BNLX cover Lana Del Rey's "Video Games," release EP Saturday
 |
| Photo By Erik Hess |
Ahead of their release show for EP #7, Gimme Noise was able to ask Ed and Ashley Ackerson some questions about if they've got any plans to ever release a full-length, their delightfully droll marketing campaign, and what went into making their new video for "See What I See." Check out their answers, the video, and exclusive access to their cover of "Video Games" below.
Gimme Noise: How do you think your sound and style has evolved over the course of all 7 of your EPs?
Do you have any plans to ever release a full-length, or does the immediacy of the EP suit your objectives?
Another appeal of the album to us is the archaic nature of the format. In 2012, it seems almost irrelevant to conform artistic output to an arbitrary and antiquated container. The container creates a space BNLX would like to play in, at least temporarily.
Even if we do an album this year, we will continue to release other stuff at regular intervals. I spent years on major labels waiting for records to come out, at this point we have complete autonomy and can do things 100 percent on our own timetable.
There is a real melodic appeal to this new batch of songs, especially on the New Order-like "Meet Me On The Barricades." Was that an intentional direction you wanted to take your sound, or just a matter of your influences finding their way into your songwriting?
The earliest material we released was selected to be as brash and angular as possible. We wanted to make a clear statement that this band was not a continuation of any of our previous projects, and that our goals were to agitate as much as entertain. As we have moved on, certain more conventional pop elements have infiltrated the mix a bit. The new EP is pretty melodic, and some of our forthcoming material is even more so. But at the same time, "Round the Dial" on the new EP is full of the most horrible and scary noises we've put in a song to date. I expect that we will evolve to be catchier but also more extreme as time goes on.
How has producing so many other albums by different artists affected your approach to your own songwriting and the sounds you are looking to inject within your own music?
I learn a ton from working with different people. I really enjoy seeing the things that inspire other artists, also seeing the way they solve problems within their art or interpersonally. I'm very fortunate in that my job is also a daily laboratory in which I can develop new techniques and see the results immediately. The perspective gained from working with a diverse range of awesome talented people is something I appreciate and am very grateful for.
How and when did you hook up with David Jarnstrom, and what caused you to want to add another rhythmic layer to your textured live sound?
Although he has been recording with us since the beginning, he's only been playing live with us since our fall tour last year. We haven't payed too many local shows in the last few months, so a lot of people haven't seen BNLX with real drums. I hope they do -- we're a lot better with David! He's a great player and a huge part of what makes this band fun for me.
So, what drew you to cover Lana Del Rey's "Video Games?" What are your thoughts on her rapid ascension to the pop pinnacle and the following backlash?
The drubbing she took for that SNL appearance was way over the top. But we live in an age of exaggerated gestures in pop culture and media. For good and ill, lots of things explode far beyond what actual circumstances or merit justify.
Email to Friend
Write to Editor
Print Article
