, I had heard that track and really liked the phrase as a possible future band name.
At the time, I had no idea that the studio we were working in was actually named Lunar Manor. So happy coincidence.

What’s up for the next couple of months?

Jared: A handful of good shows and more recording for our 2nd album which is about halfway completed.

Connor: Writing, recording and performing. Good times ahead.

Omdat ze zijn opgepikt door de Songpickr: 2016 Best Songs playlist op Spotify ( met Wonderful Tonight) deze repost van de Q&A met zanger Sean Williams. Jangly power folk rock pop.

 

What’s it like being a musician nowadays? It’s not just about the music, isn’t? Or maybe it never was?

I consider a musician to be an artist, and I guess art is always changing…. so to be a musician is like trying to be flexible and open to evolution? 😊

It seems like everybody has to be their own record company, marketing department, promoter etc?

Yes I have a label, it is the easiest way… who should love and want to promote the music more than oneself? 😊 Facebook is my marketer and promoter! 😊

Punk Rock/power pop and Country music don’t look a match made in heaven. But you are not the only one who is able to make this relation work perfectly. What’s the secret?

Playing music that you love, that you believe in, that you feel is true or not phony… it is art! some people sculpt and paint! Johnny Cash was a punk, Chuck Berry dabbled in Country, it’s all related!!! 😊

How easy is it for you to tour Europe? What can we expect?

I enjoy travel and Europe very much! I have some really good friends over here (I am in Holland right now)…. 😊

You can always expect me to give you my very best show! acoustic, electric, whatever… we will always try to have the MOST fun and enjoyment possible! 😊

What was the biggest fun during the making of Keepin’ the Dream Alive? Can you still remember how the songs came together?

Every day was an adventure. Unlike our previous albums we booked studio time and secured a great producer (Mark Doyle) before we even had songs written. We walked into the studio with pretty much a blank sheet of paper and started writing. The fun was in the unbridled work of creation.

Sadly, I died near the end of these sessions. Mark and Doug Moncrief wrapped it up. True story, it was a tumultuous year. Keepin’ the Dream Alive took on a whole new meaning for us. Good doctors brought me back from the land of the lost and I was able to rejoin the band.

I can’t listen to this album without reliving some of the pain of that year. But, the songs have endured and the trauma we lived through was worth the pain of birthing this album.

 If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

Let It Roll. Somewhere deep inside all of us who play rock lives a little Elvis. His swagger, his cool, his reverence to the blues and gospel, as well as his boyish charm and quest for fun have influenced everything that came after him.

This song is homage to my roots. You can hear the influence of Elvis, the Jordanaires, Jerry Lee Lewis, and even the Big Bopper in this track.

Somewhere between that song and Tonight, I Wanna Be Lonely is who I am.

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?

I’m lucky. I survive by doing my art. And when I’m not doing my art, I’m helping others with theirs. We own all the masters to our music, and the publishing as well. We also own our own studio. So for us, the changes in technology and the internet have helped us reach our fans.

On the down side, all of us have noticed that there is a lot of inferior music out there. Anybody can release anything they want. Touring is harder with a lot of wannabees willing to play for nothing. If we dumb down the art, the audience gets dumber and expects free music that they don’t really care about. Music becomes background music. Young musicians should aspire to greatness, not just acceptance.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet? And why will this change very soon?

I teach a college course in the History of Rock n Roll. Every year I make a prediction about who will be the next big break out artist. In past years I’ve chosen, Mumford and Sons, Adele, and Zac Brown. Last year my pick was Tori Kelly. In just about every case, when I introduced these artists to my classes not one of the students had ever heard of them.

This year, I am totally baffled.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mixt tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

I Love You Just the Way You Are – by Billy Joel, The Nearness of You – Sinatra’s version, We Found Love – Ed Sheeran, (I’d insert the next song I write right here. It would be titled with “Her Name”), Bolero – Ravel. If that don’t score a second date, I’d move on.

I am an old, hopeless romantic. I love my wife like crazy. I think I’ll write that next song right now. I’ll call it “Joann”.

What’s up for the next couple of months?

I am recovering from vocal strain. I haven’t performed since November. SO, what’s next is my vocal rehab tour. The first date is with my songwriting partner and bandmate, Doug Moncrief – May 6^th at the Ontario Performing Arts Center. I’m going to ease back into the full band concert dates by doing a few solo and duo shows. By July, we’ll take the monster back out on the road. I’m lucky enough to play in one of the best rock bands in the world… going on 42 years with the same guys.

New songs are in the pipeline.

Buy the re-issue of Keepin’ the Dream Alive here.

What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?

The coolest thing about the latest Broken Promise Keeper album is that it’s an international affair.  Most of the drums were played by Will Jones, an session drummer in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. Then I had mixing/mastering consulting by Andrew Gosden, of Cold Room Studios, Brisbane, Australia. I’d met both on an online forum, liked their style, and ended up getting their expertise on album.

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

On this album, it’s definitely “Here We Go” which is the kick-off tune.  It’s inspired by the often quoted definition of insanity:   “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result” – well, that resonates with me because I’m stupidly stubborn sometimes.  OK, most of the time.  But I’m getting better as I get older!

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?

Well, I had a glimpse of the old-school music industry, circa 1985 or so, when I was about to graduate from college but was in a regionally successful band in the Southeastern US.  We got signed to a label, recorded several records (those flat, black and round plastic things), toured lots of clubs… lots of fun, but not so lucrative from a financial perspective.  Now, you don’t need the “music industry” — what’s left of it is focused on the mega-huge stadium acts like, well, you know.  So the ability for folks like me to record, distribute, and avoid any industry middle-man is a good change.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet? And why will this change very soon?

That’s the downside of the change in the music industry – I’m positive there are just the bestest, sweetest Power Pop bands out there, but I don’t know about them because it takes effort to find them.  There’s no longer any support from the music industry (if there ever really was) to grow new bands, and radio is no help.  So today, as a listener, you really have to make an effort to look for music that turns you on, searching either online with the help of sites like this or better yet by supporting your local music scene and supporting the bands you like.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mix tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

Well, I’ve been married for a long time, so this is more of a list of the five Power Pop songs we fell in love with together.  I hope you like high-energy melodic rock from the 80s, all North Carolina or Georgia bands from the Southeast US:

“Love Is For Lovers” – The dB’s

“Double Our Numbers” – Parthenon Huxley

“Stone Cold Yesterday” – The Connells

“Praying Mantis” – Don Dixon

“Harborcoat” – REM

What’s up for the next couple of months?

I have to get back on the computer and find more sites like this one!  That and start recording again…

Check out the site

What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?

Getting my friends over to play on the record was the best part.  I write alone most of the time and that tends to be a pretty solitary and sometimes lonely process.  I love when things start to take shape during recording.  A lot of times, the songs end up in a completely different place than initially expected.  I’m fortunate to have a group of guys that I’m on the same page with and trust to give the tunes what they need.

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

I would check out “Good Love” (the title and lead off track).  The record, as a whole, is kinda fun and loose.  I think this track sets the tone for things to come and represents how I was feeling during the writing and recording of the album.  Sometimes I like to tone things down and get serious, but this time around, it was nice to just cut loose a bit.

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?

It’s hard to say as I try not to think about the big machine much.  I know that the state of the industry made me much more open to trying new things, musically.  If someone would ask me to do something, I’d give it a shot.  This led to me doing the score for a Willie Nelson and Harry Connick Jr movie called “Angels Sing” a couple years back.  Also, I’m always trying to get better at my recording, mixing, and producing skills as I don’t really have the budget to hire anyone else.  The main thing I’ve realized over the years is that there isn’t one distinct path to being successful.  It’s kinda the wild west out there.  In some ways that’s frustrating, in others liberating.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet? And why will this change very soon?

I think Anna Calvi is an amazing artist.  I realize she’s relatively known, but think she will be a household name in the near future.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mixtape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

Ok, here we go..

The Zombies – This Will Be Our Year

Anna Calvi     –  Desire

The Soundtrack of Our Lives – Sister Surround

Wilco & Billy Bragg – California Stars

Nick Lowe – I Love The Sound of Breaking Glass

What’s up for the next couple of months?

Next few months will be spent spreading the good word on the record.  Have some duo shows in the works with my buddy Dan Wistrom and will hopefully get a full band gig or two in as well.  Will continue to write in prep for the next record so hopefully things will have taken shape by the end of summer.  Heading to Spain in June for vacation so I’m much looking forward to that!

Check Scott’s website for updates & for the music

What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?

Alexander Wahl: We haven’t released any albums yet but we are currently working on one, we have only released EPs, Easy Pleasures and our latest release Citrus.The fun part is to create and let things happen spontaneously without too much thought. This is kind of the concept of Animal Daydream, it’s like some kind of adult playground where we make all the rules and anti rules in a blend of social silliness, caffeine, beer and spicy food. The most fun is to destroy boring songs and remake them into fun songs.

Daniel Fridlund Brandt: Yep, and we always try to keep the recording process fresh by not using the same formula each time. If we get to comfortable it tends to be boring, so a lot of our songs contains first or second takes. If the feeling is right it´s not necessary to play every note perfect. The instrumental bits comes very easy for us but the singing and the lyrics is what takes more time.

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

A:Not a favorite question for me. I usually get hooked on a song and terrorize all my friends, telling them how awesome it is. Lately it has mostly been old songs like Take It To The Limit by The Eagles and Love and Mercy by Golden Smog and Talks We Used To Have by Fargo. A while ago I listened a lot to EZTV, the whole album is really great and Dust in the Sky is a super song.

D: I also find it hard to let a couple of songs define me as a person, but I can say that I still think The Byrds – Lady Friend is one of the best pop songs ever recorded, even though I heard it too many times during the years. Stuff I been listening to lately:

Doug Tuttle´s latest album It Calls On Me  (which deserves more attention for sure), Felt – Forever Breaths The Lonely Word, Melody´s Echo Chamber – s/t,  Goran Kajfes – The Reason Why Vol 2 and the latest Wild Nothing record Life Of Pause. The Morgan Delt record blew my mind some year ago and recently I have been rediscovering early The Posies albums and 70’s era Steely Dan.

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?

A: I guess that it’s easier to spread your music and you don’t need lots of money to make records. We make music for fun and industry sounds like work and work is not fun.

D: Exactly, you can record an awesome record in your bedroom and you don´t need expensive studios and corporate label money to get it out there. The downside is that  there´s too much information and distractions everywhere so it´s kind of hard to cut through the noise. If people do not love the first 10 seconds of a song they skip to the next.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet? And why will this change very soon?

D: Hmmmm. This is a tough one. Our friend Tommy Lindström AKA Gondolen DIY-released a great record some years ago.I guess not that many people have heard it. It´s on Spotify so check it out!

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mixtape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

A: I’d probably go for some classics and make some kind of vertical word of the letters like “Color” or “Pay my bills so I can play rock n roll”.

Can’t Explain – The Who
One Way Ticket – The Breakaways
Looking The Magic – Dwight Twilley Band
Oh Babe – Van Duren
Round and Round – The Edgar Winter Group
(Hidden track My time – The Pretty Things)

D: Haha. Next question please.

What’s up for the next couple of months?

D: Hang out, make new music, release a super limited edition cassette containing both EPs, travel, welcome the Swedish summer, eat some Indian food (regular joint close to our studio The Zoo), have a couple of beers and release a new video.

A: Yes, all that.  Our latest release got some pretty awesome reviews and I guess I’ll be hovering on those for a while and continuing making songs.

School steals a lot of time but keeping the mind busy gives a lot of inspiration and I’m thinking that the songs we are working on right now are the most interesting so far.

D: Thank you for your interest and check out our stuff if you haven´t yet!

Check it out

animaldaydream.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIPEuPgA-h4
facebook.com/animaldaydream
instagram.com/animaldaydream
soundcloud.com/animaldaydream

What was the biggest fun during the making of “love not war”?

For me it was to actually play drums on a couple of my own songs. I’m a terrible drummer but love to play, and thanks to the magic of the studio and editing I was able to play drums on two songs (Mayor Of Midnight, A Boy Downtown). “A Boy Downtown” is actually the first song I’ve ever sang & played all the instruments on. I have to say, it was also fun being able to get all the various amazing musician friends on there. Without their talents it wouldn’t be the same. One particular memory was getting Dan Bern, who I wrote “Too Many Songs” with, to record the harmony vocal in the dressing room of the Tin Angel in Philadelphia before a gig we played together there with my mobile setup.

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

I’d say the title track “Love Not War”. It’s as much a relationship song as it is political, but in these crazy times of violence and uncertainly I think choosing love over war is something more people should strive for.

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?

I’d agree that the music industry has changed a lot. One thing the current situation has brought to me is the ability to record, release and promote a record on my own, and have a platform (mostly digital) for people anywhere in the world to hear it. The downside is of course that the streaming revenue for music is currently pretty terrible, so making a living playing & writing music is harder than ever.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet? And why will this change very soon?

I’m not sure if this will change very soon, but I’m a big fan of Walter Sear who people may know as a studio engineer/producer. He passed away a few years ago. One of the first things I listened to as a little kid was his “The Copper Plated Integrated Circuit” moog album. It was on the flipside of a cassette that my Uncle from Holland sent over. Took me many years to figure out who it actually was. Even though I’m mostly a guitar player that record inspired me greatly.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mixt tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

Wow, that is tough! But off the top of my head-

The La’s- There She Goes

Hans Rotenberry & Brad Jones- Back To Bristol

Kinks- Waterloo Sunset

Glen Campbell- Wichita Lineman

Wilco- Can’t Stand It

What’s up for the next couple of months?

I have a bunch of live shows in the area that I’ll be doing solo and with my band The Forward Thinkers to promote the new EP, and looking at a trip to California as well. Plus I’ll be putting out a 45 in April that will be available from my good friends at Tallboy Records (http://www.tallboyrecords.com).

Check it out

http://www.cliffhillis.com/

http://www.facebook.com/cliffhillis

What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?

RB: This record was a “prove it” album for me. I had all these songs and I knew I wanted to produce and play everything on the album myself. I said, “Ok then, Reno, show me what you got.” There was a learning curve involved in figuring out how to do it all myself and it certainly didn’t come without its struggles. I scrapped a lot of stuff along the way and started over again. But ultimately, I made the record I wanted to make. Every note and sound is exactly the way I wanted it to be. The most fun I had was proving to myself that I could do it and now I know that. Will the next one sound the same? Probably not because this album made me a better producer. But I’m excited for what’s next.

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

RB: I think the song “Lessons From A Shooting Star” encapsulates where I was while making this album. It’s got a little bit of everything in it – love, angst, melody, not one but TWO guitar solos ha ha. It’s the most rock and roll thing on the album to me.

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?

RB: I really tried to not think about that at all. I just wanted to focus on making the best album I possibly could and trusted that the rest would fall into place. The pro’s of having a large company behind you is the money for publicity, radio, the big push. Having that all go off at one time is ideal. However, doing it at the indie level like I am (with my little label Electric Western), folks discover you slower. And the ones that find you found you for a reason. So I know that the fans I do have were made organically and are genuinely into the music.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet? And why will this change very soon?

RB: One of my favorite bands in Nashville is filled with some of the best musicians in the world. They are called Steelism. The guys sit in with me on shows from time to time. Jon Radford is the best drummer I’ve ever played with. Jeremy Fetzer is one of the most precise and soulful young guitar players out there today. Spencer Cullum Jr does things with the pedal steel I’ve never heard before. And Jon Estes not only plays bass, but arranges horns and strings. Talented brood they are. Check them out. Their music is an instrumental amalgam of Booker T. And the MGs, Ennio Morricone and The Ventures.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mixed tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

RB: Hands down . . .

“I’d Have You Anytime” by George Harrison

“Until You Came Along” by Golden Smog

“Forever” by The Beach Boys (with Dennis Wilson on lead vocal)

“I Saw The Light” by Todd Rundgren

“Summer Wind” by Sinatra

What’s up for the next couple of months?

RB: I just finished up an LA run of shows. I’m in NY now, then head back to Nashville to start writing for the next album. I’ll also be putting out some singles and one offs in the next few months. Stay tuned at www.renobo.com!

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