Far Out Meets: A revealing conversation with The Lounge Society
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Credit: Press
The Lounge Society surge with indie energy in ‘Tired of Liberty’
The Lounge Society - 'Tired of Liberty'
4.5
After the formative success of their debut EP, Silk For The Starving, in summer 2021, The Lounge Society entered the bleakness of winter with a smile on their faces. For in November, over an intensive two-week recording session, they grappled with some recently formed and entirely novel ideas to turn around their fully-fledged debut album, Tired of Liberty.
These sessions marked the band’s third visit to the Speedy Wunderground label’s studio. On the band’s first visit, back in 2020, they recorded their debut single ‘Generation Game’ as part of the Speedy Wunderground 7” series. This emphatic breakout single put a foot in the door and has become a beloved staple of the Hebden Bridge group’s live performances.
Complimenting the otherwise brand new material on Tired of Liberty is a re-recording of ‘Generation Game’, which serves to conclude the 11-track LP. The new version updates the track with The Lounge Society’s current, heavier sound, whereby the tempo is heightened with a more intense Sonic Youth-style delivery.
Tired of Liberty also features the pacey stand-alone single from last October, ‘Last Breath’, which preceded the trio of preview singles this summer. First up, we heard ‘Blood Money’, a sarcastic commentary on the pitfalls of a capitalist society driven by greed, egomania and deceit.
As the band said of the track at the time, “it’s a song that completely captures this record and us as a band. It feels like the perfect development from our previous releases to our debut album and exactly how this record should be introduced. The balance of driving guitar riffs and the groove of the drums and bass is sort of a snapshot of the album.”
Indeed, giving the record a once-through, ‘Blood Money’ seems to encompass the band’s driving ethos and instrumental style. Still, fortunately, the album offers such a diverse smorgasbord of sonic exploration that one song won’t cut the mustard.
The opening track, ‘People are Scary’, is a personal favourite from the new record. Those expecting a modernised pastiche of The Doors’ ‘People are Strange’ will find themselves misled. The track is more akin to an early Talking Heads hit thanks to its funky energy and Davey’s yelping David Byrne-esque vocals.
In July, we were treated to ‘No Driver’, which follows ‘Blood Money’ on the record. The single maintains The Lounge Society’s trademark, punk-inspired energy as lead singer Cam Davey channels his inner Pete Doherty. But it was only with the most recent preview, ‘Upheaval’, that we saw a change in pace, a much-needed ballast for the album.
In a recent interview with Far Out, Davey singled out ‘Upheaval’ as one of the album’s tracks he was most excited about. “It’s quite a detour from what people expect,” he said of the track. “Which, to be honest, is what we’d say about all of our songs whenever we release them because that’s our general ethos. But especially that track is going to be quite unexpected. I’m happy we’re releasing that a little bit before [the album] just so people really get the idea that this album is going to be going everywhere.”
In his closing sentiment, Davey wasn’t joking; Tired of liberty is an exciting mix of ideas that documents the band’s kerosene lurch to prominence while offering a succulent platter for future direction. To what shores this young, intriguing quartet will sail next is anyone’s guess, but my ears will be sure to follow.
Stream The Lounge Society’s brilliant debut album below.
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