OUR CHAT WITH THE BELAIR LIP BOMBS

The Belair Lip Bombs have been flat-out. Fresh off a North American tour supporting Spacey Jane (and a UK run before that), the indie-rock squadron barely have time to unpack before gearing up for the release of their album Again and another EU/UK tour—followed by a U.S. tour with dust next March.

If this is your first time hearing about the Lip Bombs (unlikely, but just in case), there’s a lot to love. They’re one of my favourite Aussie touring acts, and they deliver top-tier indie rock that’s as punchy as it is jam-my. Since forming in 2018, the Lip Bombs have chiseled their sound to perfection, like Michaelangelo’s David—jangly guitar tones, tight rhythms, and Maisie Everett’s awesome voice ties it all together. Since the first time seeing them play in 2023, I’ve been blown away by their live shows each time, and many would say the same.

Today, their sophomore album Again lands, marking a confident step forward from 2023’s Lush Life. The sound feels sharper, more assured—and rightly so.

We chatted with Maisie and Daniel (Dev) Devlin—the band’s talented drummer—to talk songwriting, life between tours, favourite music, and all the new sounds we hear in Again. As usual, I made some terrible jokes.

“Another Melbourne band leaving [mine] in the dust” - some guy I dated, on the Lip Bombs, 2023

Wanderer: Hey guys! How's everything going getting ready for the album to come out?

MAISIE: Hey!

DEV: Hey, good! We've had a busy day, but we're going good. We got back last Monday from a big six week tour of North America with Spacey Jane, which was incredible. It was our first time touring properly over there. We're back in Melbourne now for the next three and a bit weeks, and then we're going overseas again. Now we're in a weird period where we're home just for a little bit. It’s funny—Maisie and I were chatting about this before—we were in our own little world, having so much fun, you know; traveling America in a van together and now we're dropped back into our day-to-day lives. It's a strange adjustment, but of course it is always nice coming home.

It’s 2023 and Lush Life is about to come out, do you remember how you were feeling? How does this compare to how you feel now?

M: I think it's pretty similar to be honest. Even though the circumstances of the band are a lot different to two years ago, it's the same feeling of excitement. The most exciting part that I feel now, that I definitely remember feeling before Lush Life came out, is the not knowing. You don't know exactly what's gonna happen, you don't know how it's gonna be received or how much attention it's gonna get—but I remember feeling deep in my gut that people were gonna like [Lush Life].

And you were right!

M: It came true! Haha I like to think that it did. It's kind of the same with this new record. Obviously we have a bigger audience now, we have a label and a bigger team. All the singles have been received really well, but the actual album coming out is the real thing. So it's a bit nerve wracking, but exciting—leading up to the release day and the weeks after, you know?

I love Lush Life. I abused the shit outta that when it came out in a big way. The new record, of course, is awesome. Sonically, I feel like we're hearing so many new things from you. How was the recording process for Again one? 

M: We just spent more time on it - I think that was the main difference between this record and Lush Life. We spent more time writing, more time fine-tuning the songs before we recorded them, and then spent more time recording them and mixing them and doing all the stuff afterwards. So it's a product of more attention to detail, I guess.

It's got some super thick textures in there and it all sounds great. How long were you recording for?

M: It was spaced out over a four or five month period in between doing some tours. We did all the instruments in a few weeks and then we spent a lot more time afterwards going back, doing overdubs and vocals and everything.

There's really captivating harmonies on there. Was it just you on the mic or you had Jimmy [Droughton] help out?

D: Actually, this is the first time we had Mike [Bradvica] sing a verse on a song?

M: Yeah, Mike sings a verse on the song.

Oh, go Mike! Are you gonna ask him to do it again? Or was once enough?

M: Haha, Mike's a great singer, he's just not very confident in himself, but I know that he loves to sing. He would never have said, ‘Can I sing on the verse?’ but when I asked him to do it, he was into it. He does a lot of harmonies live which sound amazing. So, I reckon it's definitely something we'll do more of in the future, for sure...

Were there strings on there as well?

M: Yeah! Kat Mear, she is a friend of Nao [Anzai], our recording engineer. [Kat] used to play fiddle in Cash Savage and The Last Drinks. We just had the idea to put violin on a couple of the songs so Nao gave her the call and it was perfect. Her style of playing was really suited to what we were going for.

Yeah, I love it. To be honest, I was nervous to ask that question in case you'd be like, ‘that was a guitar pedal, you fucking idiot’. But everything's fine!

D: She's great. She plays on the first track 'Again and Again' as well, and maybe on 'Cinema' too?

M: Yeah, but it's so blended you can't even really hear it.

D: She really added a lot to the textures of the songs, particularly on ‘Burning Up’.

How good is 'Burning Up'? Some really awesome things in your vocals there Maisie, you let loose?

M: Yeah, it was such a weird song. It wasn't really written before we recorded it, we just did bits and pieces of it and then patched it all together. It was the only song that was conceived just in the studio. We've never really done a song like that before, so we didn't know what we were doing or what kind of song it was until it was finished...

D: Yeah, it was a big labor of love, that song. We recorded it and then basically started again and built it from the ground up. We went super minimal and it ended up becoming this nice ballad that really stands out on the album. It was originally a very upbeat song, but it didn't quite fit. We wanted it to be like a particular style of nineties rock, like Sugar Ray or Third Eye Blind or The Sundays but I don't think we fully pulled it off—but we're gonna try again on the next record. That's the plan.

I'm already excited! This is maybe an annoying question, but do you think the album has some sort of overall message?

M: I don't know! It's hard to see the forest from the trees with something like that. I'm not very good at singing about my feelings. Some people are really good at using songwriting as a way to talk about things from an objective standpoint. But I just write lyrics that don't really make sense at the time. Then I listen back and they do make sense. I think overall, there's a lot of things about relationships and identity. It's not like a concept album or anything but I hope it's general enough that it's relatable to people.

This is a question for both of you, one at a time. What are your big three in terms of favourite bands?

M: Hmm... mine changes a lot. I reckon I could guess yours and then you guess mine maybe?

D: Maisie is a big big fan of The 1975 and Geese.

M: I think my favourite songwriter at the moment is Adrianne Lenker from Big Thief...

D: I was gonna say Big Thief is one of your faves. Also Fleetwood Mac.

M: The 1975 is the main one for me that's stood the test of time. I've been listening to them for over 10 years. They're probably the only band I still listen to that I listened to when I was like 14… I don't think I’ve got a big three, I’m more into having favourite records. Dev, surely one of yours would be LCD SoundSystem...

D: ‘Sound of Silver' is one of my favourites, probably my favourite album. I love Elliott Smith, he's my favourite songwriter. Maisie and I listen to so much music, so many different styles that it's hard... But we both love Geese. [Getting Killed] is amazing.

Do you guys pronounce it again, or again?

M: I guess I say again…

D: Again the second time you say it, maybe. Again and again.

Lyrics. Do you have a favourite lyric from the album? I know there's heaps, but is there a favourite thing that you like saying or...?

M: That's a good question, I definitely do. I'm trying to think off the top of my head.

D: I like the rubber band ball lyric on 'Cinema'.

M: That's my favourite as well!! It's alliteration, isn't it? Is that the right one?

D: It's like, you're just spitting, you know?

M: Yeah, it's “Baby I could be your rubber band ball that bounces back to bed or…” I can't even remember, but it's like 10 B’s in one sentence. I think that's my favourite...

That's a great technique as well.

D: Well, the supima line on 'Another world' is good as well. There's some great lyrics. I'm just gassing you up now, Maisie.

M: There's some good lyrics, but there's also some flop lyrics as well that were just a write off, but I guess they can't all be good.

You gotta let the good ones shine.

M: Exactly.

Do you have a favourite song on the album?

M: It always changes to be honest… But I think, ‘Don't Let Them Tell You (It's Fair)’. That's the one that I hold closest to my heart and I just love playing it. ‘If You've Got the Time’, that's probably my other favourite. 'Another world' is one I used to not like, and now really enjoy. They all kind of have their moments, you know?

D: Yeah, I agree, Moose, that it constantly changes, but I'm probably the most proud of 'Burning Up' and 'Cinema' just because of how we ‘got there in the end’ with them. When I listen to those songs, I feel really proud. I really like ‘Cinema’ just 'cause I love groovy music. I love dance music, and so I feel like it's nice we have something so different from our other stuff.

SI mean, it's been cool to see your evolution over time. I guess you're putting stuff out that feels more like you.

M: I think we've always put out stuff that is reflective of who we are at the time that we write it, you know? Lush Life was where we were as a band when we wrote it and now I don't completely align with that anymore, but that's fine, 'cause it was from that point in time and this is what we're making now—eventually that'll have its moment and then something else will come along, you know?

You're just continuously evolving.

M: It's what we're trying to do.

Maisie, you were saying you are an album girl—off the cuff, do you have an album recommendation for us?

M: Yes! The new Way Dynamic album is really good. They're a band from Melbourne. Dev, do you know what his name is?

D: Yeah, Dylan Young. He's amazing. 

M: He sounds like Nick Drake. It's really uncanny.

D: He's a very accomplished drummer also and a great multi-instrumentalist on his own music, Way Dynamic. Cool Sounds are great, too.

If you are driving and you are listening to your daily mix, or like your personalised radio and one of your songs comes up, do you listen to it or do you skip it?

M:Skip.

D: I skip it...

Why so?

M:I honestly listen to our own music a lot, but only when I'm in the mood and put it on myself. I think if I'm listening to other music, then I don't wanna listen, you know?

D: I'll probably listen to the album again when it comes out just to have that experience again. But yeah, you go through so many phases of critiquing the music. It's good to have a bit of a break from it. It is a bit of a jump scare when it comes on haha.

I saw you guys are doing an album launch show at Sound Merch… and it's on Halloween, are you guys doing costumes?

M: Duude, I kind of want to! Someone messaged us after we announced that and asked the same thing and I was like. ‘I didn't even think of that’.

Come onnn... What would you wear? What would you be?

M: I don't know because… I don't know why, but I get weirdly self-conscious easily, so I don't wanna go too hard and then be the most overdressed person.

Surely not. People get way into that.

M: Maybe like a simple ghost. Just a sheet with the eye holes or whatever...

Mm, understated. That's classy Halloween.

M: Yeah, I might go for that, but also I would like to think of something that's really niche and rogue.

What about you, Dev?

D: The last time I dressed up for something it was for muck up day in high school, and I dressed up as Jesse Pinkman from ‘Breaking Bad’, in the yellow hazmat suit. I don't know if I'm the best person to ask 'cause that was a very thrown together costume. If I had a budget, it would be cool to dress up in a really expensive Batman costume. Something where there's clearly been some effort put into it, maybe. Or some hectic makeup, like the Joker, or…

I feel like budget Batman is just as cool.

D: I feel conflicted about doing a Halloween themed gig, but it would be so much fun. I just know so many of our friends and family are coming and they'd probably be like, ‘I'm not fucking dressing up…’

M:Yeah... It's gotta be a group effort.

D:You'd need to sell it, you know?

Yeah. Or just don't tell Mike.

M: Yeah!

D: That would actually be funny. Although I think he's the most keen dress up out of all of us.

M: Really?

D: Yeah. He was banging on about it! I think he already has a costume in mind if we dress up…