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Strategies
Earlier this year, Strategies released their self-titled, debut EP. The band’s lineup consists of guitarist Paul Lask, (The Ghost, Tight Phantomz) drummer Neil Hennessy, (Lawrence Arms) and singer Brian Moss, (Great Apes, Hanalei, The Ghost). We recently spoke with Paul and Brian and talked about the band’s origins, which trace back to the early months of the pandemic. We also discussed their sound, as it incorporated elements of indie rock and Midwestern emo, not to mention a host of other influences. Additionally, we conversed about how the EP was recorded, some of its lyrical content, Strategies’ future plans and more.
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Mike Lust – “Danceteria”
This Friday, Mike Lust will release his debut solo album, Demented Wings. Lust is both the frontman for Tight Phantomz and an accomplished producer, having produced or engineered albums by Urge Overkill, William Elliott Whitmore, Joan of Arc, Russian Circles and others. While Lust had been contemplating the idea of making a solo record for years, it wasn’t until the onset of the pandemic last spring that he discovered a newfound motivation. He explained, “I started what became the songs on this record maybe four years ago. I was making some good strides with them until my brother passed away. That just kind of took the wind out of my sails for a little while, as it would with anyone who loses someone close to them. When the pandemic hit last March, I thought it was as good a time as any to pick it back up. I started to quarantine at my studio, basically going up there all day, every day, and going home only to sleep. Before long, I could start to see what the arc of the record was going to be and just took it from there.”
The resulting full-length features a total of ten songs, which include an array of eclectic influences that ultimately come together to form a singular vision. Such characteristics are plainly evident in the album’s first single, “Danceteria.” When asked about the accompanying video for this song and where its concept came from, Lust said “The idea for the video came little by little until it was finally shot. I was watching a lot of Twilight Zone. It actually started with the idea of what happens in the dark when no one’s watching. In the small hours. Do the mannequins come to life? Do the animals take over the museum? That sort of thing. The idea evolved into what we finally have when we decided to shoot it at the Empty Bottle, which was the idea of the video’s director, Brendan Leonard. That feeling of the world being in suspended animation. All it took was a song to bring it back. That sounds kinda corny, so it needed to have a little eeriness to it. Some sadness. I’m actually quite proud of it, even if I don’t actually know what it’s supposed to mean.”
In regards to what he has planned to support Demented Wings, Lust detailed several of his goals. He said, “I do know that I want this record to reach as many people as it can. I guess putting together a band to perform this music is the first step. Playing live. I definitely enjoy the process of making videos and I do believe they are effective in getting the music across with some imagery, so more of that. I really just hope that this record affords me the chance to keep making music and that there’s an audience and an outlet for what I do. To help me build the momentum to keep doing this with some frequency, because there are so many more songs in the can.” Check out the video for “Danceteria” below and pre-order the album via Forge Again Records here.
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