A new single release from Liquid Pennies hits with a massive force and a sonic vastness that crunches and sways like waves crashing down as the vibrant and fuzz tone distortion destroys everything in its path and let loose with melodic hooks wow drums absolutely smash rumbling the ground beneath your feet.
"Name Dropper" comes through as a gigantic psychedelic doom rock masterpiece and part of its hard-hitting drive comes from the fact that the track features two drummers and this alone adds so much more depth and life to the song it's ridiculous.
This track has a way of washing over you and letting you get caught up and everything that's going on and believe me, there's a lot going on especially with all those sonic textures just clashing and smashing into each other in a beautifully melodic and harmonious fashion.
One of the things I love about this track is that there's never a lack of energy even for one split second and that is evident from beginning to end as the track has this fire behind it that lets loose.
The guitar and bass tones are so wild and electric that you can feel it in your bones and you can tell vocally that they're having an amazing time.
This to me feels like an immense passion project and as most art begins as such, sometimes that path falls off but with a track like this you can hear the heart and the love for what they're doing throughout the entire thing.
One of the things I love about this is that there's a number of instrumental hooks and some really cool guitar work that sticks with you and those are the things you actually end up humming in your head.
Songs that feature those kinds of hooks are a bit of a rarity these days so to hear it like this was perfection to my ears.
This is one of those tracks I can honestly say the louder you turn it the better it is and that's the truth.
There are layers and layers of tones from the guitars and bass to the vocals and of course, even the drums seeing that they're dual drummers on the track.
This is a very inventive idea and adds to the formatted chaos of the song.
I'm a big fan of bands like The Melvins for example who also feature dual drummers a lot of the time and it's the kind of thing that breaks boundaries a little bit and pushes the envelope enough to take notice.
They're not a lot of bands that do that kind of thing these days so it's so refreshing to hear it right now and damn does this track have drive and get your blood pumping.
It's really quite an addictive sound sonically and I love how they put it all together, and the arrangement was really well done but I think it all just comes to these guys naturally.
I can blabber on about it all I want but it's nothing compared to listening to the actual song which is a must-do if you're a fan of gigantic psychedelic doom rock because these guys just take the cake.
We're no strangers to Liquid Pennies but I think this is a step in a new direction for them and it feels awesome.
With the release of this single, we wanted to have a chat with them to find out how this track came to be.
Here's what went down.
CB- Chas Binns (Guitar, Vocals, Synth)
DC- Dylan Carney (Bass)
PW- Pierson Whicker (Drums)
CJ- Casey Jones (Drums)
Buzz Slayers: Okay, let's talk about "Name Dropper"! This one was vast with a pure hard rock tonality that was just massive! Where did this single come from?
CB Originally this song was written and recorded during the formative phases of the band (originally called Floods). We demoed several of these songs on multitrack tape and eventually they were reworked into several of our releases, but Name Dropper was one we were waiting for the right occasion to give the proper treatment to. The song draws from some heavier influences like Orb, Melvins, Sleep, Black Mountain, and Dead Meadow, all of which are in the wheelhouse of Casey and Pierson's drumming; so this seemed like the perfect time to awaken the giant from its slumber.
As far as my inspiration lyrically, the song is about attention-seekers or merit-miners who use or piggyback on the efforts of those around them for their benefit rather than drawing from within, and the transparency that might not be evident to them.
DC This song has been "in the works" if you will for years. Chas demoed it out before I had joined 5 years back and that demo pre-dates the Liquid Pennies name. We played it live a little bit early on and brought it back in recent history to a slightly different feel to fit the band's current iteration.
Buzz Slayers: The track was earth rumbling and this is also due to the fact that you have TWO drummers for this release correct? How did this happen?
CB You're correct! Our new lineup came to be in a very organic way. Pierson and our original drummer JJ had been getting together last year for some improv sessions with both of them on drums and I would play synth/guitar through a loop pedal. While we were considering a new direction to go following our January release A Wake-Ending , Pierson was coming off of a stint playing with another band and asked if we'd be interested in trying double drums in Liquid Pennies. This was right after we had met Casey at a couple of our shows who happened to also be an incredible drummer.
Both of their styles fit perfectly for the heavier psych and groove-based direction we were planning on going, and from the first practice together we knew we had something worth pursuing further.
DC During our last reformation, we discussed wanting to do something slightly different. We'd been playing as a power trio for a while and the idea to bring some new sounds into the mix (2 drummers, a drummer and a synth player, something different entirely) were all considered. This was the idea that stuck!
CJ Well like all crazy ideas, it seems wild at first. But as soon as Pierson and I started working together we clicked off and started running downhill as fast and loud as possible. Dynamics, control, and good times being our top priority. “If it’s too loud turn it down”
Buzz Slayers: Does this mean that you play shows with two drummers as well? As a fan of bands like The Melvins, I'm all for it!
CB We sure do. Both Pierson and Casey are full additions to the band and drive the momentum of every show.
DC Absolutely, double the drummers, double the fun.
CJ Yes. All drums all the time, nothing but hits.
Buzz Slayers: Do you guys write songs together at rehearsal? Or do one of you come up with the main parts and bring it to the band?
CB In the past I've come to the band with a lot of the initial ideas and collaborated on the details, although there are songs that have been initially created from jams. The Current from our last release, for example, came from free-form improvising on guitar and drums before making several of those ideas into a song. Our approach for our upcoming album will still have some songs that are more fleshed-out before we get together, but we're also writing based on the band improvising at rehearsal and extracting ideas. All four of us write music and play guitar as well, so there's been a lot of great ideas coming from everyone for riffs and new sounds beyond the instruments we play in the band.
DC This has varied over the years. It ranges from a very rough idea being brought in, either as a riff or some parts, a more fully fleshed out idea, or we'll jam and record it, and go back and develop parts that we enjoyed that came out organically into new tunes.
CJ This is a new chapter for the band. Pierson and I have lots of new drum riffs we are working into new songs. We all bring riffs to rehearsal to pick through and dissect. Liquid Pennies fans are in for a lot of new music.
Buzz Slayers: Can we expect any music videos for this track or coming up?
CB You sure can!
DC Coming soon, stay tuned!
Buzz Slayers: Are you guys working on anything new even after this one?
CB We can't not work on new things! It's what we love. We have a full album in the works, and are taking November to write collaboratively, lock in new material, and demo out ideas. In December we'll be going back to the studio and are doing our first vinyl release early next year.
DC 100% This is the start of new tunes and an album eventually. Excited to start writing more and working more collaboratively with the drummers in the songwriting process. Starting off more percussion/groove based and building off that.
Buzz Slayers: Are you playing shows right now?
CB We played our first show with double drummers October 24th with Mike Watt's new project mssv, and did our single release show this past Friday in our home base of St Pete, FL. We plan on doing shows around Tampa Bay in the coming months in between writing/recording, and will be hitting the road again in early 2024 after having a blast touring the East Coast this past February.
DC We are! We'll be playing a couple local gigs to round out the year, and branch out more in early 2024.
Buzz Slayers: What is your absolute favorite aspect of doing this?
CB Performing music live with my friends who share the same passion is something I will always love, and don't see myself ever stopping. It's also amazing to talk to people at our shows that make a personal connection with our music and take the time to come up to us and share the positive impact it's made on them.
DC The live energy and elation that comes from being in front of a live receptive audience, completely lost in your music. That keeps me going and I don't think it will ever get old.
PW I've never done the two drummer thing before in a band. It’s a new challenge and really opens things up for us to explore sonically once we get to writing more. More intricate grooves, layerings, loop, electronics etc.
CJ Loud or quiet. Fast or slow, I absolutely love making noise! Music has always been my passion in life. Playing music live with other skilled and driven musicians is where I find serenity. Chas, Dylan, and Pierson have been great to work with, and in a short time we’ve become great friends.
Buzz Slayers: Do any of you have additional passions outside of music?
CB I've found swimming in the Gulf 5-6 times a week has been a great outlet and release. I've also been delving into studying more music history by listening to a couple great music podcasts, and I'm in the middle of reading "Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk" by Legs McNeil. Cooking, biking, Polaroid/experimental photography, filming time-lapses, being outside in nature, and art are also big passions of mine outside of music that inform it as well.
DC I used to spend a lot more time with the water, and look forward to getting more of that back in my life. Spent a lot of time scuba diving, free diving, sailing, surfing and kiteboarding over the years.
PW “I love poetry and a glass of scotch and of course my friend Baxter here. “( anchorman quote )
CJ Yes, my roots are in East Texas/Denver so I've never been this close to the ocean. I'm completely obsessed with fishing! I didn’t grow up with palm trees and beautiful sandy beaches so I’m here to live it up and catch anything that will bite a hook. I might take a Polaroid or two.
Buzz Slayers: If you could tour with ANY band who would that be?
CB With a time machine, The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Current bands I'd say Osees, Idles or Viagra Boys would be a blast to tour with.
DC The first rad band that wants to take us out for an opening slot on their US tour!
PW Melvins. To have the opportunity to learn from the best, would be priceless. Getting beaten to death by fat ass riffs every night after our set would be sick too.
CJ In my dream world, it’s the early 90s and we are touring with bands like Fugazi and Wipers. Weezer’s blue album just dropped and Modest Mouse is making moves.. but at this point, I’d say killer bands like Fuzz or Kind Gizzard, maybe Viagra Boys or IDLES. It’d be fun to get out of the States.
Buzz Slayers: Anything you'd like to express to the fans?
CB Thanks for caring about our music, follow your true will, pursue your passion, and care for each other!
DC Thank you so much for lending us your ears, and we hope you have the chance to see it live one day
PW Hello. I personally am stoked to be a part of the Tampa Bay music community, not being native to here and all. Other than that, just buckle up. Shit's going to get better and weirder with each show.
CJ I’m here to hit my drums, catch some fish, and snap a few Polaroids. Thank you for letting me be a part of the musical community. Let’s funk it up!