CURSE OF LONO was formed in London in 2015 by singer-songwriter Felix Bechtolsheimer following the breakup of British roots pioneers HEY NEGRITA.
“We released four records with HEY NEGRITA, toured all over the world, played at more festivals than I can remember and had a great time doing it but there was a growing sense that it was time for something new. Then I bumped into my old friend Oli Bayston from the band BOXED IN, who was producing albums for Domino and Nettwerk as well as working on a solo record. He was involved in a completely different scene, obsessed with Krautrock and Radiohead, which really opened my eyes to new ways of writing and recording.”
The collection of songs that emerged formed a stunningly cinematic record that combines spaced out, harmony-laden indie-roots with driving, gothic alt-rock.
In the summer of 2015 CURSE OF LONO added ex-Hey Negrita drummer Neil Findlay, lead guitarist Joe Hazell, bassist Charis Anderson and keyboardist Dani Ruiz Hernandez to the lineup.
CURSE OF LONO’s 4-track debut EP will be released on 12” vinyl and download by Submarine Cat Records on October 14th. The full album will follow early next year.
In this interview, we speak with the band about influences, the newest project, and more.
Full Q&A, links, and streams below.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
My journey in music started when one of the older boys at school gave me a swig of vodka and put on ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’. We listened to the whole record and then he put on Pink Floyd’s ‘The Final Cut’. I was pretty miserable at school at the time and this music, and especially the lyrics, had a profound impact on me. I bought a guitar and never looked back. I guess the main motivation for us promoting our music to the public is to let our songs find their audience. Some musicians may not care but I’ve always got a kick out of hearing my records on the radio or playing to a decent crowd at a festival or meeting someone who knows the words to all my tunes. I once met a guy who got married to one of my songs. That feels better than any pay check.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
I write mostly about dark stuff that’s happened to me, either recently or years ago. Sometimes I try to start out with a positive idea but the lyrics often drag me back to dark moments: infidelity, heroin addiction, alcoholism, the death of friends. Some of the newer material is a little more optimistic but most of it is pretty heavy. As far as musical taste goes, I started out playing in various punk and grunge bands but when I moved to the States to kick heroin in 2000, I got turned on to the rootsier, bare-bones songwriting of American artists like Steve Earle and Guy Clark (whom I had the honour of meeting when he appeared in a music documentary I produced called ‘We Dreamed America’). One of my roommates in the sober house I was staying in had an acoustic guitar. He was this crazy, bearded cowboy junky more than twice my age and he knew all these incredible songs. So I spent my evenings sitting on the porch, chain-smoking and listening to him sing his way through a very ragged version of the outlaw songbook. Again, it was the lyrics that spoke to me. I wasn’t into country music at the time but I can tell you, there are few songs that will make you howl like ‘Shipwrecked In The 80’s’ when you’re a million miles from home, sweating out the methadone. With Curse Of Lono, we’re trying to combine the raw approach to lyric writing of some of these artists with a musical vibe that has more of a British alternative-indie flavour. That’s why we got Oli Bayston from Boxed In to produce the record. He’s definitely more Radiohead than Jonny Cash.
What are you trying to accomplish specifically on your EP? Creatively or otherwise? Is the style similar to what we can expect on the record?
I released 4 records with my old band, Hey Negrita, and toured all over the world then I took a break for a few years before starting Curse Of Lono. The EP was a way for me to dip my toes back in the water. It offers a little preview of what the band is all about, without giving away too much. We definitely held the catchiest songs back for the full album. The other reason is more practical. A filmmaker friend of ours wanted to make a short film based on some of our music and an EP seemed like the perfect place to start. The film, which is a series of 4 inter-related music videos starring Grant Masters and Marta Hermida was directed by Alex Walker and shot by Bart Sienkiewicz. It will be released alongside the EP and will then be submitted to film festivals.
What was the last song you listened to?
‘Brother’ by The Slow Show. It’s about the singer’s Grandfather, who lost his brother when he was a kid. I got very emotional the first time I heard it but, like a wobbly tooth that you can’t leave alone, I keep listening to it.
Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I’m a big fan of Spotify for discovering new music and I like Apple Music for instantly finding anything I already know, so I use them both. I’m also a big fan of Soundcloud.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
It’s definitely true that having a billion bands trying to get in with a hundred million blogs makes it much harder to break through but it wasn’t that long ago that most bands could barely afford to make a 2-track demo that invariably sounded like it was recorded under water. These days almost anyone can make an ok-sounding record and can get their music out there. So while some things have got harder, others have got easier. The one thing that keeps surprising me is how many incredible artists are out there under the radar of traditional radio and old-school music magazines. Our generation isn’t chained to a couple of radio stations and a small selection of vinyl at a local record store, the way many of our parents were. We have access to everything all the time. So I think the core of the music world, where songs are written and recorded, is as healthy as it’s ever been. Everything else is down to the industry to figure out. But to answer your question, I think the biggest challenge is to keep breathing and to try not to get overwhelmed with all possibilities. It’s not easy but I think we live in very exciting times.
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
I would like to say a massive thank you for listening to our tunes and for taking the time to ask me these questions. It is massively appreciated. We hope to see you guys when we come over to the States early next year.
