Answers by Amanda Kiernan (Lead Vocals)
When did the initial idea for your latest single come together?
LSC was one of those things where we were all just jamming and it kind of fell together. Not effortlessly, but there are some songs that just come together so quickly, it’s crazy. The riffs came in and it was really heavy but subtle. Then I had the idea lyrically to write about how bugs mate… the black widow, the praying mantis, their mating rituals. I thought that was a pretty metal concept. So that’s how it all came together.
I love how it lures you in really softly and beautifully, but then it hits hard with the chorus. And I loved the chorus so much that I didn’t want to sing over it. So this song actually has no lyrics in the chorus. It’s just the instruments creating the hook.
How would you describe the track to a reader that is unfamiliar with the band?
It’s haunting and sexy and a little scary. It lures you in, and then it rips your fucking head off, as the lyrics say.
Can you tell us a bit more about the meaning behind the track?
This was the first song that Famous Strangers had where we were really coming into our sound. It takes a while for musicians to come together as a collaboration. You write a couple songs together, but then after a while you start to really get in the groove of things. LSC was the first song where I think we found our sound, and that was it for us.
I can’t tell you what LSC means. I don’t know if I’ll ever really reveal it, but people have been close to guessing. The meaning behind it is how bugs mate. They lure their prey in, they mate, and then they kill. The black widow will rip its partner’s head off after they mate. I just thought that was a really cool thing to write about lyrically, and it all came together. I love how the music intertwines with the vocals. It just leaves this uneasy feeling, and it’s really cool.
How would you say that the track compares to anything you’ve done before?
It’s so different, because this is the one where we found our sound. It’s got soft parts and heavy parts. I’ve sung metal for a really long time, just screaming, and this is the first time I went really chill with my vocals. I laid back and was really soft-spoken with it, almost like in the verses I’m speaking. It’s really fun to play around with.
LSC is very different from a lot of the other songs we have, even within Famous Strangers. I really hope to do more of that with new songs, and I think a little bit of that is already coming out in the newer tracks.
What was the hardest part about putting it together and why?
For me, I question everything and the self-doubt creeps in. When you’re working on something for so long, eventually you listen to a song over and over again, and then you’re on to the next thing. I almost threw this whole song out. Lyrically, I almost crumpled up the paper and threw it on the ground. Thankfully I have my boys to reassure me. LSC was born because the guys helped me realize that it was good and to not doubt things too hard. Sometimes it’s better than you think it is.
The whole thing is challenging… the making of the song and the making of the video. But with the challenges, we love to do it. Even though it’s work, it doesn’t feel like it because we just love what we do and it’s totally worth it. No matter what you’re doing in life, there’s always going to be challenges. Putting thoughts onto paper and making them become a reality takes time and money, and it’s really awesome when you have a great team to help you.
Why should a reader check out the track?
When I first heard the song fully done and finalized, I would listen to the whole thing and I almost felt like I needed a cigarette after. And I kind of love that, because that’s the whole concept behind the song… the bugs mating, and then they rip your fucking head off. After some good lovemaking, you want to have a cigarette. I was sitting with my sister listening to it and she felt the same way. She was just like, “Wow, I feel like I need a cigarette after that.”
I love that it leaves you feeling like, whoa, what was that? And even if you’re not into it, that’s totally fine, because that’s art. It’s not supposed to be loved by everybody. But I hope the people that do check it out love it, and I hope it makes them feel inspired and pumped up.
We definitely want to hear your opinion, good and bad. We want this song to get out into the world. The more people that listen to it, the better. We’re very proud of this one and we just want to share it with everyone.
What else can you tell us about the track that we haven’t covered in this interview?
We were honoured to work with Jeff Kittlitz on the production and recording side, along with Phil Anderson, Maor Appelbaum, and Joel Wanasek. LSC was the first song Joel got involved with, and he did such an incredible job. I’ll never forget sitting in my living room, putting on my headphones and listening to what Joel did to it. Tears ran down my face because I was so excited. I don’t think I’ve ever had a song that I’ve been a part of sound that full and loud and crazy.
We were also honoured to have our friend Lord Heathen handle all the fire and pyro in the music video. You might know him as Val from Zimmers Hole, Grave Mass, and West of Hell. He’s a good friend of ours, and we flew him out to do the fire in the video. If you look close enough, there’s one moment where you can actually see him doing the fire on the sides.
Also honoured to have my friend Kyle Ferguson, who was nice enough to let me rip open his stomach. And a huge shout-out to my best friend Molly Rasmussen for the incredible effects work, making it all look bloody and real. Don’t worry, it’s all fake. I didn’t actually kill my friend.
And of course, shout-out to Brad Thompson Visuals, because he’s been our go-to music video guy. It was so fun to create all that stuff.
