Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with LURK
Since emerging out of the dark underbelly of the sclerotic 1970s, punk has been a significant cultural force. While it might have taken on many forms since then and converged with many sonic palettes, the musical blueprint and underlying ethos have been an ever-present fixture of people’s lives.
One of punk’s greatest triumphs has been that it has constantly moved with the times, and due to this, it is currently enjoying a renewed presence. Although Turnstile are at the forefront of this sea change, many other groups have taken the punk formula and re-energised it. One band that has put a distinctive spin on the genre is the Chicago outfit LURK.
I was recently turned on to LURK by October’s Audiotree live session. With a feverish blend of buzzsaw guitars, swaggering dynamics, and a synth sound straight out of England’s cold post-industrial north, the quintet make good on their influences and create music with real character and copious amounts of energy, which is always a plus.
Formed in 2017, the band comprises frontman Kevin Kiley, guitarists Alex Rackow and Kevin Maida, bassist Dan Durley and drummer Pedro Unzueta. The group’s debut full-length studio effort, Around The Sun, arrived in 2021 to acclaim via Pure Noise Records, which set out the band’s clear creative vision. Then, last year, they released their EP Natural Causes in June, which built on the triumphs of their first offering, boasting the pulsating lead single and title track.
With a standout Audiotree session under their belt and a growing presence in the live setting, we thought there was no one better than LURK to answer our quick-fire questions, allowing us to get to know the band letter. This is one of the best ones we’ve had in a while, featuring anecdotes of Rod Stewart signing autographs out of his car window and getting on it with Entourage star Adam Grenier.
These answers give an enlightening peak into the character underpinning LURK.
Quick-fire Questions with LURK:
1. What song would you want played at your funeral?
Kevin K: “‘Please Don’t Bury Me’ by John Prine.”
Dan: “Kev stole my answer, so I’ll just say ‘El Scorcho’ by Weezer and hope everyone yells along.”
2. What was the best album of 2023?
Kevin K: “The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons by The Hives.”
Dan: “Can’t pick one; it was basically a tie for me between Bully’s Lucky For You and The Window by Ratboys.”
3. Do you believe in UFOs?
Kevin K: “Definitely.”
Dan: “Yes.”
4. What’s your favourite comfort movie?
Kevin K: “One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest or Office Space.”
Dan: “The Big Lebowski.”
5. Where’s the weirdest place you woke up?
Kevin K: “Maybe on tour halfway in a closet on the floor due to literally no space.”
Dan: “On a couch in the dirtiest house I’ve ever seen while cats pissed on Alex and Kevin’s air mattress next to me.”
6. What’s one gig in history you’d time travel to be at?
Kevin K: “Talking Heads and Ramones, CBGB 1975.”
Dan: “The Beatles at Shea Stadium.”
7. Where’s the best pub in the world?
Kevin K: “Schallers Pump in Chicago (RIP).”
Dan: “Walt’s in LA.”
8. What was the first song you learnt to play?
Kevin K: “I think Green Day – ‘Basket Case’.”
Dan: “I’m pretty sure it was ‘Semi-Charmed Life’ or ‘Never Let You Go’ by Third Eye Blind.”
9. What track features the greatest vocal performance?
Kevin K: “‘The Boy with the Thorn in His Side’ or any track on Purple Rain.“
Dan: “Gotta shout out any track off Guppy by Charly Bliss or Hop Along’s ‘Painted Shut’. Just some of the craziest vocal performances I’ve ever heard.”
10. What venue do you dream of playing? And who’s your support act?
Kevin K: “We’re playing Wembley with Bitter Thoughts.”
Dan: “Anywhere in Japan with anyone.”
11. Have you ever had a weird celebrity encounter?
Kevin K: “Saw Rod Stewart in Toronto signing autographs from his car window while in traffic.”
Dan: “One time, I saw Adrian Grenier (Vinny Chase from the show Entourage) at a bar in college, and my friends and I convinced him to get drunk and play music with us. It made no sense.”
12. What song do you hate most in the world?
Kevin K: “‘Centerfold’ by J. Geils Band.”
Dan: “‘Safe and Sound’ by Capital Cities.”
13. What’s your most controversial cultural opinion?
Kevin K: “As a lifelong Chicagoan, while I prefer everything on it, ketchup on a hotdog is OK.”
Dan: “We don’t have to share our opinions on everything all the time, everywhere all at once.”
14. Who the fuck is Mark E. Smith?
Kevin K: “The girl reading this.”
15. Are The Beatles overrated?
Kevin K: “Yes, but also good.”
Dan: “No, I think they’re properly rated. They’re the blueprint for nearly everything that came after them in music.”
