“
“We have so much fun together that it's starting to feel like what other people think and how they react doesn't really matter.” – Laurie Vincent
In “HEAVY JELLY,” Laurie describes them as walking a tightrope between “completely ridiculous” and “deadly serious.” “When we present ourselves with humor, sometimes we feel like we're not being taken seriously. But we don't just want to play funny songs. We want to play heavy songs, “I want people to lose their minds. It was very important to me that there was always a contrast in the humor on this record,” he says. For example, “Worms on Tarmac” is a funny song about bugs that are “undervalued, underappreciated, and frequently mutilated.” Below that is Isaac's reference to his battle with OCD. “I literally have to save them. My brain started telling me that if I didn't turn around and pick up that bug, he might die. Sometimes I'd be five minutes down the road and then I'd turn around and pick up that bug.” Sometimes you have to find bugs,'' the singer said, laughing at himself.
The record may seem aggressive at first glance, with its heavy guitars and natural vocals, but there's a softness to the lyrics and their relationships. When you think about it, “HEAVY JELLY'' was the perfect title. It came out of nowhere for Laurie, and when the money fell into his lap, he felt like he had been “struck by gold.” “I was attending a Japanese Jiu-Jitsu lesson, and the instructor was trying to teach me ground techniques. He said, 'If you resist your opponent, you're not actually fighting, so it's better to use heavy jelly. The inspiration was, “I thought, this is the title of the album.'' When I sent a text message to a friend, I saw the familiar message at the top of the screen: “Isaac is typing…'' ” and he replied, “Yes.” “We built a record around that name,” Rory nods. “I felt really good because I had decided on the direction I wanted to take.”
SOFT PLAY have long been a staple of the festival season and their first year back in full swing is no exception, with featured slots at Download, Pohoda, Truck and more all confirmed. However, after years of trying too hard, the pair are looking forward to it with a fresh perspective, although Laurie recently marked the dates on her wall calendar and admits she's “daunted” by how many appointments are scheduled. We look forward to welcoming the summer of 2024. “The important thing is to take care of yourself, and at the end of the day you have to do your job. You no longer have the desire to get out of your head. You want to feel good and get up and do something. At home. Things change when you have people there,” Isaac says. However, Laurie warns that she still likes the big thing sometimes. “I have three kids at home, so sometimes I'm like, 'I'm on a tour bus, damn it, let's party…'”
It's important to take care of yourself and find a balance between health and a little fun. “I try to balance things out by having a few drinks and then going to bed,” Isaac says. It's hard to change your schedule and go from being a dad in bed by 10pm to being a nocturnal touring musician who's still on stage at that time (“Between Papa Laurie and Tour Laurie”). “It's getting harder and harder to switch,” the guitarist admits. “It's something I'm still trying to figure out.” But importantly, it's about them coming together as a powerful unit.
It's been a long, hard road to get here, but Isaac and Laurie have found their way through the noise. And with “HEAVY JELLY,” they rediscovered what makes them special. Something only two people can do. “When I was a kid, I was into subcultures and watching mods and rockers and stuff like that and thinking, 'Oh, I want to belong to something.' Then we created this band, and no one They didn’t want to participate, so it was just the two of us,” Laurie says. “But as I got older, I realized it was something very special. Only me and Isaac can do this. When we have fun, and when we give ourselves pleasure and don't overthink it, we makes really good art. That's very special.”
“HEAVY JELLY” will be released by BMG on July 19th.
SOFT PLAY Play The Great Escape (May 15th – 18th), Bearded Theory (May 23rd – 26th), Rock For People (June 12th – 15th), Download (June 14th – 16th) ), Pohoda (July 11-13), Trucks (July 26-28), Tramlines (July 26-28), Y Not (August 2-4), Boardmasters (8 August 7th to 11th), Bludfest (August 11th), Victorious (August 25th).