INTERVIEW: LoftRiot on their debut EP, BANT
It's been a whirlwind few months for Seattle's LoftRiot.
Appearing out of nowhere in November, the DIY trio have already proved themselves as a force to be reckoned with when it comes to producing dirty alt-rock bangers. Debut single ARSON is just that - a blazing, fuzzy dalliance into the flames that showcases their ability to make a shit-tonne of succulent, cohesive noise. Follow-up DARK takes us from light into the shadows, reflected in its slightly more vulnerable lyrics and ominous vibe. You know we lap that shit up.
After racking up nearly 15,000 streams on ARSON and gaining 10,000 monthly listeners, the gang immediately threw some more sizzling hot coals on the fire - releasing their debut EP BANT on the 7th of January. The stealth of this entire operation is mind-boggling - but don't think that means a compromise on the level of filth these guys are cranking out.
Featuring three brand new tracks, BANT more than succeeds in establishing LoftRiot as the latest up-and-coming heavyweights in the alt-rock scene. A high-octane journey from start to finish, the EP opens with mouth-wateringly meaty riffs on instrumental track The Loft, Pt. 1, flowing seamlessly into the turbulent typhoon of noise that is GOING UNDER. Previous release DARK sits pretty mid line-up, followed by fury-fuelled '68 NOVA which serves us revved-up, tyre-screeching small town nostalgia. Rounded off by hit single ARSON, they just couldn't go wrong - you definitely won't wanna hit the brakes on BANT after just one listen.
We fired up our interviewing engines to check in on how the boys are feeling after the EP release, and to formally introduce them to you lovely lot!
Hey LoftRiot! Thanks for chatting with us, and congratulations on the release of your debut EP, BANT! How are you feeling now that it’s out?
We’re really excited to have music out and extremely grateful for the people listening to it. We really feel like a community is starting to form, and that's incredible.
Since putting out your debut single, ARSON, only a couple months ago, you’ve racked up quite the stream count! What’s it like knowing so many people are connecting with your music?
It’s insane! The entire reason that we write music is to have music that we love playing and listening to, as well as being able to share with others. So to have people receive it the way they have makes you feel connected to them, and it really makes you feel heard.
BANT seemed to come together very quickly - did you have it all ready to go before you released the two singles?
Yes! We spent the bulk of last year writing, and went to Arizona for two weeks in September to record the whole thing. It was all done DIY with our friend Jack from the band Alastair in their living room.
Are there any particular themes on the EP that links the tracks together?
Funny story. We started with writing GOING UNDER, and the lyrics came from a place of frustration with Covid and quarantine and all of that stuff. As it developed into an EP, we found that it slowly and unintentionally started taking shape as a whole narrative. I think by the time we had two songs done, we decided to just roll with it. The full story is long and makes a lot weird turns, we’ll definitely be explaining it in the not too distant future.
We love storytelling. We tell stories that we made up, we tell true stories about crazy weekends, and periods of life. We really tend to let the instruments drive the song writing process, so by the time we finish jamming, it's much easier to come up with a narrative that matches the feel of that song.
Tell us a little bit about yourselves! How did you guys meet and how long have you been making music together?
The three of us met about a decade ago, but we all started hanging out around six or seven years ago. At that time, Jeremy and Howie had been making music in other projects together and separately, while Austin was focusing on honing his A/V skills. In late 2020 we decided to start a new band and really take things seriously, and that’s when Austin joined in musically speaking.
Amazing! So after ten years, why did now feel like the right time to start putting out music?
No idea. Howie and Jeremy were sitting in Howie‘s bedroom watching TV one day, Howie looked at Jeremy and said “Do you want to start a band again?” Jeremy said “Yeah that sounds good.” We called Austin up a few minutes later and asked him the same thing and he said “Yep.” The rest is history.
We found you via our pal Luke of cleopatrick - would you consider them one of your influences, and who else inspires you?
Yes a thousand times over, cleo forever! We also love Dead Poet Society, Liily, Ready the Prince, Death from Above 1979, Queens of the Stone Age, and The Blue Stones.
A lot of great choices there. What do you hope the next few years will look like for LoftRiot? Is there anything exciting we can expect from you on the horizon?
We’ve got merch, we’ve got videos, and some more media all coming soon. Live shows as much as possible, we really just want to dive into the scene and get wild with all the homies! We’re also writing currently, no dates, no big announcements, but LP1 is coming!!!
Thanks again for chatting with us! We can’t wait to hear more from you ✨
Listen to BANT on Spotify and Apple Music
Review and interview by Courtney Myers
