The Raunchy Randos mark their first anniversary by heading into the studio
Words and photos by Charlie Weinmann
The Raunchy Randos are officially a year old, and they’re celebrating their birthday this month by recording a new EP. The experimental psych-garage-pop band has had a busy first year — members Lucas Perry, Shane Devanney, and Stefan Trogisch have already recorded three EPs (“Mayday,” “Germinate Thy Brainhole,” and “Creepy Crow Castle”), and, along with playing plenty of local shows, have started picking up gigs in and around Boston. Their live shows include a psychedelic homemade “liquid light show,” which the band built using an old projector, two glass clock faces, and assorted food coloring, oils, and alcohol.
The Sound recently caught up with the Raunchy Randos, and their little white dog, Buddy, at their home in Lee, and asked them about their forthcoming EP, what they’d do with a million dollars, and the raunchiest thing that’s ever happened at one of their shows.
Your song, “High Times,” recently got some airplay on Rock 101. What was that like?
Perry: Yeah, that was sweet.
Devanney: We didn’t even know that was going to happen. We were just in the garage splitting some logs to get the fire going. The radio had been going in and out because it’s a shitty radio, and we heard our song come on. We were like, “Is the CD player on?” But there was no CD in it, and then we heard the Rock 101 (stinger).
What is the new EP going to be called? What is it about? What’s the feel of it?
Perry: The new EP has a folky/psych/blues vibe featuring a surf punk/flamenco song, an old-school blues song reminiscent of Delta blues/Zeppelin with Britpop elements, and a ’60s-psych song that was one of the first we wrote as a band, but have waited to record till now. We’re not sure about the name but it likely will be funny and weird like our last couple EPs. Also, it’s our first real studio EP, recorded all analog and live, like they did it in the old days. It will have a classic vibe just like the 1960s.
How would you describe your songwriting process?
Perry: I take inspiration from personal experience and concepts I’m interested in at the time. I usually write the music and lyrics separately. With the hooks and melodies, I try and focus on catchiness, because I love pop music and that’s what gets stuck in people’s heads. Also, I focus on psychedelic aspects such as one-ness, various points of view, ego loss, and reality-bending experiences. I especially like nature writing, cosmic thoughts, spirit animals, magical symbolism, ancient history, and aliens. I use crystals I collect in New England for channeling energy and raising my vibration.
Has anything bizarre ever happened to you guys that inspired you to write a song?
Devanney: Chemtrails. There’s this 10-second blurb at the end of our song, “Goodbye Blue Sky,” where it’s basically just us making a bunch of noises and screaming “chemtrails.”
Perry: “Rippin’ Under the Radar,” is about how I was trippin’ on acid this past summer. Also in “Goodbye Blue Sky” there’s a part about a guy who works in Staples, and how shitty that would be.
What’s the raunchiest thing someone has done at one of your shows?
Devanney: The first show we had at our house, there was this really drunk girl downstairs. We had some limes down there so people could put them in their drinks and whatnot, and she knocked the whole bowl over onto our gnarly basement floor. We tried to call her out on it and she wasn’t too pumped about it. She was like, “No I didn’t, look, they’re fine,” and she picked one off the floor and sucked on it.
Your liquid light show has become a notable part of your live shows. Can you describe how that works?
Perry: We found a projector on Craigslist for like $40. Right when we plugged it in, the bulb blew. It took a month to fix. We got it working and did a gig at the Red Door with it, and totally spilled oil all over their cushions. At that time I didn’t know how to work it at all. I use two clock faces, and those are really hard to get. … I’m always making improvements, like how to mix the oil and alcohol better.
What would you do with a million dollars?
Perry: Burn it.
Devanney: Take some of it to go on tour, and burn the rest.
What is the best and worst thing about the Seacoast music scene?
Perry: The best thing is that we’ve gotten really tight with bands like Yelloyuth and People Like You. We are all on the same thought process and vibe. We just hang out and jam until like 5 a.m. … It seems like people are getting more into music around here, which is sweet. … It’s tough because the bars are basically the bottleneck of who’s going to play. … They mostly care about money as opposed to putting on gnarly shows.
The Raunchy Randos will play Sunday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. at The Press Room, 77 Daniel St., Portsmouth.
l to r: Shane Devanney, Stefan Trogisch, and Lucas Perry of the Raunchy Randos.