Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with Mamalarky
Strange times call for strange soundtracks. Inspired by the drama unfolding outside their Los Angeles home studio as much as the smorgasbord of psych, indie, and synthpop that hover over their skewed grooves, Mamalarky is inexorably drawn to the mania that hangs in the air in the contemporary urban fever dream. Despite having jumped around different corners of the USA since their formation in 2016, Mamalarky ambitiously reaches to score the Californian metropolis in all its queasy glamour and bustling disquiet.
Elastic rhythms and amorphous songcraft all coagulate around singer Livvy Bennett’s mordant musings on life, love, and a world spinning out of control just outside one’s window. Such wry observations amid society’s fray were poured into the latest album, Hex Key. Written and recorded during shifts delivering pizzas, Bennett and the Mamalarky gang craft their psych-pop numbers with a grounded anchor in reality, providing an essential thematic counterweight to their flickering psychedelia.
It helps that they approach their inside-out reportage in a way that encompasses a spectrum of humour and ironic deprecation but still processes raw emotion in a way that’s cathartic and validating behind the beguiling flashes of sunny math rock. “A lot of this record is about reconciling with rage, finding a way to create something useful with it,” Bennett revealed. “You can’t really talk yourself out of a feeling, but there’s always a good place to put them”.
Set to embark on a 12-date tour across the USA—including a date at their favourite venue—Mamalarky show no signs of slowing down. Catching up with the band in the afterglow of Hex Key‘s recent drop, we discuss everything from much-loved synths, dangerous pets, and their gratitude to one Dave Matthews.
Quick-fire Questions with Mamalarky
What song would you want played at your funeral?
“Eddie Harris’ version of ‘A Child Is Born’. It’s the circle of life. It moves us all.”
What’s your favourite synth?
“Has to be the Moog underdog: the Opus 3. It finds a way onto almost every song we produce- even as a lyric on our tune, ‘Mote Controller’. It just has some magic buzz you won’t hear from more versatile polysynths.”
Do you have any songwriting rituals?
“All four of us have different rituals but the common theme is concocting antidotes for common human problems.”
What’s been your favourite live gig of 2025 as an attendee so far?
“Pom Poko. Best live show we’ve seen in a long time! They are the real deal.”
What was the first album you bought with your own money?
“The White Stripes’ Icky Thump.”
If you could offer a “special thanks” credit to Hex Key—living or dead—who would it be?
“D’Mile, for sure! He joined us on keyboard for the first song we tracked for the record, ‘Feels So Wrong’. His enthusiasm and process really informed and inspired our approach and encouraged us throughout the production.”
Is there a band you’re compared to that people get completely wrong?
“You know, a few people have said ‘Anhedonia’ sounds like Ziggy Stardust. They’re not wrong, but Livvy doesn’t even know that song.”
Who would win in a fight: a gorilla or a lion?
“When gorillas fight lions, we all lose.”
Who would be your dream collaborator for a track on Hex Key?
“Well, the album is finished, it’s a little late to ask! In the end, we had the dream collaboration already. We had our friends; we had each other. Aww.”
Are there any films that have influenced Hex Key in any way?
“Beau is Afraid was definitely a lingering part of our emotional landscape when we were making Hex Key. The unease and anxiety, and the aesthetic eclecticism felt really in step with where we were at.”
What Mamalarky song would provide the perfect score for a TV soap opera?
“‘The Quiet’ is the perfect song to synchronise with any visual media.”
What is the best venue in the world?
“Schubas… we love Chicago. They’ve got something in the water up there. Thanks, Dave Matthews.”
Who’s the most intimidating Mamalarky band member?
“Our spiritual leader and pet cat, Turtle. She will scratch you. But to win her approval is a sign of enlightenment.”
What’s your favourite swear word?
“Cooter.”
Are The Beatles overrated?
“No.”
