The Lazy Eyes: Finding Beauty in Simplicity

The Lazy Eyes return this Friday (August 17) with their highly anticipated sophomore album, Cheesy Love Songs.

Four years on from their debut SongBook, which established the quartet as heirs to King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard's psych-rock empire, Harvey "Karate" Geraghty (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Leon Karagic (bass guitar), Noah Martin (drums) and Itay "Sasha" Shachar (vocals, guitar) have evolved not only from teens into men, with the lads now in their early 20s, but also musically, chasing a new sound that's present throughout Cheesy Love Songs.

Falling somewhere between '60s boy bands like The Beach Boys and The Zombies, and modern melodic indie pop, Cheesy Love Songs is The Lazy Eyes at their most compelling, with the album's 11 tracks taking listeners on a blissful journey through love, life and heartache.

Ahead of the album's release and the band's upcoming national tour, The Lazy Eyes' Italy Shachar spoke with The Note about the making of their new album, the influence of Rick Rubin and the greatest love song ever written.

It's been four years since the release of your debut album, SongBook. What's been the biggest "pinch-me" moment since then?

There have been a lot! Probably opening for The Strokes, [that] was a big one, or Sean Lennon liking our music and being keen to hear the new album was really cool too. 

The Lazy Eyes were coming to the end of your teens when you released your debut. How has the band evolved over that time, both musically and as individuals?

We've evolved in a lot of ways since then. We've grown into young adults, and our music tastes have broadened too. Musically, the second album was a big challenge for us to record, so we had to learn new tools in the production toolbox to make us happy, which took a lot of trial and error and time. And as individuals we learnt about the nuances of working together as a band and with a team, and trying to make it work as best as possible.

When it comes to your new album, Cheesy Love Songs, it's a departure from the sound of your debut. What do you attribute this to?  

A big factor is that some time has passed. Also, we wouldn't really make an album like our first one again, which is cool. I think a huge goal was to let the songwriting shine through, and we ended up achieving that with a more minimal live band feel instead of the layering and mix-heavy approach used on the first album.

As you mentioned, the band has gone back to basics for Cheesy Love Songs, focusing on melodies and catchy hooks. Are these songs an honest reflection of who the band are today?

I think they definitely reflect a huge thing the band finds important, which is melody and harmony and catchiness. We'll always enjoy these things, but for this particular era in the band, they seemed to rise to the top in terms of what we needed to showcase and focus on. It's an honest reflection of the band, but just as honest as the first album, just in a different way. It shows one side of us, and hopefully there are some people that will resonate with it.

You've mentioned Rick Rubin inspired the minimalist approach to recording. Can you expand more on his impact and any other influences?

Reading his book (The Creative Act: A Way of Being) was really good for us. We both had the experience of reading it and not necessarily learning something "new", but just being like "oh yes, this is how we think about music too". It was relatable in a lot of ways and acted like a guide. [It] mainly made us realise honest things about ourselves that were maybe clouded by self-doubt or the pressure to be something that we're not.

The first Strokes album was actually very influential because it inspired us to just have the sound of the new album be a band-in-a-room vibe and not have too many bells or whistles. The simplicity of their arrangements was so powerful, and every layer meant so much. It all fits together like a puzzle.

Chessy Love Songs was produced by the band. Why do you guys like to keep things in-house when it comes to the production side of things? 

We just find that that's what works for us currently. I think a big part of it is that we like to really understand why things are happening and every decision being made. It feels uncomfortable letting someone else take the reins and then giving them notes. We prefer to build it from the ground up and be present for the process. Who knows, maybe we'll synergise well with someone in the future!

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You had a few false starts before deciding on the sound and makeup of the album. Was that a frustrating experience, or was it all part of the process of writing new material and finding what best represents the band as a whole? 

Yes, it was a very frustrating experience and also filled us with a lot of self-doubt. The songs were already written from a very early stage, so that didn't need re-doing, but it was the recording process which was difficult. So it required us to learn new skills as engineers, producers, mixers and arrangers.

As the title suggests, the album is full of love songs. What's the greatest love song ever written and why? 

I would have to say 'God Only Knows' (The Beach Boys) because it's just the most inevitable but utterly surprising song at the same time in terms of its melody and harmony.

Cheesy Love Songs opens and closes with instrumental tracks. What's the reason behind this? 

We definitely have a little knack for finding satisfaction, so one part of that decision was that it simply felt satisfying and rounded the album out in a nice way. I think it's also a technique for easing into the album and winding down from it too. A little bit less information to process on either side, and you can get deep in the middle. That's the form that seemed to flow for this album anyway.

When it comes to the songs on the album, for me, one of the standouts is 'How Does It Feel To Be In Love?', which is also a question we all ask ourselves at some point. Is this song inspired by personal experiences, and what is your answer to the question? 

Thanks! Recently I've thought back on the genesis of this song and actually realised that I wrote it after a breakup. So, I guess part of the message of the lyrics is about losing love and wondering how it even feels to be in love in the first place. It's something that when you lose, you wonder if it ever happened, but when it happens it feels very familiar and like it was always coming. I don't necessarily think the question has or needs an answer; it's just a good question to ask and kind of sit with.

I know it's hard to choose, but is there a song on the album that really sticks with you, and if so, which track and why?

Probably 'How Does It Feel' as well. And for the same reasons as above, as well as the message of the song being clear and vague at the same time. It's probably the most Brian Wilson song we have on the album too, which is my musical hero.

The band are hitting the road for a run of shows across September and October. How excited are you to perform the new songs, and what can fans expect from your live show? 

I'm very excited! We're bringing the music box to the stage, which will be funny and interesting to see how that will play out. [Fans] can expect a new era from the band but all of the fun energy from SongBook too. Don't worry, it's not all slow and sad songs. Haha.

When it comes to playing live, how much time do you put into crafting the setlist, and is it hard to balance playing old songs and new songs to keep everyone happy? 

We all have similar tastes when it comes to putting together a setlist, so we just come up with some ideas and throw [them] back and forth a few times until we're happy, so luckily not too hard.

Once the album is out and the tour is complete, what’s next for The Lazy Eyes? 

We've been working on our third album, which is kind of the upside-down world to this second album and forms a trilogy with the first one. It's kind of like the second and third are equal and opposite sides of the band that we explore deeper that originated from our first album. We're excited by it, and we think people will be too! Also, hopefully lots of touring anywhere and everywhere!

Cheesy Love Songs is out Friday 21 August via AWAL. Pre-order/pre-save here. Catch The Lazy Eyes performing at Jive on Friday 2 October. Tickets on sale at thelazyeyes.com.

The Lazy Eyes – Cheesy Love Songs

Pre-order/pre-save here