Interview with LOBSTERBOMB: ‘The song gets bigger as it goes along, I love that’

Berlin-based indie garage rock trio, LOBSTERBOMB, woke us all up last month with their raw and dancey single ‘Wake Up’ and are gearing up to launch their debut EP around July.

LOBSTERBOMB comprises Nico Rosch (vocals and guitar), Crayon Jones (guitar) and Vik Chi (drums), who met via Instagram: ‘There is an account @weformedaband, where you can share handwritten ads on the platform looking for fellow musicians,’ Rosch said. ‘Crayon got in touch and we played together for a few weeks and then I found Vik’s post and it was perfect.’ Rosch is originally from Saxony, Germany, but has been living in Berlin for 20 years and Jones is from Norwich in the UK but has lived in Berlin for the past decade. They are cryptic regarding their name: ‘There is an answer but we’re not ready to reveal it yet,’ Jones said. ‘There are are few secret things in the songs but it’s very oblique, we’ve left some clues on social media posts as well.’

‘Wake Up’, which Rosch wrote at the end of last year, is a song about overcoming the frustrations of being trapped in a monotonous and unfulfilling routine and overcoming the pressures society places on us to live in a certain way, Jones said. The track’s urgent energy and Rosch’s spiky vocals grab you from the start. ‘I wrote it when I was trapped in a 9-5 job and then Corona hit,’ Rosch said. ‘It was really frustrating to be trapped in a system I didn’t want to be in. I woke up to realisations in myself and also the outside world. This last year, people are trying to wake up, heal and explore their creativity.’

The lyrics reflect that the song is a personal call to arms: ‘Hearts and eyes ripped open, re-create what has been broken for all. For the fails of yesterday, tomorrow has to pay or we fall.’

‘If you know nothing about the band, would the song get you off your feet?’

Their previous track, ‘I Want Noise’, is as boisterous as the title implies and is a real rollercoaster of a song: ‘The title explains it all,’ Jones laughed. ‘I’m a real big fan of songs that get to the point. We put ourselves in the perspective of the audience. If you know nothing about the band, would the song get you off your feet? We opened with it at the gig we did at the weekend. The song gets bigger as it goes along, I love that. It’s about releasing frustration, so a bit like ‘Wake Up’ but sometimes you need noise!’ I tell him that the song’s energy is infectious. ‘You should imagine what it feels like to play,’ he grinned. ‘Turn the amps up, it’s the best therapy I’ve had in the last year!’

He’s referring to the first livestream event they have played this year, which took place last weekend at the University of Potsdam in Berlin as part of an event against toxic masculinity at which Hekla also played.

They are in the process of finishing off their as of yet unnamed EP that they are planning on releasing around July: ‘We’re super excited,’ Rosch said. ‘Every song is so different but they go really well together and we’ve been throwing ideas at each other. The EP will feature two new tracks, ‘Ready To Go’ and ‘Monster’ as well as their three singles to date. ‘All of the songs on it are about letting go,’ Rosch said. ‘Ready To Go’ is a little more intimate, about people having nights together over wine and realising the need to take off and leave the country. Often, we have all these plans but we never do it. The song plays with the idea of just doing it. It came out of a night of ideas with a friend.’

‘It’s pretty much about confronting your inner demons and what they can teach you’

‘Monster’ has a completely different flavour: ‘It was written in Corona times and it’s pretty much about confronting your inner demons and what they can teach you,’ Rosch said. The difference is also reflected in the instrumentation in the two tracks: ”Ready To Go’ is a little happier, there are nice 60’s guitar riffs. It’s a lighter song, it’s positive,’ she said. ”Monster’, in contrast, is super dark, there are big guitars in there. It’s our only song with a minor chord, a Dm. We tried to write it with a major one but sometimes you need a sad, little chord!’ Jones joins in: ‘I have a nice guitar solo in it. We’re not normally big on extended guitar solos, it’s the only part that’s twiddly widdly. I get about 8 bars, that’s a lot for us.’

Jones is a big fan of Berlin-based band, Jealous, who straddle glam rock, post-punk and country influences and who sing about topics such as serial killers and strange psychedelic experiences. He also cites his friends, 24/7 Diva Heaven, a Berlin-baseed punk-rock band. Rosch cites Australian psychedelic project, Tame Impala, as one of her biggest musical influences. ‘I’m really into glam rock,’ Jones said. ‘I like Bowie, T. Rex, Iggy Pop and Depeche Mode. If it’s 80’s and dancey, I’m happy!’ I ask him if he likes today’s UK glam rockers, The Struts. ‘Actually, I really dislike them,’ he said. ‘I went to a show and I didn’t like it, they were closer to Nickelback. Maybe it was just me but it didn’t scratch my itch.’

If they could hear one of their new songs on any TV show, Rosch picks Star Trek. Jones, for his part, picks the News at 10: ‘And they’re saying “LOBSTERBOMB has swept the nation, everyone’s dancing, it’s complete carnage!’

(Photo from left to right: Vik, Nico and Crayon.)