Since the release of their debut album Far Q, British rock band Lower Than Altantis have been busy touring the world non-stop. Recent months has seen the band take some time out in order to record their new self-titled album, due for release in September this year.
Consisting of Mike Duce, Ben Sansom, Eddy Thrower and Dec Hart, the band have described their influences as ‘fucking Up, Binge Drinking, Poverty and wishing you were still 15 years old’.
I had an interview with LTA’s vocalist, Mike Duce, who was jetlagged from his flight from Japan. We discussed the new LTA album, their upcoming tour and what it is like to write songs for other artists.
Lower Than Atlantis just played Radio 1 Rocks yesterday with Mallory Knox and Marmozets, how did you find it?
Mike Duce: It went great, absolutely great. It was a bit nerve-wracking at first and we’ve only just come back from Japan. The day we got back we had a band rehearsal. The next day we played Sony Xperia and the day after, I was on a breakfast show with Nick Grimshaw on Radio 1. We then played Radio 1 Rocks, which was mental. I’m going to be in the studio from tomorrow onwards until we fly to America a week today to shoot a video but I think I’ll have tomorrow off because I’m knackered.
You’re doing a UK tour playing at intimate venues in July. What can fans expect from the live shows, are you doing anything different this time around?
MD: We are going to play some of the old stuff and some hits...stuff like that. We are going to be playing some of the B side stuff from previous albums but we are going to play some new stuff as well so we will be able to see people’s reactions. Then we will know what sort of songs work well playing live and what songs don’t. It will be a good laugh. We are touring with two bands called Decade and Yearbook who are really good as well.
You said the band were treating album number four as if it was going to be your last and that if things don’t go big then you will think about calling it a day. If the new album is not a hit overall are you still sticking by what you said?
MD: It’s not that we want it to be a big hit or anything like that. We don’t need validation from chart numbers and stuff like that. We’re not those kind of guys man, we don’t really give a fuck about that kind of thing. We are just going to see how we’re feeling. I mean, we didn’t expect things to kick off in such a big way that they have with our new single. We will address it later on. We’re not thinking about that at the minute that’s later on down the road.
It must have been good to be teaming up with Dan Lancaster again. (Producer of 2010’s Far Q)
MD: He’s one of my best friends of all time. That’s who I’m with in the studio tomorrow working on B-sides, the next few singles and the deluxe tracks on the album. It’s good to do it all again, we work well together. There are twelve songs on the album and then we are going to do a special edition deluxe version. Then we go to the studio and finally we get more time off which is a while away. We are doing some acoustic versions of the songs which will be interesting.
You wrote a song with new band 5 Seconds of Summer called ‘Heartache On The Big Screen.’ Was the song-writing process much different compared to when you write songs for Lower Than Atlantis?
MD: Not really no. The only thing that was different was that we were writing pop, I’ll call it pop… I don’t know what it is. With LTA it has to be credible but catchy and I set these criteria for myself. However, when it came to stuff like writing for other artists, I kind of just threw caution to the wind and just went for it. It went really well, that was the B side to their single and it went to number 1 in about 40 countries.
Do you find it strange writing lyrics for other artists knowing that it could be a Lower Than Atlantis song? Or does it not matter because they’re completely different genre?
MD: It doesn’t matter as much. It’s still about something that means something to me and it also means something to someone who would be listening to it as well.
How do you handle the pressure of writing songs for other artists knowing that it could, in your own words, “Make them or break them?”
MD: Writing music is the one thing that makes me happy and it’s the one thing I would like to think I am quite good at as well. I just sort of do my thing and that is obviously why the artists came to me. Then that’s it really, you just see what happens when it is released.
I read in a previous interview that you’re always away on tour for months at a time and that you only have very little time to record an album. Do you feel that the new LTA record will be the best one yet because you allowed yourselves a longer time period to write new material?
MD: It definitely is, without a doubt. Everyone’s got their own opinion but in musical terms it is definitely our best album and that’s why it’s self-titled because we thought that this is the sound of the band. We’re really happy with it.
What can fans expect from your self-titled record? How would you describe the overall sound across the 12 tracks and did you try and take on any different approaches when writing?
MD: We recorded it when we weren’t with any label at all. We didn’t have a manager at the time either. There weren’t really any constraints on it at all, we wrote it and then we were signed. We just felt free to do whatever the hell we wanted. This is the end result and we’re really happy with it. Overall I would describe the album as fucking brilliant. Then again I’m going to be biased because it’s our band.
Your approach to writing lyrics tends to be very conversational. What themes did you explore when writing the new record? Were any tracks particularly difficult to write?
MD: None of them were too hard to write. We just write about what is going on in the world. I really like the lyrics to the song Live Slow, Die Old Because I find it really fascinating that the one thing that is inevitable is that we are all going to die and there’s nothing you can do about it. You can be the richest, most powerful person in the world and you can be the smartest person in the world, but at the end of the day you’re still going to grow old and die.
You're playing Reading and Leeds Festival in August. What are your other plans after the July tour?
MD: We are going to have some more singles and videos coming out but the plan is changing constantly. It’s going to be interesting.
What has been your biggest challenge so far as a band?
MD: America definitely. The van we were in was like a small people carrier and we were driving around ourselves. Some of the drives were about 20 hours, we were stuck in there together and it put a strain on our friendship but we are all better mates because of it. It was definitely one of the best and worst experiences in all our lives I would say.
Is it hard being traveling musicians and being on the road constantly? Would you ever give it up and find a steady job?
MD: I don’t really know. The grass is always greener. You always want what you haven’t got. I don’t think I’m that type of person at all. I need to be busy and I need to be travelling around. That’s what makes me happy. I like to take each day as it comes. I just want to see what happens tomorrow.
I saw a tweet about LTA possibly doing a cover of Barenaked Ladies – ‘One Week.’ Are you going to do one?
MD: (Laughs) I don’t know. We’ve just had a really successful single. After playing at Radio 1 Rocks last night, I had the whole band and crew back at mine and Eddie’s house and we just had some music on, listening to songs we used to listen to when we were younger. We had a few beers and Eddie’s girlfriend cooked us up some chicken wings. We might do some covers; I don’t know, it would be cool if we did.
Is there anything else you would like to mention?
MD: Our new album is out on September the 29th.
Lower Than Atlantis are playing the following dates throughout July…
15 - ABERDEEN Tunnels
16 - GLASGOW King Tuts
17 - NEWCASTLE Cluny
18 - YORK Fibbers
20 - Manchester Deaf Institute
21 - HULL Fruit
22 - NOTTINGHAM Rock City
23 - STOKE Sugarmill
24 - BIRMINGHAM Temple
25 - GLOUCESTER Guildhall
27 - CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
28 - BRISTOL Fleece
29 - PORTSMOUTH Wedgewood Rooms
30 - NORWICH Epic Studios
31 - LONDON Dingwalls
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