O Emperor are currently preparing for the release of their latest E.P. Lizard on March 2nd. Band member Brendan Fennessy recently took the time to speak to the Last Mixed Tape about the group’s new record, changing sound and future plans.
You’re about to release the band’s new E.P. Lizard. Where in terms of sound does this record find O Emperor, compared to Vitreous?
Well, I think it comes off a bit less considered than Vitreous, seeing as it took a week to make and Vitreous took about nine months (looking back that seems is fairly ridiculous!) Lizard seems a bit more reckless, which is a good thing.
You released ‘Swtichblade’ earlier this month. What was it about that track that stood out to you as the E.P’s lead single?
It seemed like the most immediate song of the four while still giving a good sense of the overall vibe of the EP as a whole. I like how its sorta straightforward but with a nice amount of bodacious things happening.
With the success that met Hither Thither & Vitreous are you as a band or songwriter’s ever conscious of the expectation that meets an O Emperor record? Or does it even bother you?
Nah, we’ve learned to completely ignore any of that stuff. Bands shouldn’t really feel pressure when they’re releasing stuff. Its not like being a brain surgeon or something, where when you mess up then potentially proper bad shit goes down. Once you realise these things, it makes the process way more fun and you don’t feel paranoid as to whether its going to go down well with people or not.
Having seen you play live on several occasions, there’s always a big sound to you guys on stage. Do you try to capture that same feeling in the studio via jamming etc or do you like to keep studio work and live performances separate?
Its usually kinda separate. We tend to get a vague picture of how we want something to sound then just start recording. By the end it can change quite drastically. Then its a case of trying to learn the songs and play them live after the fact. But next time around, we’re thinking of going for a more live approach with the recordings and capture an “in the room” kinda vibe. That can be a really rewarding way to go about it.
Vitreous marked a noticeable change in sound for the band. Will ‘Lizard’ be a stepping stone for O Emperor in the build-up for album 3 or it is more a self-contained record?
I think album 3 is probably going to be pretty different. We’ve been working on a lot of stuff thats quite far removed from anything we’ve done before. It seems to be going in a jammy, funky direction. That description could potentially be something pretty awful but I think its gonna be awesome.
Lizard E.P. by O Emperor is due for release on March 2nd. Check out the band’s current single ‘Switchblade’ below.
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