In an age where a band can make their own music and get it out there themselves, hard work should no doubt pay off, and so far things seem to have fallen in place for Lectra Lust. “We want to be big, and do big things,” says Joe Davies, singer and frontman for the local electropop group. The rest of the band — Brooks Wharton (drums), Jamie Teske (guitars), and Mike Meehan (bass) — collectively feel optimistic about such prospects.
As recent winners of the electronic/experimental category in the 2014 Charleston Bandswap competition, this is just the beginning for Lectra Lust, who only came together a year and a half ago. Each of the guys still has a nine-to-five job, jobs that are each pretty far away from the music world, like catering and construction. That said, while the band has worked incredibly hard already, they make the best of the time they have, considering the difficulty in balancing a full-time job and what is, for now, a hobby.
“We’re a very young band,” says Teske. “We do know we can make our own music and get it out there, and it’s pretty amazing we can go into our meager studio and do that. Joe knows a lot about sound engineering, so we’re lucky from a professional standpoint. And we’re all pretty gear-headed and very particular about things.”
That fact has allowed them to easily circumnavigate what could have been a rather daunting obstacle for novice musicians. It turns out, Davies’ abilities enabled him to perfect the band’s overall sound.
After meeting at a tacky Christmas sweater party, the guys discovered a love of similar music and decided to explore the possibilities. Davies, who also plays synth for the band, had been creating a lot of music on his own computer, and the other guys realized he was the missing element that could fill out their sound.
“We listened to Joe’s solo material, and we all kind of naturally wanted to go down that path,” Wharton says. “We wanted this analog sound combined with digital, and that’s what we got.”
Lectra Lust, which suggests a mixture of modern indie electropop outfits such as Future Islands, Twin Shadow, and Blood Orange, has clear ’80s new wave influences as well. In Davies’ voice, you can hear elements of Bowie, Prince, and Elvis.
These self-described creators of “cerebral synth pop” aren’t just music nerds, however, and their live show illustrates that fact more than anything else. The guys put their all into every show, and, of course, plan on doing just that for their upcoming CD release party at the Royal American. Despite the hassle, the band always adds extra lights and fog in their quest to get folks dancing. Think high energy, sweat, and elation. These guys want you to get totally lost in the spectacle they create.
“We’re gonna pull out all the stops,” says Mike Meehan. “We just like being out there and having fun, and hopefully everyone is having just as much fun as we are. Wear your fairy costumes. It’s Halloween, and it’s gonna be awesome. You’re gonna get your full five dollars’ worth.”
That’s a rather lofty promise, but for a band who knows the importance of a strong work ethic — and the importance of sweat bands and feather boas — it’s more than likely you’ll have to pay a lot more than that to attend their shows in the future. Get it while it’s hot, people. And sweaty. And cheap. And ridiculously fun.
Stay cool. Support City Paper.
City Paper has been bringing the best news, food, arts, music and event coverage to the Holy City since 1997. Support our continued efforts to highlight the best of Charleston with a one-time donation or become a member of the City Paper Club.