La Bastard

Not too long ago in a galaxy quite nearby, members of Melbourne’s La Bastard attended a Six Foot Hick gig and decided they could do a lot better than the support bands. So they did, and in a little over a year have gained a reputation as one of the city’s most exciting live bands.

An amalgamation of a love for surf rock, country, rockabilly and everything 50s and 60s, La Bastard take the sound of their vintage influences and infuse them with the energy of their more contemporary ones. Think Nancy Sinatra, Enrico Morricone and Roy Orbison via The Jesus Lizard and The Cramps and you’re getting close.

Earlier this year their self-titled debut album was released through local garage rock tastemakers Off The Hip and they’ll soon be embarking on an interstate tour with notorious Spaniards Los Chicos, but before leaving they’re playing Milk Bar’s re-launch party. We had a quick chat with vocalist Anna Lienhop and Guitarist Ben Murphy.

MILK BAR: Music aside, what does a La Bastard show involve?
BEN MURPHY: We’ve built a reputation for a pretty wild live show. We’re rarely on the stage. Nothing and nobody in the crowd is off limits – we’ll do anything to get people off their seats.

ANNA LIENHOP: Each time we do a good show I always think ‘Wow, that was pretty cool, how can we top that?’ And we generally do something down the track that does.

MB: Anna, you’ve got a pretty incredible vocal range. Are you professionally trained?
AL: I grew up singing around the house and was in youth choir and performed music at school. I tried singing lessons a couple of times, but they were never fun or constructive. I was bullied at school, so singing was something I did to be happy in my own time.

When people realised what I could do I actually got some respect, which was great because it eased the bullying and gave me confidence. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing and it’s a great way to get away from life for a bit, even if it’s just singing around the house. THAT’S not a typical rock star tale is it?

MB: What are La Bastard’s plans for the rest of the year?
AL: The band is already planning our next album. At the moment we’re playing a few shows around Melbourne and interstate, but then we’ll be going back down into the rabbit hole very soon and will hopefully have something else together by the end of the year.

Check out La Bastard’s debut album at their Bandcamp page and watch the film clip for ‘It’s Not Like I’m Telling a Lie‘.