Northern grungy, funky, dream-rock outfit Labyrinthine Oceans return with new single, ‘Eight’, so Jacob Easton caught up with the band to find out what we can expect.
How does your new release, ‘Eight’, compare to your previous tracks?
Julia: I think it’s a lot more true to what we want to sound like. We did it all by ourselves this time around and I think the quality has definitely upped with this one – and it feels like we’ve really gotten the sound that we want.
You’ve mentioned that loss is a recurring theme in your tracks. Is this still going to be the case or are there other themes that you’re exploring?
Julia: I think it still comes through in a lot of what we write. With ‘Eight’ though, it’s not quite as prevalent; it’s more about overcoming something that you’re struggling with. I think it’ll be really interesting to explore other themes and it’s something that we’re really interested in doing.
How would you describe your style to someone unfamiliar with the band?
Julia: It’s quite eclectic. The four of us have different backgrounds in music: I have come from a sort of jazz and rock background and then Toby’s more funk-based, Jack’s a jazz drummer and Daniel’s a metal guitarist. So we’ve got a big amalgamation of genres mixing together. Overall, I’d say we have a bit of a dreamy ‘90s feel with elements of everything else coming into it.
Who usually does what in the song-making process?
Toby: I found it very difficult to write lyrics and a bassline at the same time, and I felt that one would always suffer for the other, so I decided to lean more towards doing instrumental stuff and letting Julia sort that out.
Julia: Usually it’s me and Toby writing but the way we do it is we bring an idea into the room and then everyone has an equal input into it. We’ll start with a basic structure or an idea of how we want it to sound and then everyone develops that with each other.
Connecting with your fans seems very important to you. Is that the best thing about being in a band?
Julia: It’s really good meeting people at gigs and having people enjoy what you’re doing. We enjoy making a connection with people through music and seeing how they interpret our songs, so we’re always looking to chat to people after gigs, including other bands.
You recently did an underwater photoshoot. What was that experience like?
Julia: It was probably one of the weirdest things ever done. It was quite chaotic at times because I have a very strong prescription and I couldn’t wear glasses or contact lenses, so I was completely blind. Daniel just went into the pool with his two-week-old phone and broke it. So it was very chaotic but very fun and unique. If anyone gets offered a chance to do an underwater photoshoot, I’d highly recommend it.
What have you learnt along the way?
Toby: I think the album really taught us that our music is at its best when we’re not holding much back.
Julia: It’s great just to try a bunch of new stuff and experiment. I think as a result of that, we’ve definitely found a sound now and we’ve got a stronger sense of how we like to do things.
You can listen to ‘Eight’ now on all major streaming platforms.
