With a self-titled EP dropping in May, and a national tour kicking off this week, The Lazys are ready to rock Australia. Before they head out on the road I caught up with the group’s colorful lead singer Leon Harrison.
Your sound seems to hark back to the classic days of Aussie pub rock, with really chunky guitars and aggressive vocals. Were you inspired by those vintage bands at all?
Yeah, the whole band was definitely inspired by that older rock and roll scene.
What are some of your favourite bands?
I’m an AC/DC fan myself. I like AC/DC. Matt’s into Zeppelin, I’m into Zeppelin. Australian, I like Midnight Oil even. They’re not even that hard rock. The Angels … anything really that’s a bit harder. I like Muse. They’re not really an older band, but yeah.
You recently played on the main stages at Coaster and the Come Together festival. What’s it like to play for these massive crowds?
It’s a lot more exciting when you get a bigger crowd in front of you. It’s more enjoyable I suppose. I haven’t done that a lot. We’ve played smaller pub crowds. I like the intimacy of smaller crowds, but bigger crowds are just more exciting.
You’re about to head out on your first full national tour in some time. Are you excited about getting back on the road?
Yeah I am. I can’t wait to get into a car with the boys, and get out there and do what we do. I’m pretty bored at home!
What can fans expect from one of your shows?
To have a good time. They can expect hard-hitting riffs and good old-fashioned punk rock and roll with no bullshit attached. We just have a good time at our shows and usually the crowd does as well.
I heard you actually twisted your knee jumping off the top of some speakers at The Gaelic Club, and then did the next show on crutches. Is that indicative of the kind of commitment you have to your live performances?
Yeah, definitely. It was a free flight to Perth with The JD Set, so I wasn’t giving that up! It still hurts today, but what do you do? You just get on with it I suppose. I’ve been to the physio quite a bit. I won’t be jumping off any speaker systems any time soon!
The tour is in support of your debut EP. What can you tell me about the CD?
First of all, it’s a really good combination of everybody writing. Everybody’s written songs, or parts of songs, or collaborated on songs on the EP, so it’s really diverse. We’ve used more harmonies in our music. The songs sort of explore more harmonies in our vocals, and even in our guitars. There’s bluesy-based songs, like “Streets of Anarchy.” Then there’s sort of a filthy punk rock song, which is called “Anxiety.” These are my favourite ones. And “Hey Man,” which is actually my favourite one, which is actually like 90s rock with harmonies. So the new CDs taken a step forward, in that we’re not just that bluesy-based band any more. We still are, but we’re writing more diverse music.
You recorded it in the legendary Albert Studios, where AC/DC did all their best work. What was that experience like?
It was brilliant. They’re awesome down there, really welcoming, and they provide a lot of free beer. And the place has got a lot of history, including AC/DC, The Angels, and Midnight Oil, I think maybe Chisel. So to record in a place like that’s pretty cool. It’s a bit of an honour for us.
I hear your song “All Fired Up” will be used in the new season of Thank God You’re Here. Are you a fan of the show?
Oh yeah, who isn’t? It’s a good show. I like it.
You’re originally from the Central Coast, but you’re now based in Sydney. As a Coastie myself, I can imagine that transition would be pretty hard. Was it?
Not so much, no. There’s more going on in Sydney. I love the Coast.I love surfing and relaxing on the beach. But there’s more music, there’s a lot more going on, so the transition wasn’t too hard. It’s just that everything’s a bit quicker here. More nightlife, which is good. That’s what I’m after. That’s why I like touring!
What helps to keep you sane in the city; is it the nightlife?
I enjoy going out, listening to bands, I went to Spectrum myself on Friday night. Some people read; I enjoy going out and getting drunk!
You’re playing your final show of this tour on the Central Coast. How exciting is it to return to the place where it all began?
It’s going to be good! We’ve always had a pretty good time playing our gigs on the Coast. There’s a lot of surfers, and they all go mad when they hit the piss. So when we play we generally get a lot of people who like to come out and get loud.
If you want to get loud with The Lazys, you can catch them at the following venues!
29 April 2009 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
8 May 2009 – Spectrum, Sydney
16 May 2009 – The Globe, Brisbane
21 May 2009 – Spurs Tavern, Devonport
22 May 2009 – Hotel New York, Launceston
23 May 2009 – Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
30 May 2009 – Laurieton Hotel, Port Macquarie
4 June 2009 – The Esplanade Hotel,St Kilda
5 June 2009 – Home Tavern, Wagga Wagga
6 June 2009 – Woodport Inn, Erina
Image used with permission from AAA Entertainment