The Black Lips are the valedictorians of Atlanta garage rock. The quartet emerged from Dunwoody in 1999, and over a decade of infamous stage antics, punk ethics, and a relentless touring schedule have cemented their place in Atlanta’s musical lexicon.
Their tentatively titled seventh studio album follows up 2011’s well received “Arabia Mountain” and is set to continue their track record of blistering blues infused with the spontaneity of punk rock.
Recently, The Black Lips completed a landmark tour in the Middle East, performing in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirites and Cyprus. VICE magazine recorded their tour and released a documentary of their experiences entitled “Kids Like You And Me”.
The Signal sat down with The Black Lips before their performance at Music Midtown to talk about the recording process of their newest album and the unexpected success of their Middle Eastern tour.
The Signal: Have you released an album title or any release date for your upcoming album?
Jared Swilley: We don’t really have a release date. The album is more or less complete. We’re gonna do a couple more songs but I’d say it’s 95 percent done.
Cole Alexander: We’re hoping for February.
TS: You guys have said your new album is going to be a mix of southern rock anthems and club bangers. What is your idea of a club banger?
Swilley: A nice backbeat you dance to that won’t chase everyone off the dance floor.
Alexander: Club bangers are the type of thing that makes your big toe jump up in your boot, when you hear it, it makes your boot shake. It makes other things quiver in that general vicinity.
TS: On your Middle Eastern tour, what was your reception like there and why do you think you have an audience in the first place?
Swilley: The crowd reaction was very exceptional. Within the region we had a lot of fans there and we think they came out because we’re the only band that went there.
TS: Were you asked to come there or did you find out you had an audience and then decided to tour?
Swilley: We didn’t know we had an audience; we didn’t get asked, we just went.
Alexander: In Iraq we were trying to get a show and they cancelled us and they actually asked us not to come, and in Jordan as well, but we still came anyways.
Ian Saint Pé : We’re touring the film [“Kids Like You And Me”]. It’s going to be screened all across the United States, and hopefully internationally soon — Venice, Toronto, Milan, all the film festivals.
Joe Bradley: Christiane Amanpour, stay at home when we preview this because you’re gonna be embarrassed.
Alexander: I can’t explain the feeling of playing in the Middle East for small children who have never seen a rock and roll concert in their whole entire lives. The mile wide grins, the smiles…
Swilley: You can’t explain a feeling like that, seeing a girl in a hijab slam dancing to our music. It was real.
TS: What charity work have you guys been involved in?
Bradley: We donate to a charity for cochlear implants for deaf children. We recently did a basketball tournament for Converse and we donated all of our money to charity, but Jermaine Dupri, Def Jam, OJ Da Juiceman… We challenged all the other rappers to donate their money, they didn’t, they kept it. We gave all of our money to the deaf kids.
Alexander: We also have one called ‘Camelot Kids’ based out of Chicago, and all of the kids there we probably would associate if we were their age in school. They are learning-challenged, socially-challenged kids who don’t function very well, so we’ve played a couple songs for them.
TS: What attracts you guys to working with children?
Swilley: Because we are kind of like grownup children ourselves.
TS: You guys are one of the examples of Atlanta bands that have made it on an international scale, what Atlanta artists do you think deserve attention and what advice would you give to local musicians?
Alexander: There’s a band called Gringo Star and they really bust their ass and we really hope that more people get into them.
Swilley: Basically all you have to do is give 110 percent because there’s a lot of competition out there. Forget about relationships or any sort of financial gain. Forget college, it’s all or nothing.
Alexander: Forget about your plants and your animals.
Swilley: Forget about anything else and completely dedicate yourself to it.
Alexander: And no back up plans, you have to be all in. With a back up plan, you will back up, with a fall back plan, you will fall back. Get ready to sleep on a lot of floors.
Bradley: Find a friend with a trust fund; exploit them.
TS: What influences have you guys been carrying into the recording of your upcoming album?
Swilley: A number of different influences: puberty, psychedelic mushrooms. Boys who hang out in the woods.
Alexander: Vigilante cops. Puppeteering.
TS: Now I know that a Riff Raff collaboration was in the talks for the new album. Is that still happening?
Swilley: Well actually last time we were in LA, I invited him over to my friends house and we were talking about making this song; but it didn’t really make sense and he got mad at me because I was horseback riding, so that kind of blew his mind and he didn’t really think that was cool. So I don’t know if we’re friends anymore. He was a fair-weather friend anyways.
TS: What is your favorite spot to hang out in Atlanta?
Alexander: The one I like is called Mexican Restaurant. It’s down Moreland by the drive-in next to the strip club. It’s open 24 hours and you can bring your own beer in. So Sunday, 3 in the morning, you want to drink and eat tacos. That place is the shit.
Swilley: I like Southern Comfort a lot, it used to be our spot that no one knew about. It used to be all cowboys, it still is, but now it’s overrun with kids. I got a chair broken over my face there, it required fifteen stitches in my nose.
Alexander: You should’ve seen the blood pouring out of his face, it was very impressive.
Swilley: I didn’t win that fight, but it wasn’t fair.
For more on The Black Lips, visit their site and Tumblr.
