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When we first started out, we were really into anything funky. Now we're returning to our roots as a rock band."
-Jesse Miller
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Photo by Doug Allsopp
With The Strength of Weak Ties hitting streets a few weeks ago, Lotus is currently taking the material on the road - the exact opposite of the songs that made up Nomad. For that album, the songs were, for the most part, already part of their live repertoire, and they were reworked in one way or another for the album's recording. Contrastingly, The Strength of Weak Ties came together much like an assembly line, one pivotal piece at a time.
Lotus by C. L. Kunst |
"We started recording [the album] in 2005. We came into the studio with just the drums. Jesse put together beats live at home on a ProTools set up, and we started piecing songs together. Then we just kept piecing the songs together, doing most of the work at home," says Luke Miller.
Finally mastered in January, the finished album offers Lotus fans and outsiders alike a well-defined glance at a band that has finally created that piece for which they (along with many others) have been looking. The album delivers a number of well-crafted, concise and poignant musical thoughts, from the album-commencing futuristic foray "Tip of the Tongue" to the slow funk of "Bubonic Tonic" and the exploratory voyaging present in "Blue Giant." Depending on what one focuses on, there's something for a wide assortment of music appreciators and fans. This is not merely a jam band attempting to pull off studio success. There is certainly a share of down-tempo daydreams ("Kesey Seed" for instance), but there's also an album full of beautiful peaks and valleys, tempo changes and emotionally charged interludes, and climaxes that make for a great, complete album. It should also be noted that the album features vocals, not just vocal samples. Featured on four tracks is Steve Yutzy-Burkey (One Star Hotel, The Swimmers), whose contribution to the album's flow and mood propels The Strength of Weak Ties to a whole new level.
Lotus by D.L. Whit |
"It [live vocals] was something I wanted to take more advantage of in the studio. He adds a whole new dimension, and it really does strike people," says Jesse Miller.
While vocals may catch some off-guard, it's the sheer musicianship that shines. "There's a lot more raw, distorted-driven guitar and less of the jazzy lines. Overall, it's more experimental and more open," says Luke Miller. "Onstage we've also been doing a lot more experimentation."
Since its release, there have been comparisons to Daft Punk and Giles Peterson and what some critics refer to as "progressive pop." That may be a bit over-the-top for some, but it's unquestionably apparent that Lotus isn't your run-of-the-mill live electronic band, either. "When you're in this whole live electronic thing, the comparisons always come up because they're easy to make," kids Luke Miller.
Continues brother Jesse, "I think Lotus' edge is, for the past few years we've been focusing on more dance-oriented music, primarily house. In my mind, it's [the live electronic scene] a bunch of rock bands that are incorporating electronic elements. None of them, in my mind, sound the same. Some hear it and say 'You're a rock band,' some people say 'Oh, it's a funk band.'"
Rock, funk, or electronic, Lotus can be rather easily classified as a band with rising stock. As the 2006 festival season approaches and the band gears up for performances at Joshua Tree, Wakarusa, Smilefest, and High Sierra, as well as a four-night run in Japan, Lotus has become one of the bands to watch this summer. They've been honing and solidifying their sound for the last seven years, and 2006 may be the year for them to take it to the masses.
JamBase | Philadelphia
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