“You Won’t Call” captures that sinking moment when you realise something isn’t right. When did this song shift from being your personal story to something you knew others would feel too?
Connor (Lyricist):
You often get caught in your own world when writing. Memories, personal emotions, and your own experiences swirl around your head, and then lyrics and ideas are extracted and written down.
When I finished the first draft of lyrics and played them for Harry to get his thoughts, it was actually quite difficult, just because of the nature of those emotions and how personal they felt.
But that process of revealing the lyrics to someone you know helps to kind of “let go” of that private lens you view the song through.
Throughout the process, we play drafts and demos to people we trust, and each reaction and everyone else’s way of connecting to the lyrics and song helps us to be more comfortable with sharing.
So I think the song will always be a personal story, but that distinction in my head continues to be broadened the more people listen to it and connect with it themselves. This is the beauty of creating art, and we are so glad that people connect with our music in their own way.
The track moves with that pendulum-like tension that keeps building underneath the emotion. Did the groove spark the song, or did the lyrics shape the rhythm?
On this track, the 6/8 feel and groove definitely laid the foundation for a very raw and musical expression.
The feel and rhythm were one of the first elements to be locked in, and this style of music just has a way of pulling out emotion. So we would say for this one, the groove did spark the song.
There’s a raw punch to the guitars and vocals, but it never feels messy. How do you decide when something is perfectly imperfect versus needing refinement?
Great question. This is always a difficult balance point. We love our layers but we knew that “You Won’t Call” would have to be approached with a lot of care so as to not override the main focal point — the vocals.
The guitar and drums drive the song, but the vocals are front and centre.
When in the studio we take an approach where we throw things out there and record them. We give ourselves heaps of layers to work with in each section, and then we start with very basic instrumentation and layer as we see fit.
We tried very hard on this one to keep the balance right, as we needed the emotion and meaning to maintain the emphasis. At the end of the day, it’s a whole lot of trial and error. We’re really happy with how it’s turned out though.
You handle everything yourselves — writing, recording, producing, mixing. Does having complete control make you more instinctive, or more ruthless with what makes the cut?
It definitely makes you more obsessive over the song. It becomes like a child that you’ve spent so many hours with and have watched grow up.
On one hand, doing everything yourself is fantastic because it gives you the time and space to really bring every aspect to where you want it to be. You can be absolutely meticulous and spend as much time as you want on every aspect, which we definitely do.
But on the other hand, it becomes a struggle to say things are done. Because we’re so particular about the sound and feel of the song, it can be easy to overdo it — to overproduce, overmix, or record too many parts.
Because of this, every now and then while creating, we take a couple of days away from the process and then listen with fresh ears before continuing onto the next section. It helps a lot to keep things on track and not go too far.
The bottom line is we are definitely less ruthless and slower than the traditional process, but we are always extremely proud of the work we put out, and always content in the sound of every release.
You grew up around everything from classic rock to traditional Greek music. Where do you feel your heritage naturally seeps into LamBros, even when you’re not consciously trying to reference it?
We think it’s played a big role in shaping our style creatively and on stage. Greek music is extremely emotive, passionate and expressive, and there is often a dance associated with any given genre of traditional music. The passion and cultural significance of the music was something we grew up with, and it has bled into how we see our own music.
Traditionally at Greek functions and events, everyone knows exactly what to do when certain songs come on. The music can’t be ignored, and when it is played, it immediately becomes the focus. It incites joy, and it is always the centre of attention. When you hear zeibekiko or kalamatianos, people’s ears prick up and they start dancing immediately. And if you’re not dancing, you’re most certainly watching.
Similarly for us, our songs are more than just a cool sound or a mood. They are more than a playlist filler or background music. They stand up on their own with their own stories and connections. Our music is impossible to ignore, which was not intentional, but definitely a product of our musical education and upbringing.
From a musical and technical standpoint, Greek music features unique scales, odd time signatures, distinct feels and grooves, and a whole set of unique instruments like the bouzouki.
These are all elements we ourselves have learnt over the years, and form another part of our technical musical education. From hitting the Greek drums until our hands are red, or blazing through scalic runs on the bouzouki, these experiences are baked into our performance style, and influence our playing, writing, and energy on stage and in the studio.
So our culture has definitely formed a large part of our subconscious, and it joins together with our own Australian culture, and the cultures of a host of other countries around the world that we have studied and experienced to make our own distinct “LamBros”-coded sound.
The video plays with repetition and emotional frustration. Did directing and shooting it yourselves change the way you see the song now?
For us, the video is a natural extension of the song, and we hope that it might provide another way for people to think about “You Won’t Call.” Directing and shooting it was a lot of fun, and helped us to hone in on certain themes of the song — exasperation, feeling stuck and pent-up, finding clarity about how you feel.
Busking in Manly’s Corso was the beginning. What did those early days teach you about reading a crowd and earning attention in real time?
It taught us so much about entertainment, audience engagement, and working a crowd. Honestly, busking was pivotal to forging our on-stage dynamic. It’s a wild experience because when you’re busking no one is obliged to watch you. In fact, they didn’t even know you were going to be there. They can leave anytime they want, and they don’t have to interact in any way.
So when someone stops to watch a full set, video on their phone, or leave us a tip, it really hammers home that you must be doing something right. It means a lot.
We had no expectations initially when we decided to go busking all those years ago. We just wanted to have some fun and test out some material live, but the response from the outset was honestly overwhelming.
We learnt so much so quickly about how audiences react to things, and we learnt to read when we were pulling an audience in or losing their interest. It allowed us to naturally read an audience and adjust our level or set to fit. Live music is most definitely a two-way street, and the audience plays such a huge role in extracting the best out of the performer, but the performer has to give them something to cheer about first.
Blues carries a long emotional history. What does making blues now mean to you, and how do you keep it feeling alive rather than nostalgic?
We listened to a lot of blues growing up, and we learnt from a young age just how pivotal the genre was in the progression of modern music. When we were kids, blues was vocals and guitar, or vocals and harmonica. It was simple, but meaningful. Listening to the music painted such a crystal-clear gateway into the world of the artists.
You’ve touched on an interesting topic though because blues is often thought of as nostalgic, but I don’t think a lot of people realise just how much blues is baked into what we listen to every day.
From the scales, melodies, song form structures, and lyrics, blues is the foundation of modern music. Similarly, as LamBros, we really draw from the origins of the genre and the marvellous artists that have made their mark on the blues, and fuse it with our own influences and style to make a very modern blues sound.
Your live shows are known for improvisation and unexpected moments. How much unpredictability do you intentionally leave open when you step on stage?
It kind of depends on the show, to be honest. We have a large enough repertoire that we can definitely chop and change sets on the fly, and we are musical enough to adjust sections and musical moments. None of it is ever planned — it’s honestly just feeling the moment and the audience and going where we feel.
When someone leaves a LamBros show after hearing “You Won’t Call,” what’s the one feeling you hope they carry home with them?
Dread. Nah, just kidding.
We hope they feel entertained, joyful, and like they want to share what they experienced with someone else. We also hope they carry a LamBros T-shirt home with them.
LAMBROS – UPCOMING SHOWS:
SAT 28 FEB | FRESHWATER BREWING CO. SYDNEY NSW | ALL AGES
Free Entry, information available at https://freshwaterbrewing.com.au/pages/live-band
SAT 7 MARCH | 7TH DAY BREWERY, SYDNEY NSW | ALL AGES
Free Entry, information available at https://www.7thdaybrewery.com.au/
SAT 13 MARCH | TOWRADGI BEACH HOTEL, TOWRADGI NSW | ALL AGES
Free Entry, information available at https://towradgibeachhotel.com.au/whats-on/
SAT 14 MARCH | DUCLIE’S COTTAGE, MERIMBULA NSW | ALL AGES
Free Entry, information available at https://www.dulcies.com.au/events-1
SAT 21 MARCH | PLEASURE CLUB, SYDNEY NSW | 18+
Free Entry, bookings available at https://www.oddculture.group/venue/pleasure-club
