The Lovely Eggs’ brand new single ‘Long Stem Carnations’ is currently out now via Egg Records. The track, taken from their number one selling album I am Moron, is released on limited-edition coloured 7” vinyl and backed by brand new B side ‘The Voyage’.
According to the band, ‘Long Stem Carnations’ was inspired by the Mars One programme, a global project which aims to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars. Applicants are offered a one-way ticket- never to see earth again. This fascinated Lovely Eggs Holly and David who drew parallels between this mission and their own isolation as a band. ‘Long Stem Carnations’ is a funeral march for society’s outcasts and freaks. It’s an existential voyage in cosmic form. “Is there an internal self-destruct button that cannot be destroyed?” said Holly. “We are all the pilots of our own ship. You’ve just got to remember it’s important to try and hang on and see the mission through.”
For the video the ever-inventive duo used lockdown time wisely and creatively to hand makes their own Claymation video for ‘Long Stem Carnations’:
According to the band, “We’ve been making the video for “Long Stem Carnations” ourselves at home over the last few months,” explains Holly. “It’s been a bit of a beast really. We love claymation and had done a bit of it in some of our previous videos, so we wanted to do something with animation. We forgot though that it just takes SO fucking long. And we had no idea it was going to turn out how it did. We started by doing some animation bits and then David got the idea to have our heads but animated versions. So, we made a plasticine mask to cover my face. We modelled it on the cut off head of a dummy and then transferred it to my face. It looked so freaky it was unreal and right there and then we knew the video was gunna take a drastic turn and we just followed it! We then decided that it would be a cool idea if I WAS the cut off dummy, cos the song is all about being cut off and isolation, so it was a perfect fit thematically. We then faced the task of actually figuring out how to film it and put it all together!! We are definitely not animators or video makers, so it was a big learning process that took two months to come to fruition. We also had our seven year old little boy at home with us throughout the whole process and if you can imagine making a claymation video out of plasticine with a 7 year old in the room, well I’m sure you can imagine!! But we’re glad it’s done and pleased how it turned out in its own freaky way. It’s for the big bunch of freaks out there who feel like they’re disconnected and out there on their own, but we’re all connected in some way. We’ve all just got to hang on for the ride!!! Long Stem Carnations forever!!”
And the single? Well the intro to the track has brilliant space age effects with the vocals coming in and introducing the name of the track. What follows is a gloriously catchy bass and drum frenzy that drives the track and brings along plenty of hitchhikers along the way to produce a seriously dramatic climax with its moog infused chorus and it’s catchy as fuck verse. The last fifth of the 5.40 track is left to a Pink Floydesque sonic ‘release’ with the visuals representing the band in all its unsettling glory. It’s just brilliant stuff from this continually playful inventive and expressive band. The visuals and music are absolutely mental, but in a gloriously fluid way. The Lovely Eggs have captured the hearts of listeners for several years now and it’s lovely to see their progression appreciated and acknowledged. I can’t wait to hear the rest of their LP if it’s this good!!
Rescheduled The Lovely Eggs live UK Dates announced for February 2021:
Friday 5 Gorilla MANCHESTER (SOLD OUT)
Wed 10 The Bullingdon, OXFORD (Original show tickets still valid)
Thur 11 The Loft, SOUTHAMPTON (Original show tickets still valid)
Fri 12 SWX, BRISTOL (Venue change. Fleece show tickets still valid)
Sat 13 Concorde 2, BRIGHTON (Venue change. Komedia show tickets still valid)
Sun 14 The Garage, LONDON (SOLD OUT)
Mon 15 Junction 2, CAMBRIDGE (Venue change. Portland Arms show tickets still valid)
Tues 16 Castle and Falcon, BIRMINGHAM (SOLD OUT)
Wed 17 O2 Academy, SHEFFIELD (Venue change. Network show tickets still valid)
Thurs 18 Metronome, NOTTINGHAM (New date announced!)
Fri 19 Phase One LIVERPOOL (New date announced!)
Sat 20 The Brudenell Social Club, LEEDS (SOLD OUT)
Thur 25 The Cluny, NEWCASTLE (Original show tickets still valid)
Friday 26 Stereo, GLASGOW (Venue change. CCA show tickets still valid)
Sat 27 The Mash House, EDINBURGH (Original show tickets still valid)
Sun 30 May O2 Ritz, MANCHESTER Bank Holiday Extravaganza with support from Phill Jupitus (Original show tickets still valid)
Fri 4 June Heaven, LONDON with support from Rob Auton (Original show tickets still valid)
Review by Ioan Humphreys
thelovelyeggs.co.uk