Grab a brew with... Soft Lions

Soft Lions have a nostalgic quality that is hard to pinpoint, especially musically when punk isn’t the right word, but that gritty aspect is there. They have a sound that can only be understood as whimsical and moody, garage-rock from Southern California.

DiscoverSD sat down with the local band comprised of Megan Liscomb, Ana Ramundo and Jon Bonser to chat about their sound, tour plans and new record.

How did you guys meet?

Megan: I guess we met through mutual friends involved in music. I began this project, and then I got Jon on board after meeting him. He was originally from Portland. Once we were together, I actually saw on Instagram that she [Ana] was moving, and I saw a picture of this keyboard in one shot she posted and was like, “Do you play?” Our keyboardist at the time had just left the band so the timing was actually perfect. She said she did play and we went from there.

Ana: Yeah, this is actually my first time being in a band.

Do you enjoy being a part of the music scene in San Diego?

Ana: I really love it. I’m lucky because I quit my job a few months ago and had this space of time to really involve myself in something I love. Really focus on it. I have liked learning about all the different venues and the nuts and bolts that go into creating good music. It’s all new to me, and I love it.

What’s it like being a local band in San Diego, generally?

Megan: It’s small enough where you can stand out here, so that’s nice. You play shows and people recognize you and the venues are so great, as well. The people that work there are actually nice to us and great towards us when we come to play there.

Jon: I feel like they actually respect us here as musicians. The local media outlets, the radio stations like 91X. That’s not something you get everywhere.

What’s your favorite venue to play, and where would you like to play that you haven’t?

Megan: Casbah. They’re really great to us and playing there is the best sound. That’s actually where Ana’s first show was.

Jon: Yeah, the Casbah is amazing. Was that really your first show?

Ana: Yeah, I was like “Okay Megan, I’m going to go to the bathroom really quick and...” and she was like, “Are you ready to play?” and then we played the show. I was scared but it was so much fun.

Megan: I’d like to play the Belly Up, we haven’t been there yet.

What are you working on currently?

Megan: We are getting ready to release an album soon. We recorded it at Tiny Telephone in San Francisco with John Vamderslice, and he was amazing. The studio is incredible, everything is beautiful and analog and really was great for our sound.

What does the new EP sound like?

Megan: It sounds like us, but we have been hearing that it’s more punk than our other stuff.

Jon: I hate punk music so...

Megan: So, that may not be a good thing to him, but it really is sounding good. It’s got a lot of noise. Our first single will be out in August. The single is called “Run in Dreams”.

Jon: I don’t think it sounds like anything to be compared to, or like a previous artist. We don’t listen to Led Zeppelin and think, “I want to sound like this” and then do that. We just kind of take what we like, and it’s part of us and then we make our own.

What are you looking forward to doing as a band within the next year?

Ana: Touring, for sure. Touring further.

Megan: Yeah, going on a nationwide tour is the goal. We have a small tour coming up where we are going up to where Jon’s family lives in Portland and then hopefully up to Seattle with a few other stops along our way. We just want to travel and really get the music out there.

Upcoming shows:

Thursday, July 14 at Pour House in Oceanside

Wednesday, July 20 at Soda Bar

Friday, July 29 at The Merrow

For more information about Soft Lions, visit their Facebook or website at softlionsmusic.com

Source: DiscoverSD