After birthing acts like POND and Tame Impala, Australia has become synonymous with a steady psychedelic rock scene. Bands like Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and The Murlocs have all broken out of the scene. And now, fresh-faced, NSW act The Lazy Eyes are giving it a go.
Hailing mainly from Sydney’s Inner west, the band consists of four members: frontman Harvey Geraghty, guitarist Itay Shachar, Bass guitarist Leon Karagic and drummer Noah Martin.
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Whether it’s the interview format or their general demeanour, a post-adolescent awkwardness pierces the beginning of our conversation. Not to say they’re not easy to talk to – they very much are – but it takes them a while for them to warm up.
When the conversation really gets going they breeze over topics, playing a game of cat and mouse with each other as they banter back and forth.
“Me, Harvey and Noah met in year seven and we became friends pretty quickly just based on music taste,” Itay tells VICE.
“Me and Harvey went through phases of being best friends and being arch nemesis. There were periods when we hated each other, then made up.”
“I still kinda hate you bro,” Harvey jokes.
It’s this jovial introduction that highlights their undeniable chemistry. They grew up together, cavorted between the live music venues of Newtown in their teens years and graduated highschool shoulder-to-shoulder. The Enmore Theatre, one of Sydney’s most revered locals, is where some of their favourite live shows ignited their music taste: From experimental hip hop group Death Grips to slow-crooner Mac Demarco.
“It was cool to have that experience within a scene. Especially when you feel like that sort of thing is dying out because of the internet and everyone’s just promoting their music online,” says Leon, “At a place like Newtown, everyone’s just out supporting each other.”
Besides venue hopping between their favourite acts, the band also saw themselves busking on street corners, squeezing in every drip of practice before their first big break supporting Temper Trap at the tender age of 19.
“And that was before we released music,” Noah says.
“They have the same management as us so I think that’s how we got it. They could have said ‘no’ but they were really supportive.”
“I feel like after that COVID hit, so that took out a whole year.”
Despite the compulsory hiatus from performing live, the band returned after two years with their debut Album, Songbook, an amalgamation of their first and second EP.
Though they’re all now in their early 20s, the band unanimously agree that the project acts as a coming-of-age album.
“We literally did become adults, but also I feel like we’re totally different people at the end of recording it to the start,” Harvey says.
Itay shakes his head in disbelief at the seven years that have gone by since they first started making music.
“It was such an incredibly slow process but I feel like that’s why it’s a coming of age thing for us. Because we can look back at the songs and hear what we were thinking back then.”
With psychedelic soundscapes, warping guitars and soft-sweeping vocals that create illusions of quiet beachside towns and lazy Sundays, the band sings of oceanic landscapes, first loves and growing up.
Though their album has a psych rock leaning, staying true to sounds popularised by Tame Impala or POND, they don’t shy away from the influence of other genres.
“We all definitely listen to more than psych-rock. There were stages where Harvey was listening to rage music or electronic,” said Noah.
“I think we can all appreciate good songwriting.”
With the album under wraps, the band look forward as the re-opening from the pandemic pushes them onto the festival circuit. Splendour in the Grass – and a slot as the support act for The Strokes – sits in the near future.
“I think the Melbourne Strokes show will be the biggest show we’ve ever played,” says Noah.
“But Splendour will be the biggest at that point,” says Harvey.
Despite their humility for what’s to come, Lazy Eyes look to be heading down a brightly lit road. For them, and after two years of lockdowns that took away valuable moments for performance, it’s time to just get back out there.
“We’re trying to record the next album, but that’s not what’s next. There’s a lot in-between,” says Noah.
“We’re just super keen and excited to just get back out there,” Itay adds.
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