Combining Pop, Motown And Catchy Melodies, Australian Band, The Lulu Raes, Share Some Insight Into The Music Biz!

The Lulu Raes are a four piece band from Sydney who combine a love of pop, motown harmonies, and catchy weirdness to create their own danceable and infectious indie, pop and rock music. The members include Eddie, Raras, Marcus and Tom.

Having written with Sticky Fingers and influenced by The Strokes, The Flaming Lips and The Pixies, they have a sound that is best described part Talking Heads and part now-defunct Brisbane Indie quartet Yves Klein Blue.

Learn about these talented musicians in the following interview:

Do you remember the moment you decided to start a band? Was it easy coming to that decision?

It probably came from seeing our friends in hectic bands playing these huge shows. So about a year ago, Taras sent us heaps mad songs he made on his computer with Eddie and we started jamming at his brother’s art studio.

What’s the best surprising aspect of this industry?

So many people are willing to get on board and help you out. The video for “The Way Life Runs” didn’t cost us a cent. Also, the industry people aren’t always those sleazy greasy comb-over dudes you see in the movies. Sometimes they are though and it’s awesome.

How have your shows been going this summer in Australia?

We try to keep them pretty scarce, because no one wants to see the same band every two weeks. You gotta be a commodity man, like diamonds. But all the reception has been really good though, people are dancing and crowd-surfing.

What’s a typical day like for you guys?

Lots of practice and lots of recording. We workshop the songs and they generally go through three or four versions before we record them or play them at shows. Marcus doesn’t have a job so he just talks about how he walks his dog everyday. Dude loves that fuckin’ dog.

What was the inspiration for “The Way Life Runs”?

Chicks.

What about the video for the song? You guys used rocks, leaves, sticks, bark, bones and whatever else you could find to create the video… Who came up with that idea?

Neil Goodridge, this sweet dude whose been doing animation in Australia for decades. We originally thought he was just going to superimpose the lyrics on top of footage of us so we were blown away when he showed us those animations. It’s sort of been saddening realising how easy it is to make our faces using the dull blunt shapes of grey crud-rocks.

How does it feel being recognized as one of the best new artists according to Hilly Dilly?

It’s so cool see people finding our video on blogs and twitter. Thanks for the support dudes! We’re on this Spanish blog for devotional music. Christian we think, but we can’t speak Spanish so we don’t know if its good stuff or bad. Bad would be funnier though.

Living or dead, who would you two like to work with and why?

We grew up on our dad’s pub rock records – so bands like The Angels, INXS and Cold Chisel come to mind. Also maybe production legends like Brian Eno or Phil Spector.

What music are you listening to now? Any new artists out there that you are loving currently?

We met the boys from High Tails when we played together a few weeks ago, they’ve got a cool song called “Bending Over Backwards”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmlZV-AxyQs

Also, the teaser video for the new Flying Lotus record looks hectic: http://vimeo.com/103317489

We were talking about covers to play the other day and we really want to play “Mr. Bombastic” by Shaggy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcfu6Z3it_8

Thus far, what’s a favorite memory or something quirky that’s taken place with you guys (in-studio, onstage, or elsewhere)?

We played this big NYE bush party in the Hunter Valley – Australia’s wine country – and it happened to be the cicadas’ mating season so they were everywhere. They’re attracted to light so we were getting pelted by cicadas on stage for 40 minutes.

This is what they look like… http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Tibicen_linnei.jpg/640px-Tibicen_linnei.jpg

When you aren’t performing or writing new material, what do you all like to do for fun?

The weather is pretty miserable at the moment, but we all live near the coast so we spend a lot of time at the beach.

What do you want new listeners to take away from your music?

Joy pretty much. Nothing better. Come to a show!