Mindless Joy With LOSER
Subscribe
X

Subscribe to Forte Magazine

Mindless Joy With LOSER

From Restless Noise to Mindless Joy, LOSER are anything but less.

Consisting of formers members of The Bennies, The Smith Street Band and Grim Rhythm, LOSER have swept through the Melbourne music scene off of the back of their gut-punching self-titled track of 2018 off of EP Restless Noise and gargantuan support slots with Violent Soho, Ruby Fields, Fucked Up and Slowly Slowly, and playing BIGSOUND and Til The Wheels Fall Off. Now, the five-piece are dropping their debut self-aware album, Mindless Joy.

Across the LP, guitarist, Tim Maxwell, explores the role of modern technology in society and social interactions and relationship we have with the endless void of the scroll, whilst also analysing his desire to maintain freedom on a creative spectrum, even if it means never reaping commercial success.

“It’s about our relationship with technology and the impact it has on my own mental health, anxiety and depression,” Maxwell explains. “It’s about how invasive the black mirror is in our personal lives and the attachment issues and obsessive behaviours that centre around it. We’re communicating through a screen and not having meaningful connections, but it’s the age we live in and it’s not going to change anytime soon.”

This is echoed perfectly through the title track with lyrics, “You can’t ignore the fate that lies within your hands/ We’re working on our minds to change our future plans”. But Maxwell does admit that while he does fall in the technology trap, he is also a tech-head.

“I’m making a conscious effort to step away from the phone this year but I’m my own worst enemy. I love technology and will be the first in line for the new iPhone,” he laughs.

This heavy, introspective exploration takes place over 12 cleverly constructed tracks, however, is filtered through a lens of uplifting and energetic 4/4 beats, singing guitar solos and some Californian groove. Four singles are already out in the stratosphere including the confetti ‘Get It All Out’ which would sink perfectly into an early 2000’s high school teen-drama. It followed the August release of mosh-driven anthemic jam ‘Out of Luck’ with its punchy 5 stroke drumming to round out the final chorus chants. ‘Golden Things’ closed out 2019 for LOSER with their most infectious track to date and this stellar opening verse line to go with it, “I’m not worried about golden things / I find the truth in what the struggle brings”. Oomph!! Finally ‘Lazy’, which depicts depression and anxiety in its raw essence, launched LOSER into this next decade in the best possible way.

With another eight songs ready to be unveiled, Mindless Joy is shaping up to be a defining debut album for the young Melbourne rockers, and will add to their already vigorous live shows.
“We definitely did write with the live show in mind,” Maxwell admits. “We thrive on the stage and want to see our crowd have the time of their lives in the mosh pit, hopefully singing these tracks back to us.”

Restless Noise, Mindless Joy, we see a trend here with album titles and from what they’ve served up already, Endless Fun seems fitting.

“We already have the title for the next album and unfortunately it doesn’t continue along the ‘less’ path,” Maxwell says, breaking our hearts.
But regardless you’ll have endless fun with Mindless Joy. The record is out February 14 or Valentine’s Day for all of the romantics out there (the date is sheer coincidence). However, it will make for a killer Valentine’s Day gift so get on it.

‘Mindless Joy’ by LOSER out via Domestic La La Friday 14 February 2020.

Written by Tammy Walters
Photo by Luke Henery