Loose Lips Sink Ships - Steve Marek

Unexpected, unpredictable, random, playful, peculiar, cheeky.

These are just some of the words I would attempt to describe the Illinois based math-rock
outfit Loose Lips Sink Ships. If you're unfamiliar with their music, you're
in for a real treat!

Formed in early 2007, Loose Lips Sink Ships fearlessly took on their home town of DeKalb,

Illinois and have remained untouchable in their local scene ever since. Their music 

flares and escalates into a frenzy of chaotic, polyrythmic pleasure, whilst still 

remaining atmospheric and sophisticated at the same time. Their playful nature of song 

writing is most exciting; eccentric song structures, odd time signatures, and an 

interesting approach to song titles. 

I was lucky enough to speak with Steve Marek - their quirky bass player, about genre
categorization, and not taking yourself too seriously.


1) Loose Lips Sink Ships formed in 2007, what made you choose a form of music so experimental and inventive? Where you listening to music similar in any way at the time? 
Did the four of you all share the same vision?

Steve Marek: We had some fundamental similarities when the group was formed, probably from more of an ethical standpoint in terms of what our goals were as musicians. We all have a few core
groups that we relate on though, and the longer the band was together, the more our
tastes assimilated.



2) On your last.fm page, a typical Loose Lips Sink Ships song structure has been written out as “twidly-twidly-do-bi-bup *melodic run here* tap-a-tap-a-tapa *angular chord here* doobly-doobly-dab”, which I thought was playfully not too far off. Do any  real songs come to mind when seeing this? Would you ever consider writing actual songs using this noodley guitar language?

SM: Apparently we did, seeing as that's a description of our music. I would assume the guy in
Skrillex writes his compositions verbally, in advance, like this: BRRRR-DIDDY-GOMP.
WOMP-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP-FART-WOMP-WOMPWOMP-SCREEEEEEH.

3) Like most experimental, genre-bending bands, I've read that you
don't like being labelled as "Post" or "Math" anything, which is highly understandable.
How would you personally categorize your sound to someone who has never heard your
music, or any of the genres associated with Loose Lips Sink Ships?

SM: Personally, I'm okay with labels as people see fit. It is a human tendency to categorize
things, and it's an asset in the sciences. If you go to the library and ask, "I'd like to
check out this book by so-and-so" and the librarian lowers his/her glasses and says, "I'm
sorry, that book is just so good that we can't categorize it", you're going to be fucking
pissed. I think there are quite a few bands that fall into the math-post-experimental
rock category that would like to 'defy' categorization, but what's the difference? It
would be a bit pretentious if nothing else to not want to be grouped with other bands
that are pretty rad in their own right. If there is an interview out there that says we
don't like that, then I guess this is contradictory.




4) In September 2008, you released a split album with El Pin Meldou, could you tell me a
little bit about the recording process and how it all came about?

SM: We had some songs written and so we recorded them in our friends studio above his garage.
I can't recall too many details of this session, other than it only took about a day. El Pin Meldou
was a band that Jacob and Conor were in before Loose Lips Sink Ships. Sorry I
can't provide much insight on this..


5) After the release of the 2009 Self Titled 7", Loose Lips went on to
develop an even more "challenging" sound, which saw the release of the mid-2010 7" split
album with Victor Villarreal, titled "Eating Happens". Technicality definitely spews
from the track "Sarah Palin's Parasailing", what pushed you guys for an even further
technical sound? Had the 4 of you somehow become bored at the state of your song writing?

SM: I think the two 7'' records are a natural progression in terms of where we started and
where we are now. I don't think we were ever bored, but it's important to all of us to
avoid complacency. It is very easy to write the same song over and over again per se, and
sometimes you really have to try a slew of different things that don't work to break your
own habits and tendencies. "Sara Palin's Parasailin'" was very rewarding because we
recorded it ourselves, and it is a fun song to play.

6) Your song titles are great. Obscure and questionable, but most
entertaining. For example, "Jesus Christ Look At That Yahweh", or "Meth Is Fun". What is
normally the inspiration behind choosing titles for Loose Lips Sink Ships?

SM: There is very little inspiration behind these titles, as one may guess from the lack of
seriousness. It's important to not take yourself too seriously, and perhaps that is the
only significance of the titles.


7) Future Loose Lips Sink Ships releases include; a split album w/
Noumenon, and a split album w/ Rooftops, which I am extremely excited to hear, can you
tell me when each of these will see the light of day?

SM: This is a source of great excitement for all of us in both bands, that being us and
Noumenon. There was talk of a split with Rooftops but that never materialized. The split
with Noumenon will be available sometime in August. This is our most recent material, and
we are really pumped to have it finally see the light of day! Noumenon was a great band
to do a split with because the music is similar in many ways but aesthetically, very
different.




8) Loose Lips played their last show at the House Cafe in DeKalb, in
the fall of 2010. Upon reading this myself, I haven't managed to find any official word 
about the break-up, or any real confirmation any where but random blog posts stating the 
same thing. What was the reasoning behind the possibility of a hiatus or break-up?

SM: We live in different parts of the country these days, so that's why we don't play
together any more. It is highly unlikely that we'll play again, but you never know. There
is a DVD that will be released very soon of this performance.


9) Rehearsals started again in June 2011, with performances already
planned for August. Was this the break of an indefinite hiatus, or rather a spontaneous
act of nostalgia after an expected break-up?

SM: This was a result of all of us living in the same area for 3 months, during which time we
finished writing and recording our most recent song, 'Papa Chubby', which is on the
upcoming record.

Living in different states can definitely take a toll on writing, amongst other things.
But Steve and the rest of Loose Lips Sink Ships will still be hard at work with their
remaining 3 projects -

Jacob and Steve play in a group called Renaissance Sound.

Conor writes electronic music as The Soft Greens.

Matthew plays in Lifted Bells.

Their new split album with Noumenon, entitled "Bro Grinds: Music To Grind Your Bros To"
will be released on Naked Alley Records on the 14th of August. You can preview/pre-order
the album HERE!