Words by Jasmine Phull
Photos by Felicity Ieraci

As Tall As Lions had an honest beginning. In 2003, the Long Island quartet shacked up in a single-bed hotel room to record their debut, Lafcadio; fast-forward three albums later and the boys have upped the ante; recording their latest You Can’t Take it With You while renting a house in California. However, the album’s creation was shrouded with doubt and uncertainty; producers came and went; it was an arduous affair that almost saw their disbanding. Very much like their music it was a slow build, yet one listen to their ambient melodies coupled with vocal harmonies and their sometimes delicate yet always captivating sound, will reassure you that As Tall As Lions are no fickle boy band. They provide mid-tempo rock which uses floating guitars and slow grooves while mellower tracks are layered with electronic sounds. ‘You Can’t Take it With You’ is their most personal offering, which saw all four members contribute to the insightful lyrics. It’s less moody than their previous records providing an upbeat and humourous sensibility; very reminiscent of the members whose self-effacement and ‘take nothing serious’ attitude helped pave their way to our British terrain. Their sold-out shows and solid UK fan-base are a testament to their world-wide appeal and to their impressive climb to the top of their Pride.

Do you guys perceive yourself as a boy band?
Saen: On the record were men not boys. But just because we’re older does not mean we don’t have the mental state of 12-year-olds. So, if the only criteria to being a boy band are to be in a band and have male genitalia then indeed we are in fact a boy band. But I don’t think we actually see ourselves in that way.

Do you guys have a dance routine? Do you do side steps on stage?
Saen: I think Cliff on the drum does most of the side stepping.
Cliff: Yeah, I move from one side of the stage to the other.

While playing the drums?
Cliff: Yeah, it’s on wheels, kind of like a pulley thing. Jay and Chris from our crew push me from one side of the stage to the other.

Wow, so you’re more than just a boy band. You’re a boy band with engineering. How’s the weather treating you?
Saen: It’s been fine. I think it’s kinda added to the experience.

I think you guys are just on a high from being in a band. I think I should get on that.
Saen: Or it could just be the drugs.

Really?
Saen: I mean maybe, we are in a boy band. I’m not sure how that works but..

Definitely gives it a whole new twist. Do you see much difference between the UK and the US crowds?
Julio: I feel like the UK crowds are a bit tamer. Maybe not as expressive but neither is LA or NY. We don’t take it personally or anything but sometimes if the crowd isn’t happening it makes it a bit awkward. Like the first show we did in Scotland the crowd just weren’t having it. You could have heard a pin drop.

As Tall As Lions’ lyrics are quite emotionally driven. Are you guys as extrovert about your feelings when you’re not singing in the band?
Saen: I think there’s a very strong dichotomy between who we are as a band and who we are as people. We probably take, I’d go as far to say, nothing seriously because we like to joke around all the time and because we spend so much time with each other. But when it comes to the music I guess we turn the switch ‘on’ or something..
Julio: At the same time there’s humour in our music. We have fun with writing music and write parts that are a little over the top.

This album seemed a lot more personal than your previous releases. Did you share the song writing process?
Julio: Definitely. Most bands have one person that writes the lyrics whereas in this band Saen writes a huge portion of the lyrics but we all contributed. We’re all song writers individually. For our latest record we were very separated when it came to writing and bringing things to the table.

You’ve had quite a few band members come and go. Which of you four are the original members?
Julio: It was Saen and Cliff and then I joined the band in 2004.

So Dan, you’re unoriginal?
(Dan doesn’t take this statement lightly. Everyone else laughs)

Wow you look really offended. It was a joke.
Dan laughs.

Was there a gruelling induction process? Did you have to walk over hot coals?
Julio: I had to learn how to play the bass. I’d never played the bass but I’d played guitar all my life but my guitar playing is almost like a bass player. As soon as I joined we went on the Warped Tour, I remember my first time driving the van, just so I could prove to the others that I could handle it, I drove for like 20 hours straight to Canada.

For the recording of your recent album you went to California and hired a studio and a house. Is the environment important for the recording process? For one of your previous albums I know that you recorded it in a budget hotel room.
Dan: We didn’t have any money so we got a hotel in Chicago. It was like $200 a week for a room but there was five of us living in a tiny room with one bed.

Did you draw straws for the bed?
Dan: Saen and our old guitarist had the bed and then Cliff our bass player and I we’re on the floor.

How very convenient, Saen. You were like ‘now everybody put your hands over your ears..’
Saen: Mummy and daddy are going to make… (Everyone laughs)

Okay.. So now you’ve upped the ante. You’ve moved to renting a house instead of a room.
Saen: I never even thought about that. We moved up from a room to a house in the span of three albums.

You’ve toured with quite a few bands. You’ve toured with Silver Chair and Deerhunter.
Saen: They call themselves the Chair.

Oh, do they?
Julio: Do the Australians call them the Chair as well?

Well I’m Australian you can ask me.
Sean: Do you and your people call them the ‘Chair’?

Yea, but I think they’re gone now, Daniel Johns was just too.. ah
Seans motions cuckoo signs. (Everyone laughs).

So you’ve done a tour with Deer Hunter as well. Are you guys affiliated with them?
There’s two bands: There’s a band called Deer Hunter and one called The Deer Hunter. The Deer Hunter is the less popular one of the two and yes we are friends with them. But I don’t think they’re the one that you’re thinking of or maybe they are?
Dan: No, they’re not.

How do you know? Yes they are.
Dan: What do they sound like?

I have no idea.
(Everyone laughs)

So this was your first headlining show in the UK.
Saen: Yes, it’s been great for us. Pretty exciting that it’s a sell out show. We’re planning another tour in the US in the Spring Time.

The recently released Circles EP contains your song Ghost of York even though it was already on your 2005 self-titled album. Why did you bring that baby back out?
Dan: Just because it seemed to be a song that a lot of people liked off the last record. Since the last record didn’t get a proper release in the UK we wanted to give people a taste of what we had done before.

You’ve also brought out quite a few EPs between albums. Is that unusual for bands?
Julio: I feel like it used to be a certain type of genre that put out EPs or 7 inches but now it’s the mainstream bands putting out three song EPs as well. It’s good because sometimes in between records you’re in a transitional period, so it’s cool to release music to let people know where you’re at.

I came across your ‘making the album’ mini movies and heard Julio’s solo comedic song ‘Alone in the Valley’. I really liked that song, you should bring it out on your next EP.
(Everyone laughs)
Cliff: You’re going to make him mad.

Why?
Dan: He doesn’t like being funny.

During the whole three episodes you were the one trying (with success) to be funny.
Cliff: They edited it like that. It’s all serious and then all of a sudden, when I’m on, circus music will come on. There’s none of me doing anything serious.

So you’re like the clown?
Julio: But it sells records so that’s all that matters.
Cliff: I like the funny parts. If it makes people like our band more because it’s more personable then that’s great.

At your live shows do you communicate with the crowd or do you try and stay elusive?
Dan: No we talk. Once every three songs.

So it’s scheduled in?
Dan: Scheduled in once every three songs; 15 seconds and that’s it. (Laughs)
Saen: I think it’s one more asset of the live experience.
Cliff: Hearing the members communicate is definitely one of the real experiences of a live show.

Who of the following three artists have had the greatest impact on As Tall As Lions. You have to pick one: Lady Gaga, Rihanna or Kelly Clarkson.
Julio: I honestly don’t know the difference between any of those people.

One of them is from Barbados.
Julio: Which one’s the hottest?

Definitely, Rihanna but that’s not the question.
Dan: I’ll say Rihanna because she’s the only one whose songs I like. I hate Kelly Clarkson’s songs and I hate Lady Gaga songs. At least I can dance to Rihanna’s when I’m drunk.

So you pull out a little more than a side-step?
Dan: Yea, exactly.
Julio: I like Lady Gaga cause she’s outlandish and doin’ her thing.

Cliff, which one do you like?
Cliff: None of them. How about: Which one do I not like the least? No, I don’t like Kelly Clarkson because she turns women against men. Her voice is so shrilling, it mangles my brain.