Source: Luke Bateman/Kalloused Facebook
In our new series of interviews, we speak to musicians about the words behind the songs, their processes, influences and lyrical meanings. First up, Les Makepeace, vocalist for Brighton based noise/sludge crew Kalloused and Bristol’s finest post-metallers Sonance.
MOSH: How does the lyric writing process begin for you – Does the music come first, or the lyrics?
LM: We write the music for the song and the vocal rhythms at the same time. Generally the more we play and refine the song, the more the vocal rhythms and some lyrics stick; I then write around the vocal rhythms and the lyrics that have remained. It’s not the way everyone likes to work, but it works for me. It allows me to put the emphasis primarily on the rhythm of the vocal, rather than the lyrical content. The words come after. Not saying the lyrics don’t carry any weight, they do, but writing them first is just not how I help to build a song. If I wrote the lyrics before a song, it’d hinder the creative process for the band as a whole; the band isn’t a backing band.
MOSH: Do you go back to lyrics you have previously written and edit or refine them, or is it a case of ‘one and done’? Do you collaborate or share lyrics with other band members and take their feedback on board?
LM: I refine the lyrics that have stuck from the writing of the rhythms and music process, and then fill out the rest of the song with lyrics. These can also alter the rhythms I already have, so it’s all still open for manipulation. All opinions mean something with us. I’ve always seen a band as an equal exchange of ideas. It’s one giant mixing pot .
MOSH: Are there any bands or artists that have impressed or inspired you lyrically? Do you seek to emulate any other lyricists in particular?
LM: Emulating anything isn’t something I’m interested in. You’ll obviously be influenced even on a subconscious level by hints that surround you, it’s silly to think you won’t, but it’s not something I’ve ever headed out to do. If anything, if what you’ve written is too reminiscent of something else, then it gets scrapped.
MOSH: Where do you draw inspiration from your lyrics from?
LM: From life. Mainly personal experience and the observed experiences of others.
MOSH: Do you choose to publish your lyrics or keep them personal?
LM: I don’t publish my lyrics. I have them , but I don’t publish them.
MOSH: Is there anything you actively try and avoid when writing lyrics? Any topics or themes you think are overdone?
LM: I try to write about what’s real to me, and what’s affecting me at the time, whether it’s an observation, personal or otherwise. If it strikes a chord with me then I’ll use that.
MOSH: Is it important to you that lyrics always tell a story, impart a mood, or have meaning?
LM: To be honest, with a lot of the music I listen to, it’s difficult to make out what they’re saying most of the time. In that case, it’s not the lyrics that move me. I don’t often care what they’re saying. If I read the lyrics, I’ll like the lyrics as a piece of writing if they’re good, but it’s not gonna make me like a shit song.
