Born out of a solo recording project by Christopher Laurence’s desire to intoxicate people with infectious grooves, Melbourne psych-rock quartet House Of Laurence have just recently released their stunning 7 track LP Awake.
After a hugely successful sold-out EP launch along with international support slots with Holland’s DeWolff, Canada’s The Mohawk Lodge and local legends Something For Kate and Eagle and the Worm, the band are now ready to unleash their LP onto the world.
The band recorded the final product of this album live in just four days. Drawing on many personal and musical influences from up beat rock n’ rollers awash, this LP is a perfect example of the strength and talent of Australia’s psych and garage rock scene at the moment.
To celebrate the release, the band have given us a track by track run down of the record, and for more info on the guys, visit their Facebook page.
Devil’s Walk
This track was an in-direct response to the Abbott government protests and the resulting attention that was being directed toward that issue at that time. We used that moment to write a song and create a loose narrative around ‘the people’ rising and conquering. The track has a distinct start and finish to it with the first half being heavy, angry and defiant, then it eventually ascends into a lengthy jam in the second half which delivers that dream-like heady feeling of victory, success and relief, aka the successful revolution of the people.
Look
This Kraut rock inspired number demands attention with the opening line ‘Look! Look me in the eye.’ The somewhat confrontation lyrics speak to a lover about trust, or rather mistrust. Swirling around a repetitive bass groove, the song finishes with applause and laughter. Turning a once serious song on it’s head, Look has a sense of ridicule in the theatre of love.
Arrive
Step into a silky honey coated flying castle and you’re listening to Arrive. This spacious track floats with the lead guitar chorus evoking visions of bubbles and magic carpet rides. It seems though that Arrive only opens the door to questions, doubt and unresolved. Can we survive? Will I stay. Awake explores life’s limitless choices, unknowns and mystery…
Sun And The Moon
A maybe-not-so cryptic homage to the sometime out of control party scene we all seem to be engaged in and the ensuing madness it leaves in it’s wake. Musically this song was meant to be a short and a seemingly simple composition but once we got going on it we ended up taking to it all kinds of places and we couldn’t back-track from once we started down that path. It’s also a track that seems to translate really well live and takes people’s ears on a wild ride.
Silence
This heavy beast of a song verges on insanity…’voices in my head, all I need is Silence!’. The lyrics have a lot to say about wealth and greed and overwhelming and relentless grip of a force. It could be capitalism, it could be a woman, or simply a really bad acid trip. We then drift into a mantra meditation away from time and control. ‘Towards the end of the this 9 minute track we all totally loose or marbles and come crashing like a train to the end…at last…Silence.
Space And Time
‘Believing that we all know but the truth is we are simply all just blind.’ Space & Time is a stand out track on this album. It’s the kind of song you’d listen to while leaving Earth for some far of intergalactic travel. Looking back at our little planet, left to reflect on who we are, where we’ve come from and where we are going. This is House of Laurence checking out…they’re going to hang out and jam with the beings of planet Lumieria for a while.
Monsoon
Monsoon is a simple love song. The simplicity may not be obvious initially but the voice of the instrumentation perhaps speak louder than the literal lyrics and the messages contained within are probably felt more than they are heard. It was a song that required almost zero effort writing as it flowed without hindrance but conversely proves to be more challenging to play live, though when it comes together proves to be one of the most powerful songs on the record.
Upcoming Shows
Thursday March 12th Byron Bay FM Radio Byron Bay
Friday March 13th The Northern Byron Bay
Saturday March 14th Valiant Music Brunswick Heads
Saturday March 14th Black Bear Lodge Brisbane
Sunday March 15th LiveSpark Brisbane
Saturday March 21st Shebeen Melbourne
