All eyes on Eyes Lips Eyes

152

Most bands produce an album by going into a studio and cranking out song after song, but in the cozy compound of its Chinatown warehouse, Eyes Lips Eyes approached its first album a little differently.

Eyes Lips Eyes, a band that is quickly gaining national attention, will release its new vinyl LP, “Blue Red,” at Velour Live Music Gallery on Friday. “Blue Red” is a culmination of a year-long campaign that started in July 2010. The band produced and released one single, one B-side and one music video each month, and the album is a collection of the best of each month’s songs.

[media-credit name=”Photo courtesy of Eyes Lips Eyes” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]
Eyes Lips Eyes, which features three BYU grads, is gaining increased national attention. The group is releasing the vinyl version of its new LP, "Blue Red," tonight at Velour Live Music Gallery.
The band, recently featured in the popular music magazine Filter, labels itself as “disco-punk,” but said it doesn’t really want to be stuck in one genre. It mostly just wants its fans to have a good time.

 

The Provo-bred band consists of four self-confessed “unique” individuals. Spencer Peterson and Tony Hello, both cousins and BYU grads, joined with Aaron Hatch, also a BYU grad and Thomas Carroll, a UVU grad, in 2007. They stuck around Provo for a while before relocating to Los Angeles.

“We’re probably the four least similar people that you could find together in one room,” said Peterson, the guitarist. “But somehow it all comes together perfectly.”

Eyes Lips Eyes started as a way to bring energy back into Provo music, members of the band said.

“I was heavily influenced by the Provo music scene from a few years back,” said Hello, the lead singer. “I just loved the high energy of those concerts. I’d come out sweating like a pig and feel like I just had the biggest workout of my life. I wanted to bring that energy back to the Provo scene and throughout the country.”

Peterson said he also feels strongly about the local talent in Provo and hopes students realize what they’re surrounded by.

“On tour, we always tout Provo as the greatest scene in Utah,” Peterson said. “It contains a lot of really great bands that are going places.”

Eyes Lips Eyes said it is influenced by new wave, high-energy rock music. Peterson listed the Talking Heads, The Strokes and Red Hot Chili Peppers as a few of their musical inspirations.

“It’s a really interesting mix, but I think that’s part of what makes us unique,” Peterson said.

Compiling the best of each month’s songs makes “Blue Red” feel very stream-of-consciousness, Peterson said.

“The album’s very personal,” Peterson said. “It’s like a journal of each month of our lives for the past year.”

With songs such as “Pretty” and “Tickle,” the record boasts a slew of high-energy, upbeat and instrumentally stimulating tracks that make one want to just get up and dance.

“We’re all about feeling good, having fun and feeling comfortable enough with yourself to just act crazy,” Hello said.

At Friday’s concert, which begins at 8 p.m., people can expect a lot of energy, dancing, jumping around and overall craziness, Hello said. Also performing are the bands Seve Vs. Evan and Red Orange.

Tana Frechem, a senior double majoring in German and English, is a fan of Eyes Lips Eyes and said she loves attending their concerts.

“Eyes Lips Eyes always puts on a really great live show,” Frechem said. “They have so much energy and it’s infectious.”

Katie Pitts, a senior majoring in humanities, said in addition to Hello’s hair, what she loves about Eyes Lips Eyes is the thought put into each song.

“I really love their song ‘Tickle’ because the lyrics are very clever and the intro guitar riff just explodes in this beautiful way,” Pitts said. “You can tell that these guys have a lot of fun and love what they do.”

After the band releases its record, it plans to go to Seattle to record its first EP with John Goodmanson, a producer who has also worked with high-profile bands such as Death Cab For Cutie and Owl City.

“The ultimate goal is to play really big shows to national audiences and eventually world audiences,” Hello said. “We want to take over the world.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email