“We have never heard the same comparison more than once, which makes us feel like we have created a sound that really is Lion’s Mouth.”
Meet Chelsea Zareczny and Sara Wexler, together known as the indie-pop duo, Lions’ Mouth. In preparation for their self-titled debut album dropping today (November 18th) on Bandcamp, Amazon, iTunes, and more, the duo talked to Gadfly Online about how their experiences, from volunteer firefighting to elementary school bands, have brought them here today and how their album fits into their overall career arc, which hopefully includes touring where the duo “thrives under stage lights.”
Gadfly Online: Can you provide us with some background? Where are you from? What made you pursue a career in music?
Lion’s Mouth: Chelsea Zareczny and Sara Wexler formed Lion’s Mouth in Madison, WI in the spring of 2012. Even though we started playing music together for fun (and under a different name), after our second show, we were approached by a producer from Chicago, IL who wanted to make a record with us. The recording process reignited our shared ambition to make music our career. Both of us have had a love of music since we were young. Sara started playing drums when she was ten years old. Chelsea loved to sing in her room and always had music playing. She taught herself how to play guitar but didn’t start playing seriously until she was 18 years old. Sara has played in at least ten different bands since she was in elementary school. We met each other through a mutual friend and found that our musical styles clicked. After finishing our first album, we sold everything that wouldn’t fit in our big creepy van and drove to Los Angeles to pursue music.
GO: How would you characterize your music? Do you fit into a stock genre or create a fusion of genres?
LM: We like to call our music “headstrong indie-pop” because we write catchy and interesting hooks, but we also have a darker, grittier side that comes through in songs like “Crucible.” We have never heard the same comparison more than once, which makes us feel like we have created a sound that really is Lion’s Mouth. We use very melodic vocal lines; we play with percussion and rhythmic timing—the drumbeats are driving, and the guitar does the work of bass, rhythm, and lead. As a duo we pump out more energy and heart than the average four-piece band. We don’t fit neatly into a category and we consistently surprise audiences with our high-energy and emotive live shows. We thrive under stage lights.
GO: Who would you cite as your musical influence?
LM: Our musical interests are varied and we come from two very different backgrounds. Sara grew up listening to classical music and grew into loving bands like Radiohead and The Smashing Pumpkins, while Chelsea grew up listening to Billy Joel and top-40 pop and grew into listening to punk and acoustic acts and loving bands like The Clash and Tegan and Sara. We have a shared love of Kaki King and of The Dodos. We are both critical of the music we listen to but will give most anything a chance.
GO: What project are you promoting right now? How does this fit into your overall career arc?
LM: After two years of hard work and a lot of driving, we are about to release our self-titled, debut album, Lion’s Mouth, on November 18th, 2014. Our lead single is a song called “Waiting.” We made a music video with a few of our friends that is up on our YouTube channel. It features us and some star-crossed monsters. Our album was produced by Mathew Prock at Area 44 Music in Chicago, IL. It will feature 12 songs that were written and performed by us.
GO: What do you hope to communicate to listeners through your music? What does music mean to you?
LM: What makes us different is our brazen honesty and we know that some people love it and some people don’t. Our music is deeply personal but also deals with subject matter that is relatable. The songs are often layered in meaning and range in topics, from dysfunctional families to losing a first love and finding something lasting. The kind of music we strive to make evokes emotions and tells the truth, no matter how ugly.
GO: What can we expect from you in the future?
LM: We are planning a to tour as much as possible and promote our debut album Lion’s Mouth. We are also currently writing songs to record a second album.
GO: Who is your music geared towards? How is it impacting them? In other words, why should we listen to your music and message?
LM: Our music is high-energy, it’s honest, and it’s authentic. People enjoy watching us perform because we are emotive and entertaining and appeal to fans of various different genres. We sound like us, so if you are looking for a fresh dynamic sound, Lion’s Mouth could be your new favorite band!
GO: Is there any particular song from the album you would like to talk about-the inspiration or story behind it, etc.? Feel free to choose multiple songs to talk about.
LM: Our first single “Waiting” was originally written as a duet for a song-writing competition. It was inspired by a relationship that ended abruptly. It is written from two perspectives, the protagonist waits in the couple’s normal hangout and has no reason to suspect that anything is wrong until his/her significant other doesn’t show up on time. The song progresses into explaining why the other person is hesitating. The song ends without ever fully answering the question: Did the person ever show up? This song is one of my favorites lyrically because it talks about a gnawing fear of abandonment with the sound of unshakeable hope. It’s also our first music video which we are really proud of, you can watch it here.
Our song “Crucible” was written while I (Chelsea) was training to be a volunteer firefighter. The inspiration came from my first solo fire training, where I led my team into a semi-truck, trailer to put out our first fire. The smoke was thick and the room felt heavy and hot. As I crawled up to the doorframe and saw the fire blazing, all I could think about was my aim; there wasn’t time to be afraid in the face of it. I just had to knock it out and get everyone out safely. And while the lyrics started off very literal on the surface, they started to show their true meaning in layers. The effects of childhood trauma and the struggles and strength it takes to overcome them became very apparent. Sonically, it is one of the grittiest songs on the album and it is one that showcases our technical abilities as well. It is a band favorite and we love performing it live.
