Lazy Queen

At once anthemic and accessible, jangly and ethereal, Lazy Queen crafts an expertly blended atmosphere that satiates our love of shoegaze and punk alike. Based in Bushwick, but bred from all around the world, the international foursome recently released their debut Drift EP. We chatted with lead singer, Henrik, who has a penchant for dangerously throwing himself down stage steps during the band's exhilarating live performances.


Your band mates hail from all over the world. How did you come together?

Well, we all moved here for different reasons and at different times. Reyson and I met while cruising the Internet for people to play music with. We got very drunk together the first time we met up and haven’t stopped drinking (and occasionally making music) together since. We started out recording in Reyson’s bedroom and eventually found ourselves in need of a band to play the songs live. So Reyson brought in his friend Julian, and after having burnt through an array of drummers, the Craigslist Gods bestowed upon us Joel.

How do your international roots feed into your music?

Julian is Puerto Rican, Reyson is Dominican-Chinese raised in Puerto Rico, Joel is a Midwestern American with Norwegian roots, and I’m an adopted Colombian raised in Norway. Together we become a cacophony of Norwegian pragmatism and Latino passion. I think most of all, it just allows us to trash talk each other in languages nobody understands—it maintains our group harmony.

Your band name conveys some wonderfully quirky imagery, what inspired it?
It was originally inspired by the lyrics of a Pixies song, but it has in many ways come to create its own meaning. When I first told my friends, they all pretty much responded “Aaah! That makes sense...you ARE a lazy queen!” I’m not sure how to feel about that.

Tell us about your debut EP! What inspired its genesis?

It’s called Drift and it’s being released on the wonderful Pacific Trash Records out of Seattle. It’s an accumulation of songs we’ve been working on since late last winter. One of the songs, "Lesion," was the first song we ever wrote with the full band present. It’s been an adventure exploring the darker, noisier, tenser elements of our sound and lyricism, because our music will always be closely connected to the flows of our personal lives. When we came together we were very much going through the motions in our own lives, so the band and the music became a place to store and process all that shit.

How does the creative process begin for the four of you?

Reyson and I will usually get together and work on ideas before bringing them before the rest of the band to be fleshed out. Once it’s more put together, I’ll transition from mumbling incoherently into the mic to writing actual lyrics. Although, I must admit I rarely finish them until right before we are about to record. Essentially, the structure and melody of the songs will usually start with Reyson and I, but it doesn’t sound like Lazy Queen until the four of us are in a room together.

Where did you record your EP? How did that contribute to the final product?

We recorded it at 1989 Recordings at Silent Barn in Bushwick. We set out to try to transfer our live energy to the recordings, so we recorded it live for the most part, with all of us playing at the same time. For pretty much every track, Reyson and I would record a track of guitar noise and feedback for texture, and after the vocals had been dubbed that was pretty much it. We’ve been working with home recordings up until this point, and it was liberating to be able to focus less on the technical side and more on the music and performance.

If you were forced to define your music, how would you describe it?

Psych-shoegaze-garage-noir-pop-German-expressionist-kitten-tango-rock with a twist of lime.

You’ve been known to sometimes perform in drag—how does that factor into your band’s message?

I’m not trying to make some big statement. It’s been my own exploration with self-expression. And there are so many people with so many beautiful and daring forms of self-expression, especially here in New York, who have inspired me to do the same. I guess it’s an encouragement to stop giving too much power to the opinions and judgment of those around you and start using that power for yourself. - Nylon Magazine

Lazy Queen have just released their new album, “Drift” via Pacific Trash Records and, in doing so, have raised the bar in garage rock with 4 powerful anthems dedicated to the new angst of youth. These are literally four tracks of sonic journeys laden with lush hooks and melodies to light your way to the end. The sad part is, well, there’s an end. Lazy Queen’s name is a bit of a misnomer because, after listening to “Drift” over the past few days, I know they are far from lazy when it comes to their music.

About Lazy Queen:
Brooklyn based Lazy Queen were started as a recording project by Henrik Soeberg and Reyson Morales in early 2014. After recording and releasing their debut EP on their own they were approached with more and more exciting live opportunities and found themselves in need of a full band to execute the recordings. Enter bassist Julian S, back-up vocalist Deborah Kvam and drummer Joel Gunderson. - Jammerzine

Lazy Queen "Drift" E.P. (lazyqueen.bandcamp.com)

Brooklyn's Lazy Queen rip through four high energy tracks on their debut E.P. "Drift". Opener "Wouldn't You Rather Know Yourself" is full of big riffs and reverb drenched guitars that create a sonic landscape of intensity before fading out with the bleak and cold sounds of a wandering piano. "Torus" is a quick paced melodic number that features some brilliant playing from lead guitarist Reyson Morales that gels well with vocalist/guitarist Henrik Soeberg. Things get a bit darker during "Child Of Glass" as the band venture into more melodic territory that channels classic bands like Ride, The House Of Love and MBV while the catchy feel of "Lesion" is backed by the driving attack of bassist Julian S. as things break into a collection of colorful guitar noise mayhem that quickly reforms into a crushing sonic onslaught led by drummer Joel Gunderson. An impressive debut that harnesses raw rock n roll energy and blends it with ambient shoegaze bliss. - Custom Made Music

If I wasn’t terrified of flying I’d visit a while bunch of places and take in as much live music as possible. I’d start out in New York and follow a band called Lazy Queen around. So I guess I’ll have to wait until they eventually come to the UK.

Lazy Queen are loud. Real loud and each song sounds like they are out to prove something. I can’t pin point what they’re trying to prove, but they’re easily one of the most exciting bands around and have understandably gained a rep as being an electrifying live band. You can make sense of their sound on record, but you just know that their live shows is where they truly shine.

I’ve got this image in my mind of how their live shows are. Lots of sweat and tired bodies throwing themselves around. There is something brilliantly demonic in their music- a little tamer than bands such as Pop.1280 and Spectres but brutal all the same. Lazy Queen are still a relatively new band but with a sound as strong as theirs, they can easily put others to shame. They only have 4 songs on their bandcamp page, and the 5 minute haunting style of Ants pretty much shows just how brilliant Lazy Queen are.

They’re not a band you write poetically about. I’m not a fan of pretentious descriptions. I don’t want to be told that a song will make me feel like I’m running carefree through a meadow. Fuck that. I want to be told that this is the loudest and most aggressive thing I’ll ever hear. Or something similar. So how will Lazy Queen make you feel? I can’t say, that’s on you.



They take elements of band like The Jesus And Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and Pixies. They take these influences and make something remarkable of their own. In a world full of people talking pointless noise, it’s nice to hear bands like Lazy Queen who have something worth paying attention to. Then again, my idea of socialising is going to buy records and talking to the person in the shop about them.

In a few months Lazy Queen will be releasing a 4 track EP called Drift. If I was to comply a list of EPs I’ve enjoyed this year, I’d probably end up putting Drift in there. Sure I’ve not heard it, but what I have hear from these guys is enough to know that they’re going to do great things and will hopefully gain some cult-like following.

Lazy Queen may be for those who like their music a little loud and a little creepy. Maybe those who value their hearing may shy away from the band, but if you can- go see them live. They’re a band that when you go see them, you stand right by the speakers and pay no mind to the fact that you’re going to be deaf tomorrow and probably for a few days afterwards. It’ll be worth it. If you’ve not left a gig with some kind of injury, then you’ve not had a nice time. - Olivia Cellamare

Loud, chaotic and high energy shoegaze/alt rock from Brooklyn backed by an aggressive beat, in your face vocals and thick fuzzed out guitars. - Custom Made Music

Apart from Bushwick Bill, most recently best known for his feud with Zosia Mamet, there are few bands from Bushwick that actually make it to a status of fame beyond the confines of New York. Even local favorites like the Dirty Whores and Dirty Slores have never achieved outside acclaim. Thus, Lazy Queen’s publicity in national (but, yes, New York-based) magazine Nylon, has caused a riot in the underground music scene of Bushwick.

Lazy Queen puts the Bushwick music scene on blast more than it ever has been
Lazy Queen puts the Bushwick music scene on blast more than it ever has been
“What the fuck makes their ‘shoegaze’ music worthy of an entire fucking interview with the lead singer, huh? Is it because they’re from outside of the U.S. or something–they’re, like, ‘ethnic’ enough to be cool? What the fuck is this prejudice?” bewailed Tommy Noneck, the vocalist for Dirty Whores.

Even bands that play rinky dink venues like Pine Box are trying to up their game in light of Lazy Queen's rise to prominence
Even bands that play rinky dink venues like Pine Box are trying to up their game in light of Lazy Queen’s rise to prominence
Noneck isn’t the only one to experience these sudden feelings of inadequacy in the wake of Lazy Queen’s turn of good fortune in the public eye. Even bands that have formed all of a week ago and perform small potatoes gigs at Pine Box are freaking the fuck out. A guitarist for freshly birthed band Free Kesha commented, “Maybe if we really impress everyone at this show, they’ll spread the word, you know? You never know when fame can strike.” Likewise, you never know when crippling obscurity can remain. - The Burning Bush

Slide show - Impose Magazine

Newborn drone rock Brooklyn quartet Lazy Queen has released two digital singles in 2014, whose expansive sonic reference noisy melodic bands from the late '80s/early '90s like My Bloody Valentine and Jesus & Mary Chain. Their more aggressive material lands decidedly in noise rock territory ("Velveteen"), but today we are in the mood for something a little more ethereal, check out "Dust" below, and see these guys at Santos Party House on November 11. - Deli Magazine

NYC duo Lazy Queen is composed of Henrik Søberg and Reyson Morales. Hailing from completely polar opposites of the planet, they bonded over a common lust for noise, gazing at shoes and sonic psychedelia in a Brooklyn bar. Having broad musical backgrounds with Henrik coming from Norway and Reyson from San Juan, Puerto Rico the duo started composing and recording music in Reyson's Harlem apartment. After releasing their first single, "Velveteen", they recruited Julian S on Bass, Dèborah Kvam on backup vocals and drummer Dave Beale to complete the full lineup. The band performs tonight at Brooklyn Night Bazaar opening for Psychic TV. Enjoy the beautiful video for their second single "Dust" which is a reverb drenched, noise induced gem sure to satisfy your shoegazing needs. - Custom Made Music

Translated transcript to come - NRK P3 Urort