FVMusicBlog

We were fortunate enough to talk to The Loud Bangs following the release of the superb EP, ‘Future Plaza’. Enjoy the full interview below!

Hi, The Loud Bangs; tell us about yourself?

My name is Daisy Gutierrez, and I play lead guitar in The Loud Bangs. The band is from Los Angeles, California, USA. We make shoegaze and dream pop (basically any pop music with loud guitars).

Our gang leader is Alice Street. Hannah Remley plays bass. Marcus Nemuro bangs drums. We’ve had a bunch of EPs out in 2022, and we’re all going deaf from all that time in the studio.

What is your songwriting process?

Alice is our progenitor. She has the ideas, the chords, the samples, the lyrics – whatever raw materials are needed for the song. Marcus lays down layers and layers of drums against guide tracks. Me and Hannah add our stuff, and then we all kinda throw on vocals and synths and a bunch of other overdubs.

Lastly, Alice will lay down very spare vocals. And then the tune gets mixed and mixed and mixed and mixed. All of it is created in the studio, but we can bang out the songs live, too, if it ever comes to that.

Tell us about your superb latest EP, ‘Future Plaza’?

Yes! ‘Future Plaza’ is a five-song slice from a full-length album. We had a two-album deal, but these two LPs got split into four EPs. With that, we reshuffled tracks, took a few off, etc. Maybe one day, they will be released as originally designed. We get it, though – it’s marketing.

‘Introducing The Loud Bangs’ sessions were very much like 1989 alternative radio, and ‘Future Plaza’ was intended to be more ‘now.’ The songs are slicker and less dense. So we have like eight songs we held back.

Five will be out in our next EP, which is to be called ‘Salvation Memorial Hospital.’ The others we don’t know when they’ll come out. But we like them all! And if you want the backstory of the vibe, Alice got a new boyfriend, and that’s why ‘Future Plaza’ is a bit more about relationships than our earlier stuff. Write what you know.

What draws you to the shoegaze/dream pop genre?

We love blurry photos.

You’re based in Los Angeles; what’s the live music scene post-COVID?

It’s coming back. Slowly. We’re actually very into live shows and go to see bands with each other or with our friends all the time. The Sunset Strip is a fave, but also dive bars and other clubs. We don’t go to the beach much, but there’s a lot to choose from everywhere in LA. Still pays shit, though, to play live, so we’re holding off until we can sell out The Greek.

What message do you think your music conveys to your fans?

Alice might have been better at answering this. I’ll try. It’s no secret that we write about mental health. Anxiety. Depression. Fear. Those sorts of things. It’s why people compare us to Pink Floyd, though we’re not very languid like them. So we hope the music provides some salve to all that and allows for some comfort.

Who are your musical influences?

There’s a lot already out there about those in the press, but clearly, 1988-1992 alternative is a big thing for us. However, we grew up in the 2000s, so bands like Paramore, Deftones, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Foo Fighters, and even Keane are favourites. For modern peers, bands like Pia Fraus, Young Prisms, Now Now, Laveda, and others get a lot of play. If you’re talking pure timeless stuff, David Bowie, Brian Eno, Cocteau Twins, The Sundays, Kate Bush, The Runaways, Bauhaus, Talking Heads, etc., are all part of our influences. Lately, a ton of The Church – which you can really hear in songs like “Glass Cabinet.” (Notice that I’m trying not to reference My Bloody Valentine… but we have to because it’s true.)

Who are your non-musical influences?

Any good effects pedal! The ideas we’ve generated are sometimes just based on some production trick. For example, ‘The Jamie Situation’ from our fourth EP happened because we made a guitar sound like lava.

What scares you most when releasing music?

That everyone will think it’s weird. And they ALWAYS think that. So I guess we conquered our fears. Well, we think what me make is just pretty normal. I mean, have you heard Swans?!

What do you think are the biggest obstacles for bands/artists today?

Getting an audience is a struggle for any artist. We have right now only a few thousand listeners worldwide. None of my friends even give a shit (and I know they won’t read this!). No other bands call us out; very few critics drop our name. We stand by our catalogue, but it’s hard to break through the (literal and musical) noise. And that’s with a label! I don’t think we’ll ever be as big as Drake.

What advice would you give to other bands/artists starting out?

Just make music. A lot of it. Make it as good as you can. Then worry about the rest.

What are your hopes for the next two years?

That we’re all going to be all right.

FVMusicBlog October 2022

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