{"id":61252,"date":"2020-04-16T17:02:02","date_gmt":"2020-04-16T16:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=61252"},"modified":"2024-03-13T21:48:41","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T20:48:41","slug":"planet-oeuf-lancasters-lovely-eggs-on-how-rampant-consumerism-and-the-mars-mission-influenced-new-album-i-am-moron","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2020\/04\/planet-oeuf-lancasters-lovely-eggs-on-how-rampant-consumerism-and-the-mars-mission-influenced-new-album-i-am-moron\/","title":{"rendered":"PLANET OEUF – Lancaster’s Lovely Eggs On How Rampant Consumerism And The Mars Mission Influenced New Album ‘I Am Moron’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A university city in the North West of England, Lancaster offers woodland walks, 19th century prison cells and views of the River Lune.<\/h4>\n

It’s also home to\u00a0The Lovely Eggs<\/strong>, a married duo who have been making music entirely independently of ‘the business’ for 13 years now.<\/h4>\n

The very definition of DIY, the Eggs – Holly Ross\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0David Blackwell\u00a0<\/strong>– release records almost exclusively on their own label, handle all their own bookings and even drive themselves to gigs in their trusty Fiat Scudo van.<\/p>\n

Starting in dramatic style with gig in New York City they’ve steadily grown in influence, making a great leap forward with fifth album This Is Eggland<\/strong><\/em> produced by\u00a0Dave Fridmann<\/strong>, whose credits include\u00a0Mercury Rev<\/strong>, Mogwai <\/strong>and\u00a0The Flaming Lips<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Now comes the release of Eggland’s\u00a0<\/em>‘sister album’\u00a0I Am Moron. <\/strong><\/em>which sees the band continuing to develop a heavier, angrier version of their trademark psychedelic-punk fusion.<\/p>\n

In – dare we say it – a cracking interview, EP’s Matt Catchpole\u00a0<\/strong>finds the Eggs enjoying the isolation imposed by the Coronavirus outbreak, while contemplating space travel to escape the rapacious greed and selfishness of their fellow Earthlings.<\/p>\n

\"The
Eggistential Angst – David Blackwell and Holly Ross<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Something of a cottage industry, The Lovely Eggs are a totally contained unit, based out of their home and the Music Cooperative<\/strong><\/a><\/span> where David used to work and the pair first met.<\/p>\n

Resolutely eschewing the bright lights of London, and even nearby Manchester and Liverpool, they’ve made all their records at the non-profit-making Co-op and joined a successful campaign to save it from being razed for development.<\/p>\n

Their decision to keep everything in-house, aided by just a few key acolytes, came after Holly got her first taste of the music business as lead singer and guitarist with all female band Angelica.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Formed in 1994, Angelica released two albums and supported the likes of\u00a0The Beautiful South\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Babes in Toyland<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“In a way it was fun ‘cos I got to hang out with all my girl mates and we would have a right laugh and get pissed and it was a massive adventure for us ‘cos we were young,” Holly remembers.<\/p>\n

But dealing with record companies and the whole merry-go-round of the music industry left her determined to have nothing more to do with it.<\/p>\n

“It was so stressful and I can do without that side of being in a band,” Holly says. “All that side of things is complete bullshit. Can\u2019t be arsed with the knobheads.”<\/p>\n

\"Angelica
Angelic Upstarts – Holly with Angelica<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three years after Angelica split, The Lovely Eggs performed their debut show at The Lit Lounge in New York, before returning to tour the UK.<\/p>\n

“We wanted to play somewhere good. Out of Lancaster,” Holly explains. “And New York is as good as anywhere.<\/p>\n

“We\u2019ve been influenced by a lot of bands coming out of New York so we thought we\u2019d start there.”<\/p>\n

Visually they’re kind of a White Stripes\u00a0<\/strong>in reverse, with Holly on guitar and David – a former member of psychedelic drone outfit Three Dimensional Tanx – <\/strong>on drums.<\/p>\n

While rejecting any kind of direct comparison, David concedes that Jack and Meg White’s success might have helped to spur them on.<\/p>\n

“I guess playing without a bass, only two of them, making a lot of noise must have been somewhere in our subconscious that we could do it! They\u2019re great though The White Stripes,” he says.<\/p>\n

The Lovely Eggs’ music is difficult to categorise, with quirky lyrics, explosive drumming and spacey electronica.<\/p>\n

Acknowledged influences include experimental bands like Can<\/strong>,\u00a0\u00a0Neu!\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Negativland\u00a0<\/strong>along with\u00a0The Velvet Underground<\/strong>,\u00a0Sonic Youth\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Ozzy Osbourne<\/strong>‘s proto-metallers\u00a0Black Sabbath<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Humour is a major part of what they do, songs like\u00a0Have You Ever Heard A Digital Accordian? <\/strong><\/em>joyously rhyming the titular instrument with the late American novelist, satirist and poet\u00a0Richard Braughtigan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“A digital accordion sounds like whatever you want it to sound like {and} you should read Richard Brautigan because he\u2019s got a different way of looking at life. And sometimes life needs re-examination,” David comments.<\/p>\n