It’s a situation many can relate to: well-intentioned projects that were started in the pandemic, now lie incomplete and unloved in some corner. Thankfully, that isn’t the case with L.S. DUNES, and the band has long surpassed its “pandemic project” status. In this interview, drummer Tucker Rule and guitarist Frank Iero explain what “The Exorcist” movies have to do with the creation of the new album “Violet” and why Iero almost doomed the band before it was even formed.
What was the creative process like, for “Violet”? Who does what, when writing songs? Or does it switch?
Frank: It definitely switches. This record was a lot different than „Past Lives“ because with „Past Lives“ we were just kinda writing, because we had nothing else to do. There wasn’t anything else going on. It was the pandemic and Tucker just kind of contacted everyone to say „Hey, let’s just be creative instead of wallowing in this“ and so it was a great creative outlet for that. At that point, when we first started writing for that record, we didn’t know who was going to sing for the band, if we were even going to have a singer, what we were going to do. So at the end of it, when we had these finished songs and Anthony (Green, Singer) agreed to come in and be in the band, and we knew we were actually recording a record, he kind of had to write on top of what we had already done. Kind of shoehorn in. And that is a feat in itself.
This record was like „Alright, cool, we know each other now, we’re creatively connected, we’ve been touring these songs, we’ve been touring with each other, we know each other creatively, and personally even better“ so now we wrote with intent. And I think that in doing that you have a better outcome and maybe a more fully realised record.
As far where inspiration starts, it’s all over the board. Sometimes it’ll be a riff from me or a progression from Travis (Stever, guitarist) or sometimes even Tim (Payne, bassist), he had almost a full song with „Machines“. Or sometimes we even just start with a drumbeat from Tucker. „Like Magick“ that was a song or a demo that Anthony had been toying around with for months. I think Tucker was actually on Tour with them for a little while, and he was playing it live, just as an Intro or something. So you never know where that inspiration’s going to come from, and I think that with this band it’s just awesome to have so many creative writers and creative sparks. It ends up inspiring you to take that torch and run with it.
Tucker: We had some time together, too, while writing. We start a lot of the ideas apart, in our own studios, but then we were able to get together and kind of do a preproduction. A lot of times we’ll get riffs or basslines or something and songs aren’t finished. We finish them together. We have the chance to actually do that in person. As Frank would say, „button them up“. It’s a good feeling when you know a song is a song, rather than just an idea of a song.
“Past Lives” is a very heavy album, both musically and lyrically, whereas “Violet” seems softer and more forgiving (hence maybe the song “Forgiveness”?). What brought about that change?
Frank: I think that we were going for something a little bit more hopeful. I don’t know if it was a conscious effort from the jump, though. I don’t know if any of us sat down and was like: „Alright, I’m gonna write something lighter or more sing-along“. It was just kind of like: „This is what’s coming out of us.“ It’s funny, I do feel that, though, when I listen to the record. It’s definitely- I don’t know how I would describe it, but there’s something about it that feels more hopeful and uplifting. Sometimes that’s a hard feat to take on, to write something inspiring like that, or something that has a little bit more light in it. But I know that Anthony specifically, with lyrics and stuff like that, that was one of his biggest issues with „Past Lives“. Feeling like having to sing those songs every night, it felt like an undertaking and felt like a heaviness. Especially a song like „Sleep Cult“, where he’s repeating that line „I’m sorry that I wish that I was dead“ over and over, to a crowd singing that back to you, that’s a lot. Especially if you’re living within those words and living within that song every night. Sometimes you can kind of just go through the motions, but Anthony doesn’t do that. So I think that that was weighing on him a lot and I think it was one of those things where if he had another shot at it, he wouldn’t maybe go that route, because of that.
They say you have your entire life to write your first record and then about six months to write your second, I don’t know how it is with your fuckin‘ twenty-second record, but with this one, as far as this band’s concerned, we definitely had those chances to right the wrongs. Or to go back and be like: „Alright, I know what this is like now, to play these songs live, play them every night, for months on end. How would I want to do that, knowing what I know now?“
Tucker: I think it’s telling, and I’m very thankful for this because you can either go the „Violet“ route – the song of saying „I know we can get well“ or you can go „I’m sorry that I wish that I was dead“ and I’m glad we picked the other side.
When did you know, L.S. Dunes was going to continue past your debut album, and why have you decided to keep going?
Tucker: I think we knew straight away, the first time we heard lyrics back to „Antibodies“, I think we all kind of knew „Oh, this is really fun!“ And also, there’s a lot of songs that didn’t get finished on „Past Lives“, because we didn’t have time. It was just a time constraint. It wasn’t like „We chose these specific songs for the record, these are the best songs“. It was like „These are the first ones that we finished“. I think that we had this whole grip of songs that allowed us to keep going, that we knew that we could make another record with, or start another record with.
Even something like when we went to the desert and did the little EP with „Old Wounds“ and „Benadryl Subreddit“. We specifically wrote those for the desert. Those were specifically for that. We didn’t have anything going in. That part- I don’t want to sound like a jerk here, but that part of the band comes easy for us. The writing part. I’m not saying that we don’t struggle with it, because we do, but there’s no shortage of ideas and inspiration from each other. There’s no ceiling on how many records we’re going to do, this could be the last one, who knows? But I don’t feel that way.
Frank: Yeah, you’re right, man. It’s funny, some bands and some projects, it’s such a laborious task, to come up with something new or write a new song or get into the studio and do it. That is not the case with this band. It never has been, and I’d like to say I don’t think it ever will be. Everybody is just so selfless with their creative outlet. No one has a weird ego issue thing, where it’s like „No! I wrote it this way and that’s the way it needs to be!“ There’s none of that shit, either. It’s kind of crazy. And you would think that that should be the way things go, but all too often it doesn’t go that way. Especially with people that come from other „successful“ quote-unquote bands, where everybody thinks they know better than everybody else. That’s never been our issue. From day one, we’ve just been chasing everything.
And again, too, every time I’ll send a riff through, Tucker’s response when he puts the drumbeat down, is „first best guess“. And I love that because it’s just like: „This is just what spoke to me at that moment, this is what I came up with. Doesn’t have to be that this is the ‚end all, be all‘ but this is what my first best guess is.“ And usually it’s the correct thing, your first impression. But I honestly would say that „Past Lives“ in its entirety was our first best guess as a band.
Tucker: Hundred percent.
Frank: So I think that was just us kind of being like „Fuck, alright, cool! Hey, we can do this. Alright, now let’s do it even better!“ And we’re just constantly trying to impress one another and push it farther.
Tucker: I think we all want to be here. We’re all lucky to be here and we all want to be here and I think that’s-
Frank: A bunch of fucking wannabes, dude!
Tucker: A bunch of wannabes! (Laughs) Yeah, but we’re happy and glad to be here, and we want to be here.
Tucker, you initiated L.S. DUNES in the pandemic, to have something to do, to be creative. What’s it like for you, to see the band grow as it is? Is it what you had imagined?
Frank: He’s like, „terrible mistake!“ (Laughs)
Tucker: (Laughs) I don’t know what was more gratifying, making it, behind the scenes or letting it out into the world. Because I truly felt like my cup was so full on making these songs, and making this band, when nobody even knew about it. So everything on top of that is the bonus. People getting tattoos of the band, people coming to the first shows that we ever did. That’s all like gravy, the whole thing that I got out of it was all the behind the scenes stuff. The excitement of sending this stuff around and getting inspired and feeling truly invigorated from the whole experience. We talk about this a lot, it’s much like starting our first band all over again. Y’know, when you first play a note, and a drumbeat comes in and a singer sings and it all fits together, and you’re all like „Oh my god, we just made something!“ That’s how this whole thing felt and still feels. It’s crazy!
Amazing! I feel like from my perspective, from an audience perspective, that’s totally palpable. Seeing you guys play live and hearing your records, it just feels that way as well, it feels like you’re having so much fun with it.
Tucker: Thank you!
Frank: Thank you, that means a lot. ‚Cause it’s funny that you get that out of it as well, that you see that aspect of it. What Tucker just said, about how it’s kind of like your first band starting all over again, it really is! When you start your first band, you ask your friends that play instruments, some of them may not play instruments, but you ask your friends first, and you’re just kinda like „Hey, let’s hang out, and start a band, and make music together“ and that’s what this is. I was thinking as you were talking, Tucker, for this band or this friend group, you’re the Mikey Way (My Chemical Romance) of it, you’re the one that’s the most social, and you have the most friends. He knows so many people, Mikey Way knows fucking everybody!
Tucker: Dude, he really does know everyone!
Frank: Right? I’m not that guy. I’m not the guy that’s going out-
Tucker: I beg to differ! You’re pretty good!
Frank: It’s forced. (Laughs) But you know I’m not the guy who’s like „Oh, yeah, let’s go fucking hang out with these three-“ I’m not that dude, I have to really like you. (Laughs)
Tucker: True, true.
Frank: But, to be on the call list for this band, when I know he could’ve contacted so many other fuckin‘ people, is a flattering thing, and I feel really lucky to be in this. And there was a time, remember, during the pandemic, where by mistake I shut off the notifications on this, and I was MIA for like a week, and you were like „Yo, dude, the fuck’s up? Do you still wanna do this or not?“ and I was like „Oh my god! I do!“
Tucker: That was my version of a wellness check. I’m like „He might be dead“… (Laughs)
Frank: You know, I think about that sometimes, I almost fucked it up, and I’m so glad it worked out and, you checked on me.
Tucker: Dude, honestly I think it all started, when you put together the Future Violents.
Frank: I loved that band.
Tucker: I remember you sending the first song, and us just vibing on it right away and then coming over to your house and playing some tunes together. That’s kind of how I knew. I was like „Alright, well this is definitely the foundation of the band.
Frank: That’s awesome.
Tucker: I knew it would work with that and I knew it would work with Tim, so that was basically the two pillars of „Alright, this could be cool, this could be fun. I know that no one might ever hear this, but I know that we’ll have some fun and get some stuff out of it, and not have it be this, like you said before, laborious task. We’re gonna write some songs, whether they’re gonna see the light of day or not, they’re gonna be fun.”
Frank: And we’re gonna have fun doing it, too.
Do you have an anecdote you would like to share from the recording process? Some cool story, something funny, something that you learned?
Frank: Well we stayed in a house down the street from Will’s (Will Yip, Producer) all together, and it was this little rowhouse in the outskirts of Philly in Conshohocken, and we would watch movies every night, and I literally don’t have a story to tell, I’m trying to find one by saying where we were, and I’m hoping Tucker’s gonna come in and be like „and there was this time!…“
Tucker: Well, dude! Okay, I got you! What were the movies that we were watching, the ones that Travis put on?
Frank: Yeah, ‘cause we started to have to brainstorm what the record was going to be about and what it was going to be called, and we watched that „Being There“ movie, and we watched all of the „Excorcist“ movies.
Tucker: The „Excorcist“ movies, yes! And we were looking for subtle clues in the movie or this crazy inspiration. It was very weird, we were all watching these really fucked up movies being like „Okay, I guess we’re gonna go record tomorrow…“
Frank: Yeah, and then you had to go up a three story walk up alone, in this weird fucking house.
Tucker: And then the next morning you wake up, and we’re all eating cereal like children, getting ready to go record.
As you do, of course! Okay, so at Metal1.info we have this little tradition, where we do a brainstorming-hotseat type situation. So I’m gonna say a word and you’re gonna say whatever comes to mind first.
Punk: Frank: As fuck! – Tucker: Ramones!
Magic: Frank: “The Gathering” – Tucker: spelled with a „k“!
2025: Frank: Oh, fuck. I hope we survive (laughs) – Tucker: Hey, that rhymes!
David Bowie: Tucker: The best! – Frank: Oh man, yeah, end all, be all.
Favourite book: Frank: Favourite book, oh shit, nice! – Tucker: „Post Office“ by Charles Bukowski. – Frank: Oh, that’s a good one. I mean, the easy answer is „Catcher in the Rye“ but currently? I’m gonna go with „The Book Thief“ at the moment.
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29. Januar 2025 Helen Lindenmann
Dieses Interview wurde per Telefon/Videocall geführt.