Groups like Tame Impala and MGMT, collaborators with their legendary producer Dave Fridmann and The Lips themselves, owe vital elements of their success to Wayne and co. The Flaming Lips are one of the most seminal revivalists of psych rock. The group have collaborated with an almost record-breaking variety of artists, from Nick Cave to Tame Impala, Beck to Miley Cyrus, and most recently with Mick Jones of The Clash on their 2019 record 'King's Mouth'. Wayne keeps his finger on the pulse of what's happening in a way that not many alternative stars would, never being one to shy away from the vagaries of the zeitgeist. you', but music penetrates in a way that gives you relief – some kind of motherly comfort.” If someone was saying that to you, you'd say 'f. "These sounds and these melodies and this intensity and all that, was made by someone who is feeling the same way as you are now – it makes you say, I'm not alone, even though I'm feeling this right now. Music is a replacement for god, in a way - it comforts you when you’re alone, it says you‘re not alone - even when you are alone. “If you're a scientist, you might dismiss the sentimental sensitivity that artists dwell on. He wants listeners as involved in the show as he is, commanding a reaction verging on hysteria, in order to evoke the most powerful experience possible. Their music encapsulates themes of oneness, beauty in diversity, and acceptance in the face of chaotic forces.īordering on the shamanic, Coyne's stage presence demands a certain degree of audience participation. ‘The Soft Bulletin’ and ‘Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots' are addressing that sensitive quagmire – ‘I want to get everything out of life I can, but what if something horrible happens?’”
"When it’s beautiful and nice, it really is just going by. It’s a good way to remember how beautiful life really is. One may have died, but a hundred are living. As you get older you put value on noticing. But you have to notice that things are alive. "Someone the other day said ‘this is happening, this person died, I got home and my tree died, my cat got sick and he will die’. When you think about death you’re thinking about life. Our music is about death, but it’s also about life. “On stage we do love to dress up and look weird and make a ridiculous moment, a celebration, optimism – there’s no limit that we won’t go to. The group's live shows invite fans on a revelrous journey, an auditory and tactile experience complete with an intricate light show, bright-coloured bouncing balls, confetti rockets, and gigantic custom-made stage props (mechanical horse, anybody?).ĭrawing influences from the likes of David Bowie and Pink Floyd, The Flaming Lips convey the heartfelt sincerity of Elliott Smith in a boisterously Beatles-esque package. But as the years go by, being a little bit famous and local, I’d get huge crowds who’d just wanna take a picture with Wayne in a costume. My house was a great, old, big, crazy house, a lot of neighbourhood kids would come around, kids who didn’t even have day care – and that was wonderful. I first moved here in the early '90s in a very low income area of Okla. “I have to say I used to go bigger than I do now – I’ve lived in this neighbourhood for 30 years. In previous years, the big-hearted rocker would exhibit elaborate Halloween decorations for the children of his neighbourhood, displays not unlike those eccentric performance props for which The Flaming Lips have become so known and loved. Wayne himself lives in a little-known part of Oklahoma, USA. There's more and more of that in the world now, with the Hemsworth brothers. “I'm laughing because that g'day is just so Australia! Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing that because I'm from Okla, but no one points it out. Remarking on the accent of his interviewer, the group's captain and long-standing champion Wayne Coyne giggles.
This year, their classic 1999 album 'The Soft Bulletin' turns 20 and to celebrate, they're taking a one-of-a-kind live show around the world – including a visit down under this month. With an almost-40-year life span and nearly 20 albums to their credit, The Flaming Lips have graciously cemented themselves as one of the most consistent powerhouses in the alternative-pop community.
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