Lol Tolhurst (The Cure), Budgie (Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Creatures), and the celebrated Jacknife Lee (U2, R.E.M., Bloc Party) have unleashed another fresh new tune from the songbook they have put together inspired by the fair City of Angels: “Los Angeles,” an album that will see the light of day on November 3rd, courtesy of Play It Again Sam. This latest single from the record is the frenetic “We Got To Move,” featuring Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock.
“This is one of the more existential tracks on ‘Los Angeles,’ the band muses.
“It’s an homage to Philip Glass, Ron Fricke, and Godfrey Reggio’s Koyaanisqatsi, with words by Isaac Brock,” notes Budgie.
“Isaac is one of the most unique voices that we have. He’s brilliant,” adds Jacknife. “He gave us this weird, anxious, beautiful rush of a song. To pump up the duality within the song my daughters and I came up with a chorus that made us giddy with its ridiculousness. The song is absurd. The sound is absurd. And it’s about bugs.”
With its eclectic mix of styles, Lol also asks, “Where else do you get Strings, DAF synths and Bhangra-Punjabi style percussion? Plus you get Isaac Brock and Jacknife and his daughters singing up a beautiful storm of a track.”
With the kind of wild abandon only Daniel Rashid can capture on film, the latest track’s video is nothing short of bedlam. It showcases the multifaceted actor Fred Armisen (himself, once the drummer in the punk band Trenchmouth), clearly throwing caution to the wind, cavorting with Lol and Budgie, not to mention the curious addition of a disembodied Brock.
“The video has me and Lol as Clockwork Orange Droogs Drumming on a Cadillac, while Fred Armisen takes a Sledgehammer to a WC,” notes Budgie. Armisen adds, “I loved being a part of this. I feel very lucky that I got to work with Budgie and Lol… It gave me a feeling of ‘drummers unite!’”
Watch the bedlam unfold below:
Stemming from an insatiable itch of wonder, the trio behind “Los Angeles” boasts of the post-punk drumming luminaries: The Cure’s Lol Tolhurst and Budgie of Siouxsie & The Banshees fame. As if that weren’t enough, throw in the astonishing talents of that maestro of sound, Garret ‘Jacknife’ Lee, and the result is an audacious, pulse-quickening, near-hour jaunt at the fringe of musical avant-garde.
Their undeniable prowess with the drumstick sets the stage. Yet, the record spills over with synth beats and guitar riffs, mostly Jacknife’s playground, punctuated further with beats that add a certain je ne sais quoi to the overall sound. Elevated by an exquisite ensemble of strings and brass, the auditory experience envelops listeners in a lush and captivating embrace. With the acumen of an expert, Lee, in his role as producer, deftly manipulates, refines, and astutely arranges each layer, culminating in a compelling display of musical sophistication.
After parting ways with The Cure in 1989, Tolhurst embarked on personal journeys of both the heart and geography, culminating in his settling in Los Angeles by 1994. Budgie, too, was drawn to L.A.’s allure in the mid-2000s but was serendipitously redirected to Berlin by the twin forces of romance and family. Their initial attempts to recapture their magic unfolded in varied locales, from a coastal haven in Morro Bay to the domain of rock drummer Tommy Lee. Yet, their efforts felt inauthentic, as if they were attempting to recreate versions of their younger selves.
“As we were finishing, Lol turns to me and says, ‘I think we should do something together,” muses Budgie. “With these things, I usually go away and forget, but for once in my life I said to myself, ‘Yeah good idea!’”
There are plans underway to bring the record “Los Angeles” from the studio to the stage for live performances that will showcase this new collaborative project worldwide.
The album can be pre-ordered now on CD and vinyl via the band’s webstore.
In addition to the album, Lol Tolhurst released his second book, GOTH: A History, on the September 26th of September in the U.S. via Hachette Books. The engaging historical memoir of Goth music and the culture explores creative giants like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Joy Division, and many more great bands that offered a place of refuge for the misfits of the 80s and ever since. GOTH offers a fascinating deep dive with stories and anecdotes from Tolhurst’s personal memories as well as the musicians, magicians, and artists who made goth an inevitable and enduring movement.
Pick up a copy here
Follow Lol Tolhurst x Budgie x Jacknife Lee:
