Lyons Lane: From Bar Sets to the National Stage
Calling Detroit home, Lyons Lane has been playing all over Michigan for a few years now. Starting with just Mark Leo and Thomas 'Tomcat' Thompson, the band has since expanded ranging anywhere from 4 to 7 members depending on the size of stage they're playing. Lyons Lane blends classic 50's doo-wop with more indie sounds to create something truly unique.
We talked with them about everything from the very beginnings of Lyons Lane to their inspirations and how they developed their sound to their recent growth on social media. We've put some quotes from the interview around the page, check out the video if you want to hear more!
Stage Presence and Influence!
"I would say our musical influence is the main shaper of our image because, you know it started off as a 50’s thing and obviously the 50’s vibe is still apparent in the whole image of it in our outfits and just the way we present ourselves. We make sure that stage presence is first and foremost because I feel there’s no reason to go to a live show if there’s no stage presence, you could just listen to the music at that point."
Festivals vs. Club Shows
"I would say that they do add more than the club shows that you’re headlining because it’s like the people that are coming out to those already know who you are, you know? Unless it’s like an opening slot for a bigger band or something. I do like the idea of music festivals, out of state ones at this level would serve us well, to be in front of a crowd where nobody knows who you are. I feel like we have a way to win them over with our live show. So, yeah I would say that festivals actually do a better job at adding to fans than just a regular indoor show."
"The intimacy, yeah. Festivals, you do feel far away, like Arts, Beats, and Eats. We loved playing Arts, Beats, and Eats. On the national stage and everything! You know we had our video up there but it was like everyone was so far, you know? It was harder for us to bring everyone in."
Blending the 1950's and indie/alt-rock sounds!
"I would say that happens pretty naturally, just because it’s like, I mean you gotta keep in mind that I spent my entire teenage years just listening to like strictly 1950’s music, or like 1950’s inspired music."
"a lot of those doo-wop songs, you know I’m a big doo-wop guy, or stuff with that surf beat, I kind of hear it already as alternative. I just feel like they didn’t have the technology back them to make it happen, so I mean in my head I’m pretty much always just writing songs that are kinda like what I heard."
Advantages and Disadvantages of having a bigger band
"Scheduling is a big thing. All of us you know, all of us work, all of us have different things going on in our lives. Scheduling can become very tedious."
"As far as advantages go, When it’s a bigger stage I love bringing on the female backup singers and making it really full. When it’s a smaller show, just doing a 5 or 6 piece band, and I just love the fullness. I don’t ever wanna play without a saxophone ever again. It really goes by stage size at the end of the day."
Thoughts on Opening!
"We’re very particular about who we open for in our home town, if it’s like opening for someone somewhere else, we’re totally down to open for anybody away from our hometown, because it's like there’s more of a culmination of people. In our hometown we have to be more selective about who we open for. I would say it has to be in the same ballpark music wise."
"We very much liked opening for Hannah Wicklund, that was a good one to open for and we got good videos out of that."
Written by Steph Masters
Edited by BaileyJo McKalko Photos by Monica Shellberg