Australian powerhouse rock band The Lazys are set to play in Red Deer on Aug. 29th at Bo’s.
The tour comes on the heels of the release of their new Canadian single Howling Woman which is currently Top 40 in Canada at Active Rock Radio. The tune was co-written by Leon Harrison and Mathew Morris.
The Lazys have been warmly embraced in North America gaining recognition from their fall 2014 tour opening for The Trews, One Bad Son and Big Wreck. They played Red Deer in both the spring and the late winter of 2015 as well.
Harrison, lead vocals, said the band has been embraced by the Canadian people – thus the frequent returns to the Great White North – plus they plan to do some recording here later this fall after the tour wraps up.
“It’s a great opportunity to play rock ‘n roll – and we will take it,” he added, pointing out this time around, the guys are covering the nation with about 20 shows.
The recording sessions, as mentioned, will follow in Vancouver with Garth Richardson in late September. There will be loads of collaboration with other artists including The Trews, and Harrison said the vision for the CD is mainly sticking to what has fueled the band’s success so far while also not being wary of evolving.
“We’ll definitely be branching out and trying some other kinds of instrumentation.” To date, they have about 25 cuts that could end up on the disc but of course only about a dozen will make the final cut.
Being one of Australia’s best and most talked about live rock and roll bands, their live performances they are described as gritty, loud, edgy and dangerous, delivering a ‘fistful’ of rock ‘n’ roll.
Harrison’s love for music stretches back over the years, even having sung in choirs in his younger days as well.
Still, getting used to the stage took some adjusting. At first, it was a bit daunting.
But the undeniable chemistry amongst the guys in the band makes it easier once they hit the stage.
Rounding out the band are Mat Morris (lead guitar), Liam Shearer (bass guitar), Glenn Williams (bass guitar) and Andy Neilson (drums).
Hailing from New South Wales and having launched the band in 2007, The Lazys first set of showcases at last year’s Canadian Music Week in Toronto quickly became the buzz of the festival after they played three sets in only 23 hours, gaining the attention of elite music industry members.
In Australia, they have released three EPs and a full-length album, Prison’s Earth (2010).
The Lazys had a chance to work with renowned producers including Phil McKellar and Matt Lovell (Grinspoon, Silverchair).
In 2008, they secured over 3,000 votes to win the Jack Daniels Set, a national music competition to find Australia’s best live band.
From there, their single Hey Man charted high on Triple M’s Best Aussie Songs 2009 list and Sunshine City was adopted as the FOX sports theme song.
That first tour certainly sparked a mutual love affair between the band and Canada.
Morris calls the country, “Our new home away from home.
“You guys have just taken us under your wing. We can’t believe the support,” he said. “Canada was the very first overseas tour for us as a band. Our first show was in a small town called Chicoutimi and it was one of the best gigs I’ve ever played.
“The people, the crowd. It was just soooo intense and supportive. They definitely love their rock and roll!”
During that earlier Canadian visit, the aforementioned superstar hard rock producer/engineer Richardson (Rage Against The Machine, Nickelback, Mötley Crüe) was so blown away by one CMW set, he arranged to produce two new tracks at his Vancouver studio.
Shake It was co-written by the band and Ian D’sa of Billy Talent, while two other Canadian rock heroes, John-Angus and Colin MacDonald of The Trews, co-wrote Hard Luck with The Lazys. The self-titled disc was released in the fall of 2014, with Shake It Like You Mean It the first single.
The rest of the album was recorded in Brooklyn with the ace Canadian production team of Gus Van Go and Werner F. and it captures their marriage of rock muscle and melody.
For Morris, a passion for music came relatively early.
“I guess it all started for me with my dad,” he recalls, describing his father as an avid Beatles fan.
“He played in a Beatles cover band, so I guess I was around that kind of music as a child. So I loved the Beatles – first and foremost,” he added with a laugh. “I started playing guitar from around the age of eight and it’s been a really strong passion – and it’s just gotten stronger and stronger in time.
“I’m fortunate to be able to chase this kind of dream now.”
editor@reddeerexpress.com
