Lava Lounge Radio Australia

Where do you live?For simplicity's sake we usually say that we're from Toronto, Ontario in Canada. Toronto's a big city, and the most likely one for people unfamiliar with Canadian geography to recognize. In reality we're a little spread out throughout the southwestern part of the province, with members in Toronto, Oakville, and Waterloo.

How did you all meet?

Mitchell started the band way back in 2016 with some friends who are no longer in the band, and at the time he was both drumming AND singing. At some point that year, the band decided it might be a good idea to have someone else play drums so that Mitchell could escape from behind the kit and focus on singing. Sara answered the online "drummer wanted" ad, and has been playing with the band ever since. Bennett is a family connection - Sara's cousin found out that the band was searching for a new guitarist, and recommended her partner's younger brother. He turned out to be *very* good at guitar, and Bennett's been playing live with us since 2024!

What do you like most about playing music? 

There are so many cool aspects to being in a band and playing music! We get to travel a bunch and see places that we might not otherwise visit, which is super fun. We've been all over Canada, seen a good chunk of the US, and even travelled to Barbados for a festival last year. Playing as many shows as we do also means we get to listen to tons of bands, and meet lots of new people. We all feel pretty lucky to have such solid friends and connections within our local scene and all over the world, and all of that has come through playing music. 

What inspired you to start playing and making music?

All of us were drawn to music at a pretty young age, and have been making music in some capacity for a long time. I think the inspiration for being in a band probably came, at least for some of us, from being involved in the local music scene as teenagers. It was so cool to see bands made up of people not much older than us writing songs, touring the country, and generally having a great time. Those experiences made music feel like something we could participate in, rather than just being something we saw on TV or heard on the radio. 
Describe your creative process when you write new music

We like to be as collaborative as possible when making new music, it's fun to get everyone's ideas and influences into the songs that we write. Generally speaking, someone will come to the band with a new song idea more or less sketched out. Often there's a demo, with rudimentary ideas for guitar and drum parts, plus a vocal melody and lyrics. We'll run through the basic structure of the song as a group, getting familiar with the chord progressions and different sections, and then everyone can take that home and build out their own parts. That might mean coming up with a cool lead part on guitar, writing a rad bass line or figuring out a drum fill to transition between segments. As we work through these details, other aspects of the song might change - we've had songs where lyrics have been rewritten, arrangements have flipped around, sections have been added or removed, all based on input from everyone in the band. 
How would you describe your musical style and the evolution of your sound over the years?

We generally describe ourselves as a melodic punk rock band - sort of in the vein of bands like The Flatliners or The Loved Ones, with some Bad Religion harmonies thrown in for fun. Our sound has definitely changed over the years, and is largely based on the influences of who's in the band at the time. We leaned a little more into the pop-punk side of things on our first record - that's a lot of what our guitarists were listening to, and you can hear it in our song writing. Over the past four years the band has undergone some pretty substantial changes, there have been personal challenges to work through, and there's an overarching sense of unease and uncertainty in the world. Our new material is definitely a product of that environment - the world is different, the band is different, and the songs we wrote are a little darker and more aggressive in response to those changes. It's not a total departure, and we think we've managed to distill this uncertainty into a collection of songs that feels like the best representation of this version of the band.

Are there specific themes or messages you aim to convey through your music?

Stability has been a hard feeling to find in recent years, and our new record covers some of the different experiences that come with instability. It’s a lot of looking around and asking “how did we get here,” whether that’s about the state of our countries, our communities, our relationships, or ourselves. It covers the highs *and* the lows, which feels true to what's been happening around us - sometimes things are really good, sometimes things are really bad, and sometimes it's a mix of both at the same time.
Can you share the story behind your latest album/project?

We've got a new album - Lose My Grip - coming out on July 10 of this year, and it feels like it's been a long time coming. Our first LP came out in 2022, but was recorded in 2019 and then delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. There was also a lot of internal upheaval within the band following the release of LP#1, with folks deciding it was time for them to step aside and focus on other aspects of their lives. We had been working on new material, but with all of the changes going on we weren't necessarily focused on making a new record. Near the end of 2023, our guitarist Tyler let us know that he would also be stepping away from the band, but agreed to stay on with us to record the new material we had been practicing. This was really the impetus for making Lose My Grip - we wanted Tyler to be involved, as he had been integral to the creation of the songs that feature on the album, but we knew we had a limited window to get everything done. We booked studio time with Matt Gauthier, who works out of his home studio This Place Needs A Name, and recorded the new album throughout 2024 and 2025. We're extremely happy with it, and are super grateful to Tyler for sticking around and helping us make something that we're very proud of. 
Who's your ideal musician to collaborate with and why?

Mitchell: Alicia from Bully would be amazing as a vocal feature - she's a killer songwriter, great lyricist, has an amazing voice, and you'd get a break from me singing all the time.

Bennett: John Reis because no one else sounds like him on guitar, and I'd love to know how he does it!

Sara: It would be very cool to record with Bill Stevenson at The Blasting Room. He's obviously super influential as a drummer and songwriter with his work in Descendents and ALL, and he's helped make so many amazing records. Learning how he approaches recording and writing would be a super cool experience. 
Are there any musicians who inspire you?
Mitchell: I think lyrics are a really important component of a song, but I don't necessarily find them easy to write. When someone can figure that process out, it really stands out to me. I think Patrick Kindlon from Drug Church is a terrific lyricist - he's so good at using familiar concepts but writing about them in words and ideas that feel fresh and not cliche.

Bennett: Radiohead for sure - they're unbelievably consistent, even with the stylistic changes they've gone through. I think it's impressive that they've done many different things as a band, and have done them all well. 

Sara: I'm not much of a Rush fan, but I think what Anika Nilles is doing right now is pretty amazing. She must have been under immense pressure stepping in for someone as well-regarded as Neil Peart, and playing songs that are loved by so many people. Trying to honour someone's musical legacy while also staying true to your own playing is a huge challenge, and doing all of this as a woman in a male-dominated field is pretty inspiring. 

LLRA -What made you want to become a musician? 

DJ - Arentha Franklin and her band i loved her sound as her piano player when she first started out with gospel and RnB 

LLRA - Which instruments did you play in high school?

DJ - I was a conductor 

LLRA - What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?

DJ -  I only focus on the present the future is too far to think of right now

LLRA - Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music? I love reading , hitchhiking 

LLRA - What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?

DJ - The feel of bass in my chest,the melodies and lyrics in my Head and smooth rhythm in my soul makes me feel alive

LLRA - Do you have any weaknesses that you're actively working to improve on?

DJ - Yes i do we all do but i loved to work on them and make them my strengths

LLRA - Which instrument is your favorite to play and why?

DJ - Bass because the vibes through my fingers and soul and heartbeat makes the room and dance shake

LLRA - What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?

DJ - I love the spirit that grows within me through the songs and the sound specifically stick to your head forever as if your mind was the radio player itself 

LLRA - Describe your favorite and least favorite part about being a musician. 

DJ - My favorite is everything i love doing the music working alot on a song everytime my least favorite is nothing i love it all

LLRA - Which instrument is your least favorite to play and how do you make sure you play it well? 

DJ - All my musical instruments are my babies i love them all