Swiftly cultivating a reputation as one of Australia’s unmissable rising acts, LamBros have ticked off a number one single via their 2017 track Do Something, supports alongside the likes of Tones and I, The Choirboys, Mental as Anything and Thirsty Merc, performances at Bluesfest Byron Bay, Bendigo Bluesfest, Airlie Beach Music Festival, and an insatiable live show that displays both virtuosic dexterity and an infectious energy that has to be seen to be believed, and we caught up with them for a quick Q + A
Hi, thanks for taking the time to chat with Hear 2 Zen, what have you been up to today?
Thanks for having us! It’s been hectic at LamBros. HQ recently. New single, right in the middle of a tour, and a lot of love coming through, which has been really amazing.
Tell us about yourself, how long have you been performing/creating music for?
We’ve been playing and performing music for as long as we can remember. We picked up our instruments at ages 5 and 7, and have never looked back. We started creating our own music around mid high school, and officially formed LamBros in 2017 after going busking in Manly Corso!
Who are your greatest inspirations? Why?
We have so many! Some of our greatest musical inspirations include: Chris Stapleton, AC/DC, John Butler Trio, Michael Jackson, Tom Misch, Snarky Puppy, Anderson Paak, Prince, James Brown, and so much more.
How do you create music? Are you lyrics/story driven, or does the music/melody come first? Explain your process.
It completely depends on the song. Sometimes it starts with Connor (lyricist) penning a set of lyrics, sometimes it stems from a drum groove from Harry, sometimes it comes from a guitar riff, but no matter what the seed of inspiration is, we always flesh out a song live before we start recording. It’s important that a song can sound full and have weight in a very stripped back setting.
What has been your greatest challenge so far in performing/creating music?
Everything else other than the music haha! Being an independent artist means you have to wear a lot of hats. All of the emails, social media, bookings, strategy, song artwork and more make for basically a full time job! We both wish we could focus more on the creative aspects and performing, but we are also very grateful for the knowledge and experience we have gained doing things ourselves.
Tell us about your new release ‘You Won’t Call’, how did it come about?
It was written by Connor late at night, and inspired by feelings of being let down, or led on by someone you care about.
The time signature and feel of the song was one of the first things that prompted the style of tune, and it was one of the first elements that Connor started with when writing.
The bluesy and soulful elements are perfect for expressing these kinds of pent up emotions, and so we found ourselves really focused on just building a platform for Connor’s vocals to shine. We didn’t want to overproduce, and didn’t want to over-write, so we kept the song true to its core meaning, and let the lyrics and vocals do most of the talking.
What advice do you have to artists who are just starting out?
For us, authenticity is one of the most important things for music. Be true to yourself, and don’t follow the pack. Write music how you want to write it, and don’t let others tell you who to be, or how to sound.
Tell us your favourite Zen practice.
This probably sounds a little cheesy, but jamming and playing music mindlessly is extremely therapeutic and meditative for us. We’ve been playing together for so long that just going into the band room, and mucking around with musical ideas is the best medicine or mental reset for us. It helps us to stay grounded, and continue to keep the creative juices flowing.
