Local H – Interview

Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Local H is a two-man wrecking crew, a powerhouse invigorated by the mania of former Triple Fast Action drummer Brian St. Clair’s punishing backbeat, and driven by the distinct lyric and melodic vision of guitarist/vocalist Scott Lucas. On Whatever Happened To P.J. Soles? (Studio E Records), Scott and Brian flex their post-punk, alt-rock muscles with unabashed vigor and (somehow) equally unassuming rancor.

For this, their fifth full length release, the band teamed with co-producer/engineer Andy Gerber (Caviar, Sullen) to create an emotional aural landscape built, at least in part, of influences ranging from echoes of 60’s psychedelia to 70’s punk rock, from the 80’s indie underground to the sounds of the 21st Century. Launching with the insistent fury of the syncopated, proto-industrial “Where Are They Now?”, Whatever Happened To P.J. Soles? is a full power-hour of real rock-n-roll. From the angst-fueled knock on the Golden State (“California Songs”) to the grunge-tinged bittersweet melancholia of “Heaven On The Way Down,” from the call-and-response anthemic chorus of “Everyone Alive”, to the nod-your-head-mellow grooves of the title track and the album’s reflective close, “Halcyon Days (Where Were You Then?)”. Local H gives us a major dose of reality — both heavy and sublime — delivered with equal parts gusto, aplomb, and humility…. We talk to Scott.

I know you guys were on a major record label at one time—what was the deciding factor on doing this album on your own?

It came to a point where everyone at Island, they were sold, where we didn’t know anyone anymore. So we just walked away. I can’t say we had much of a problem getting out of a record deal—I’m not sure if it’s because they wanted to see us go or what.

I think music is having trouble because the record labels are as well.

I know. I don’t know what can rejuvenate the music business like say DVDs did for movies.

Do you think that a lot of bands might get to a point like Pearl Jam and just release on their own instead of bowing to labels?

I don’t know. I think there is always going to be bands that make records—the whole hit radio is predicated on the ability to find bands that make music that sounds like everyone else that they can sell. But there are bands out there that don’t sound like anyone else but want to be Pearl Jam. They sound fresh and want their shot at the big time.

Is music a natural thing?

Sometimes. It all depends. I find that I can come up with a piece of music and I don’t know what to do with it and you can either force it or let it sit there and someday it happens. Sometimes things just drop out and it’s no big deal.

Everyone is always talking about how is rock is dead and listening to the new record I wonder if those who are saying it aren’t listening hard enough.

The thing that freaks me out is how people talk about how bad rock is and what are they doing listening to the radio? What do you expect? I still can’t stop listening to Interpol or the Libertines. There are lots of great records, but you have to stop listening to the radio.

With “Heaven on the Way Down” I think it’s gorgeous—everything a good song should be. I’m astonished there are only two of you.

One of the things is we never made a big deal of it and even shied away from it. We probably should have made more of a deal about it. When we were coming up people couldn’t understand that we didn’t have a bass player and now it seems like there are tons of bands without a bass player. It’s not a big deal now and that is cool. It used to be seen as a gimmick so we didn’t talk about it, but fuck it—we’ll take it. It almost feels like we should add a bass player now. (Laughs)

Is “Buffalo Trance” a road you might travel more?

It’s not really a country western song—it’s western. It’s more Neil Young. The thing with this record was not to be afraid to try anything. The last record we wanted to make everything a straight ahead rock song and album like Back in Black. That had merits and that where we were at but I missed the detours and side roads to see where it lead.

What was different in your approach to make this album?

We made this record on our own dime and sold it to a record label. That was different. When it was done it was done. We went out on the road to make money to pay for it and then record more. It was an interesting way to work. It worked in the same way that it worked when we made our third record. We tried something different and new.

Is it easy/hard to be critical of your own music?

That was tough. It’s our first full length that we produced ourselves. After a while you had to wonder if it sounded good. You get scared that you are losing prospective. You just plow through. When we mastered the album I almost started to cry because I was so relieved that it sounded good.

I remember speaking with the band Gomez a few times and they self-produced and you had to wonder if it might not have been better if someone produced them. Great band but they seemed to get lost in their records.

Right. I think there is room for doing it either way. You can do a tight record or improvisational record, but when you want to make a record that puts it all together you run the risk of not pleasing all the people all the time. I was a huge Led Zeppelin fan growing up and if you listen to Houses of the Holy it’s all over the map—but it’s a great record. That is kind of what I wanted to do.

Some groups can be all over the map but don’t sound like themselves whereas some can do different style songs and still sound like the same band. I think you sound like Local H throughout the record.

That is part of it. What starts to give you courage is that when you open your mouth or when Brian starts playing the drums that it’s going to sound like you. It gives you the freedom to try different things. It’s your voice and you can tie things together and don’t have to worry about what your sound is.

When did you find yourself as a band?

Outside of the influences, it starts with playing on crappy instruments. I always wanted to be heard above the drums and you have to sing loud. We played so loud in the basement or garage and the only way I was going to be heard was to be as loud as anything else. That contributes a lot to how we sound. You do that for so many years you can’t get out of it.

When you are singing that loud you can’t pretend or try to sing in someone else’s voice.

Right. We were just a rock band in a garage, we weren’t a garage band. There are plenty of people who start doing things different ways.

Do you set time aside to write or does it just come?

I don’t try to work on stuff everyday. Things come and if you are walking around with the guitar and are bored you’ll come up with a riff. I have a couple of things I’ve been working on but you can’t start working on anything seriously until this record is out. You can then move onto the next thing you want to say.

I read a quote that said: “Record labels are like hot girls. If you ignore them they all want you.” I can’t imagine someone doesn’t hear this and want to sign you to a major. Interested in that?

Not necessarily. I just want to make music. The biggest mistake we ever made was taking four years between records Pack Up The Cats and Here Comes The Zoo. We were between labels so we were doing that and talking to labels. So I think we should be making records every year. That has more to do it than anything. I’m tired of waiting for other people’s timetables and schedules.

I hate that I have to wait four years for new records from my favorite bands.

If a band can put out quality material that fast than they should. I think the best thing the White Stripes did was not labor over it and just put the record out. They just turned right around and put out another record. All the waiting around and second guessing is ridiculous.

After having so much time being in a band do you set goals other than making the best music you can?

That’s it. It’s hard to see beyond anything other than that. If we keep making great records before you know it, this is our fifth record and you aren’t aware it happens until it does and it’s great. Goals are for idiots. (We both laugh) You should just know what you are doing right now and whatever happens later takes care of itself.

+ Charlie Craine