Backstage Pass - Lobotomy Kit - Interview

ATP

For the record, who's answering the interview?

LOBOTOMY KIT

Rasmus Sørensen Of Lobotomy Kit Here

ATP

What is your band's name? How did you come up with that name?

LOBOTOMY KIT

Our band is called Lobotomy Kit. We had a lot of different names up for discussion. You know with time it doesn't get easier finding a cool band name that hasn't already been taken. Then one day I was listening to Them Croocked Vultures with the song Mind Eraser. In the song he sings something with a DIY Lobotomy Kit and I thought that was a pretty cool picture. So I presented it to the others and we agreed upon that.

ATP

So who's in the band and what instruments do you each play?

LOBOTOMY KIT

The Band consist of three members:
Sulo Kiivit: Guitars (through a split signal so that he plays bass and guitar at the same time), backing vocals.
Rune Bæk: Vocals and additional guitars in some songs
Rasmus Sørensen: Drums and backing vocals

ATP

How would you describe your sound. What makes you unique?

LOBOTOMY KIT

Our sound is somewhere in between the stoner rock and early 90's grunge. What makes us unique is that we haven't got a bass player in the traditional way, since Sulo is in charge of that. You can say it's a reversed Royal Blood. Since we're only To guys in the rhythm department it gives us some more free space for playing around. In other aspects it limits us as well. with the limitations it has been fun to find out how to make stuff sound the way we'd like it to with just the two of us. On the record we have a song called Quit, and to be able to play that live Sulo had to come up with a guitar loop I had to follow. So there has been some technical obstacles to overcome, but at the same time that's then fun thing about it.

ATP

What bands have influenced each of you?

LOBOTOMY KIT

We listen to a lot of different stuff. Sulo has been listening to a lot of death metal, and plays in a black metal band called Glorior Belli. Rune and me have been playing in a stoner metal band called Plöw and have been listening to a lot of music within that whole stoner metal genre. But what we all have in common is the love for the rock/heavy music from the 90's bands like Alice in Chains, SoundGarden, Nirvana, Tool, Down, Pantera etc. But we have a lot of different references there's also a lot of local bands from our hometown Aarhus that have been influencing us. Bands like IIIrd Alternative, Fossils, BErsærk, Mammatus Cloud etc. Sadly some of them have broken up, but it's this ever evolving thing where bands break up and new ones get formed. There is a really strong community within the scene here.

ATP

How experienced are you on the stage, a virgin or whore?

LOBOTOMY KIT

Hahaha. Nice metaphor. Well with Lobotomy Kit itself we haven't been playing a crazy amount of gigs but our virginity has been popped so to say :-) All of us are quite old in the game and have been playing a lot of gigs with previous bands. So you can say we're somewhere in between maybe. We're not virgins But it's not like we're that old worn whores who're walking around dripping gonorrhea all over the place either.

ATP

How would you describe your shows?

LOBOTOMY KIT

With a pen, a pencil, a typewriter or a computer. Nah, it's always hard to tell how it works on others. I'd be sitting behind my drums doing my thing and being all intense about it. When we're on then it's pretty intense I'd say. Just pure energy outlet, and giving as much as you've got. If people dig it it's cool, and if they don't then we'd still be having fun.

ATP

Tell us about your favorite show and why?

LOBOTOMY KIT

Well one of our good friends arranges these epic concerts in a small village called Gylling in the middle of fucking nowhere. They have this old house build for concerts, theaters etc. And this guy, Thorbjørn, is arranging all these awesome metal concerts out there. The village itself holds around 500 citizens or something and the venue can take 130 last time we played there they where 5 people from having sold out. I find it awesome the such a huge percentage of a village comes out and supports the local scene. It has gained this cult status in a way now, and for every show more and more are attending. It's a really fun place to be playing. People are super friendly and caring about you and your band. The bands sit and eat together before the show. Food that has been made by the hosts. Everything about it is just fucking awesome. So the times we've been playing out there has definitely been some of the most fun ones.

ATP

Tell us about your worst show and why?

LOBOTOMY KIT

We haven't really been playing any bad gigs. At least not with Lobotomy Kit. With our old band Plöw we tried play in Herning to one paying customer, who bought a beer to a sip of it and left before we'd even started the show. At least we got an extra beer since he didn't drink more than a sip of it. But that was kinda shitty. Anyways it's a good story to tell now.

ATP

Tell Us About Your Dream Show, who you'd like to play with and where?

LOBOTOMY KIT

Orange Stage at Roskilde festival. That stage just has something really special

ATP

Do you have a street team and how can you join?

LOBOTOMY KIT

Well these days it's mostly about facebook isn't it? So we have our page there from where we communicate stuff out. And then of course we have all our friends who are supportive in the best way imaginable.

ATP

Do you have a record label and if not are you looking for one?

LOBOTOMY KIT

Nope. It really depends on the deal.

ATP

What are your plans for the future, in a year, 5 years?

LOBOTOMY KIT

Well Since Sulo has moved back to Estonia, it's kinda hard to be an active band in the same way as we used to. But we're trying to see if it's possible to book a tour in the autumn with enough gigs for us to break even with the costs of a flight ticket from Talinn to Copenhagen.

ATP

Finally, do have any words on what Arm The Pit means to you?

LOBOTOMY KIT

We got tuned on to you by our friends in Fusskalt, but before that we didn't know much about it to be honest. But that is the beauty of music right? You discover new stuff all the time and get to share it with fellow friends who'd have the same ambitions and goals as yourself.