In the spotlight – Lobsterbomb
In the spotlight – Lobsterbomb Berlin-based (Germany) indie garage rock trio, Lobsterbomb. Lobsterbomb are Nico Rosch (vocals, guitar), Vik Chi (drums) and Crayon Jones (guitar).
“We formed in Berlin in 2020 and have just released our first album ‘Look Out’.”
If you had to describe each band member (including yourself) in three words, what would they be?
“Describing each of us in three words is difficult but we are all ‘a bit silly’.”
You met via Instagram. What was the vision for the project when you started?
“We just wanted to be in a band that actually made music and played shows. We all had previous projects that never really got off the ground so we all shared a desire for starting something that went somewhere beyond aimless jam sessions.”
What would you say is your greatest strength as a band?
“Not taking things too seriously. Being in a band is supposed to be fun so we try to focus on what makes us happy.”
What’s the origin of the band name and have you changed the band’s name before?
“We can’t quite remember why we landed on Lobsterbomb. Many people have assumed it had something to do with the B-52s and ‘rock lobster’ but we can say for sure that wasn’t part of our thinking.”
How do you think your hometown of Berlin has influenced your sound?
“The main thing is seeing all the other great bands in the Berlin scene that are making great music, building a community and playing fun shows, it’s really inspiring!”
What song would you send to someone unfamiliar with your music?
“It depends on the person, perhaps ‘Gravitation’ if they are into a more post-punky sound or ‘Run’ if they prefer something a little more indie-pop.”
You recently released an album. Are you happy with the response?
“We just played an album release show here in Berlin and it was a full house with everybody dancing to the songs so we feel pretty ok about it!”
What inspires you to write songs?
“Normally we write about things we see and feel during our everyday lives rather than some more abstract concept. It’s part of the reason we called the album ‘Look Out’, as we are looking out into the world around us.”
Could you describe your creative processes? How do you usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
“Generally one person will make a rough demo with the basic idea of the song, but the track doesn’t really get fleshed out until we play it together at our rehearsal room. When we came around to recording the album we also put extra thought into other elements we could add such as synth parts.”
Is there a hidden meaning in any of your music?
“Not necessarily hidden meaning but sometimes you can say things in ways that can be interpreted however the listener feels. But also we quite like direct lyrics, not everything has to be a mystery.”
Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
“Right now we have just finished the very intense ‘work’ part of being in a band – there was a lot of not-so-fun admin in preparation for the album release, so our answer to this will probably change a lot if you ask us again in a month when we have been doing the fun part of touring and playing shows!”
If you had to pick out one icon in music to celebrate who it be and why?
“Kathleen Hanna has been a big inspiration for us!”
What would you think the title would be if someone wrote a book about the band?
“Probably ‘Rock Lobsters’ if the author was lazy.”
What are your goals as a band the rest of this year?
“We want to get back to playing shows and enjoying the ‘being in a band’ aspects of music since that’s the main reason we started!”
What’s your favourite song from the Cool Top 20 and why?
“Fendahlene ‘Brilliant Sun’ as it’s been raining non stop here the last weeks so some summer vibes are welcome.”
What song would you like to add as a bonus track?
“‘I love this song’ – Lobsterbomb.”
