Just Fame recently got a chance to interview the phenomenal four-piece band TWOFEW in regard to their latest album Lips Blue. We got insights into their musical style, their influences and much more!
Q. First of all it is great to have you on Just Fame and congratulations on your new album! We’re excited to delve into it shortly, but first, we’d love to learn more about you and your musical journey.
Hey, thanks! A lot of love has gone into this record and we couldn’t be more proud. The musical journey for TWOFEW began about 5 years on a vacation in an AirBnB with my wife, Danielle. We decided to shift from the rock band we were in (I was on vocals and guitar and she was on bass). Instead, I decided to pick the keys back up, and since we were two few members shy of a four piece act, the band TWOFEW was born.
Q. The ‘Lips Blue’ album is wonderful. Kindly share the process that you followed while you were working on the album.
“Lips Blue” is nothing short of an amazing journey. It began a few years ago when we penned the tune and traveled to Nashville to cut the single. Our lineup had a few changes in between then and the present day, and it was, at the time, released as a single to tease audiences while we built out the complete album.
Fast forward to now, and the song has been fine-tuned with new drums, fresh guitar work and complete remixing and remastering — well deserving of being the title track for our debut record — something that was a few years in the making.
Q. Michael, your vocals carry a lot of emotion in this album. Was there a particular theme or message you were trying to convey through your performance?
For “Lips Blue” — I just wanted to convey raw emotion. My intention for the vocals was to showcase this emotion in the tracks and take the listener on a musical journey. I’ve had the pleasure of working with first rate vocal coaches along the way — so this was a self betterment journey for me, too — and I am very pleased with how the final takes came out.
Q. Danielle, how did you approach creating the bass lines for this album, and were there any particular influences or themes you were trying to capture?
I try to capture the feeling and the underlying undertones of the songs to fill up the space and add depth. Each song has its own flavor or personality and I do my best to enhance it.
What is great is that all band members are influenced by all different genres of music from blues/jazz to punk rock and alternative, this comes out in the songs in their own way and makes the songs what they are.
Q. David, can you talk about a specific track on the album where your guitar work really stands out, and what was your inspiration behind it?
“Lips Blue” was planned from the outset as an album – not just a collection of individual tracks – though we did follow a release plan of dropping individual singles along the way to keep engagement and feedback high.
Inspiration, for me, starts with the songs themselves as part of the vision for the album as a whole. We are very deliberate about the story we want to tell on each song as part of an overall journey we take our listeners on. Each track has a setting, a mood, and specific themes and emotional arcs that we frame out upfront.
Tracks like “Fighting For,” “On The Run” and “Dreaming” draw heavily from roots in blues-rock, with always-present, right-up-front guitars telling one side of the instrumental story alongside the keyboards and vocals. On these tracks, the songwriting and arrangements offered me pretty generous sonic space to express ideas using lead-centric playing styles more than would have been possible through more rhythm-focused work.
On the other end of the spectrum, songs like “Feel” and “Gone” delve really far into rhythm-as-narration concepts, emphasizing mood and texture work, with leads serving as story-arc glue and triumphant emotional lift at the key moments.
Then there’s the heavy-hitting TwoFew signature songs like “The War,” “We Were Loud,” and the title track, “Lips Blue,” which are arguably the biggest soundscapes on the album, delivering tightly-layered rhythm guitars as the raw emotional fabric underpinning the all-knobs-at-11, punch-through big up-front leads on the bridges and solos.
Q. Joe Gagnon, drumming often sets the tone and energy of a song. How did you decide on the rhythm and tempo for the new tracks, and were there any challenges you faced?
When you are part of a group that collaborates and writes great music, it’s much easier to lay down a groove that fits in. When you understand the writer’s meaning and emotion you can come at a song with purpose.
The challenge is remembering that music is an artform, and even though you have the best of intentions, some days you just have to walk away for a while. Creative juices don’t always flow. That’s when I go outside, light a cigar and listen to someone else’s artwork.
Q. Were there any memorable moments or challenges you faced as a band during its creation?
The most difficult part of getting the band to this point was securing the final lineup. We originally had 5 members, but after cutting the early singles — what would become part of the final record — we had to replace a drummer and a guitarist. This worked in our favor, helping us fine-tune our music, our method and process. We’ve added our permanent drummer to the mix now and couldn’t be happier.
Q. If your album could serve as the soundtrack for a film genre or a specific movie, which one would it be and why?
Two People (1973 film) – Two People is a 1973 American drama film produced and directed by Robert Wise and starring Peter Fonda and Lindsay Wagner. The screenplay by Richard De Roy focuses on the brief relationship shared by a Vietnam War deserter and a fashion model — kind of reminds of what Danielle and I might have been in the 70s.
Q. Can you identify a particular moment or track in the album where you felt you were pushing your own artistic boundaries, and can you share more about that experience?
When we cut the tracks to “Feel” — I was hitting, at the time, what I thought was my vocal precipice. I was nervous to cut those tracks vocally as well as “Lips Blue;” both are rather challenging songs to cut. We were in this big, expensive studio in Nashville, and all the producers were looking at me, and there were like 10 other people in there, and my voice was scratchy. It actually came out much better than expected in the end.
Q. What are your plans for 2024? Can you tell us about any upcoming concerts that fans and music lovers should be excited about?
Right now we are busy cutting record 2. We expect to have a light tour schedule that will cement sometime in the new year.
Q. Any hints for our readers about any upcoming collaboration or new projects that you are working on?
We are currently working on our next full length record. It’s called “Lovestruck” and is due out mid-2024.
Q. Lastly, as we ask all our guests on our platform, do you have any closing thoughts that you would like to share with the world and our readers?
Thank you so much for having us for this interview. Anyone who is interested in learning more about the band, listening to our music, watching our videos or checking out our blog can visit us online at: https://www.twofewmusic.com/
TWOFEW is a four-piece piano rock outfit based in Phoenix, Arizona. As a family-centric band, the dynamics of having three family members in the group play a crucial role in shaping the creative process and the distinct sound of TWOFEW. The unique bond shared by Michael, Danielle and David Lazar not only strengthens our foundation, but also fosters a nurturing environment for experimentation and collaboration, resulting in a harmonious blend of musical styles and ideas.
For more details visit:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twofewmusic
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/two-few
Stream the album now: www.reverbnation.com/twofew/album/311640-lips-blue
