The Lazys are not a band that lives up to their name. In fact, the New South Wales, Australia rockers are anything but lethargic. They’ve had quite the year, demanding the attention of fans and music industry alike with three heavy-hitting showcases at last spring’s Canadian Music Week (delivered in a feverish 23 hours, no less), and then stealing even more hearts as they embarked on a North American fall tour with The Trews and Big Wreck. Right now, they’re on the road on a nationwide tour of Canada in support of their new self-titled album.
Canadian soil is, truly, where The Lazys — who consistently are granted comparisons to fellow Aussies AC/DC — have felt their most fertile. After releasing a couple of EPs and a debut full-length album, 2010’s Prison’s Earth, the quintet grinded it out in NSW’s local scene for years, gaining traction and solidifying their live performance. But despite being well received at home (even winning the Jack Daniels Set — a nationwide search for Australia’s best live band — in 2008), kindred spirits have been found in Canadian rock fans most of all.
“We love Canada!” exclaims lead guitarist Mat Morris over the telephone from Calgary. “You guys have a really strong rock scene here. But it’s not just that — it’s you guys as people, as well. You guys have welcomed us and shown support and the crowds have been amazing. It’s become our new home, really.”
That strong connection between The Lazys and their ever-growing Canadian fanbase, Morris continues, is due to a genuine interest in rock music. “You guys go to gigs, you buy the merch, you’re there before the first bands start, and it’s really just a really strong supportive network there for rock and roll,” he says. “And I think that’s what a lot of places are missing, you know? I think you guys are kind of leading the way.”
The Lazys’ eponymous effort maintains a significant Canadian connection sonically, too. Not only has it been released on the successful Canadian independent label Pheromone Records, but renowned producer and sound engineer GGGarth Richardson (Rage Against the Machine, Mötley Crüe) produced two of the album’s tracks at his Vancouver studio — “Hard Luck,” which was co-written by John-Angus and Colin MacDonald of The Trews and “Shake It Like You Mean It,” co-written by Billy Talent’s Ian D’sa. D’sa also helped pen the band’s latest single, “Black Rebel.”
“He’s so talented,” Morris says of D’sa. “I think the main thing was, before we met Ian, Leon [Harrison, vocalist] and I had always wrote just together and we never really co-wrote with other people. And then from that, we realized it’s an amazing thing to do because you learn as a songwriter and working with Ian was that.”
Things just keep getting better for The Lazys, who stop in Vancouver to play at Venue Nightclub on December 15. “For me…. For the boys, it’s a dream come true,” Morris says. “And you get a chance to see things that you wouldn’t see, like the country. It’s an amazing opportunity, really. It’s great.”
The Lazys
When: December 15, 2015
Where: Venue Nightclub – 881 Granville Street
Tickets: $15 available online
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