The Lickerish Quartet: Roger Joseph Manning Jr, Tim Smith and Eric Dover (all ex Jellyfish) speak to The Strange Brew’s Jason Barnard about their superb new EP Threesome Vol.2, songwriting and their influences.
Am I right that “Snollygoster Goon” is about control and corruption, and if so would you describe it as a satire on the current political climate?
Eric: Sure, I think that’s a correct assessment though it could be a satire on any governmental system past or present. This was an exercise into that dreaded “political song” territory for me. Hopefully the frustration and madness were conveyed and by madness I mean insanity. Fire up those offshore accounts kids! We’re going plundering! (insert laugh track here)
Are there any concepts or unifying themes across both Threesome EPs?
Roger: None. And if any are perceived it’s purely coincidental. Each song is its own environment musically and lyrically. They have only been coupled into groups of 4 so that the duration of each EP provides a diverse and eclectic journey for the listener from environment to environment. Nothing any more premeditative than that.
What inspires you to write currently, do you start with a musical phrase or lyric?
Tim: I’ve got far, far too many cassette tapes, (and voice memos now) full of little melodic snippets of guitar chords and nonsense mumbles, but that’s still where I start.
Roger: Often an interesting harmonic passage on the guitar or piano will invite me to overlay a melody on top. A whole song can launch from there. Other times it’s simply a matter of me being obsessive about the inner workings of other artists’ songs. I deconstruct the mechanics of those and write my own from that inspiration. It might start our sounding like their’s but inevitably it will end up sounding like mine.
Eric: As for me, I write, sing play and record live on the spot and shape things later. I never like to premeditate anything in fact the further away I can get from that methodology the better. It needs to surprise me for that adrenaline rush to kick in. I may write on keys guitar bass. Sometimes I just write on the computer in a purely stream of conscious compositional manner until something hits that groovy spot for me.
You all play many instruments. What is your songwriting instrument of choice and does that influence the style of the song?
Tim: Usually guitar, but not always. Lately I’ve tried to have songs written in my head first, so as to not fall into the normal trap of letting the instrument dictate my choices.
Roger: Keyboard is the instrument I have mastery of. However ballads and introspective, moody music seems to be the limited result of writing with that instrument. If I want high energy music to result I have to put on a guitar, trust my ear and musicality, and fumble through using bar chords. So far so good.
Where and how do you record?
Tim: We started basic tracking of drums and some guitars and bass in a recording studio in Los Angeles in 2017. We then moved to another LA studio to do overdubs and vocals. Since the pandemic, we’ve relied more on doing other overdubs at our own home studios and emailing each other our tracks.
On YouTube you show how “Lighthouse Spaceship” evolves in the studio. Is this a typical representation of how you shape material or do some songs also arrive fully formed?
Tim: I’d say so, at least with this first batch of 12 songs we worked on together. We each pulled things from various eras of our lives, and presented them to each other in 2017. We felt it was important to really collaborate on these, so nothing was really fully formed before we sat down together.
How does the music scene today compare to the 1990s? Is it easier or harder to get your music heard these days?
Tim: In a practical sense, it’s easier to get music out, because the internet provides that function in so many ways. The downside is that there are so many ways, none seem to gain traction in comparison to the 1990’s or earlier. Some of this in my humble opinion, is to do with the lack of a physical ownership of a record, or CD. I love the ability to store a bazillion songs on my phone, but I rarely listen to most of them, because I just don’t see them on my shelf.
Eric: Artists still don’t make any money for the most part. It’s easier to get music out but it’s still expensive to make and promote as ever if you want to do it properly. It’s the same pig with a bow on now as has always been, just a different nomenclature for delivering the music. Both eras have their advantages and a whole suitcase full of drawbacks. Maybe instead of lion taming I should have gone into chartered accountancy. Who knows?
How do you feel your sound has developed since you started – have you grown in confidence?
Roger: the more you do anything the more wisdom you gain and greater self confidence is the inevitable result. So with the completion of each EP I’d say we are growing immensely as a trio. Having to complete EP #’s 2 & 3 long distance due to C-19 has invited us to acquire all kinds of new skills, wether we wanted to or not. But we’ve learned volumes as a result and are only better for it.
What are your favourite tracks that you’ve penned across all your musical careers?
Tim: I’m pretty proud of a couple of songs I wrote with the Umajets, “The Middle of Monday” and “Mother”
Roger: All of them, otherwise I would never have released them in the first place.
Are there any songs in your solo or previous band’s back catalogue you’d like to remake or revisit?
Roger: No. I have never willfully released anything to the public that hadn’t already gone through an infinite number of tests and clearances and quality control with the specific goal of not having any regrets. I have to be able to stand by my offering, no matter the public’s response.
Across your musical projects you’ve always had a devoted following in the UK. Would you describe yourselves as Anglophiles?
Tim: I would, totally. Although I grew up in an absolutely robust, and influential musical area near New Orleans, I was always more interested in sounds that were from over there. The grass always seems greener, I suppose?
Roger: Agreed. Pop genres of the Brits from the 1950s through to the present have always resonated more deeply with me than that from any other local.
Eric: I describe myself more of a cultural omnivore but I’m like your American cousin that comes over now and then, says stupid shit then leaves. All in good fun of course! Seriously speaking though UK music has influenced me profoundly. I’m how you say, chuffed(?) that we have been able to find a place in the hearts of many of your fine subjects. Pint of bitter please.
How has the pandemic affected you?
Tim: Obviously, not being able to tour, or play gigs has struck us all. Emotionally, though, being home this much isn’t too different from my normal life. I do miss seeing other members of my family, going out to dinner, etc. I do know several people who’ve come close to death from Covid 19, as well as couple who have died. I wear a mask, and socially distance myself.
Eric: I play music live at every chance I get so now that that’s fucked. . . I’m not so jazzed about web concerting but it’s the only way forward at the moment. Mentally I’m holding up I suppose but I AM NAPOLEON so that’s probably helped me in many respects.
The Lickerish Quartet EPs have been really well received, what are your plans for 2021?
Roger: Well EP #3 still needs to be completed long distance and that will inevitably take a while. And we are continuing to hone our Social Media skills. We have such a loyal and enthusiastic fan base and expanding that foundation is so important to us. Everyday we connect we new fans who are just discovering our music, have no idea about our previous projects, and so appreciate the melodic pop/rock offerings we present amongst today’s music climate.
The Lickerish Quartet, Threesome Vol.2 is released in the UK on 8 January 2021 on Lojinx.
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