Lazlo Lee and The Motherless Children

Lazlo Lee ATMC is the best band in Baltimore…if you ask, say……me. They have an appeal hard to match, the hardcore blues guys love ‘em, the hard core punk guys love ‘em, the girls love ‘em, hell I’ve even seen the rednecks jamming to ‘em. So here they are:

Lazlo Lee and The Motherless Children
An interview with Chris…leads singer, guitarist, and the Lazlo.
Interviewed by: Jon

TF: How long have Lazlo Lee & The Motherless Children been together?
LL: Damn come Halloween it'll be 3 years! We started jamming in a beat up pool house that I eventually converted into an apartment in late in 2005. Our 1st gigs were on Halloween weekend, we did a decent amount of originals from the beginning that I had / had written for a while, but filled some gaps at the gigs jammin' songs like "who's been talkin'" "can't be satisfied" and "baby please don’t go” at a break neck tempo!

TF: Do you have the same problem the Hootie guy has…ya know, with everyone calling you Lazlo all the time?
LL: Yeah it’s pretty funny a lot of folks in and around music know me as Laz or Lazlo. It was actually my cat’s name that i used for myself in a zombie flick I was filming in the summer of 05 and it kinda stuck since then.

TF: Are there any other bands that you have been involved with over the years?
LL: yeah, shit, I been in a few...I guess the 2 main ones that def. stick out are "the malt liquor conspiracy" which was a blues/rock band that I played guitar and sang a little bit in. and "The insomniacs" were a rock/reggae/punk band that i sang and played guitar for. Both bands were from around circa 97-02'. In high school we had a rad punk band called "nifty" and i played drums and sang for a rock/surf/ska band "the accidents" it was really cool growing up in Crofton there was a lot of shit musically going on everywhere and everybody I grew up with were in bands too, it was like Baltimore was close as shit and Annapolis actually had a cool scene at the time and D.C. was just a short trip away,
Every weekend you played or caught a friends band or something ya know'

TF: I know there have been some line-up changes recently, have you picked up a bassist again or do you intend to go forward as a two piece?
LL: Honestly, it’s been a little ruff, since Rebecca left we tried a few people and nothing seems to click. We started as a two piece just Dan and I and we've played a few of the last shows as a 2 piece. I knew we wouldn’t have someone right away, but I love playing out so we’ve still been booking a bunch of shows. We also have had the bassist from The Cheaters "Wolfy" fill in for us at a few, so its been fun the last 2 months but a little shaky. I know we won’t stay a 2 piece but definitely won’t be adding anybody to the band until it feels right. I have a shit ton of new stuff coming so I know the Motherless ain’t going anywhere.

TF: You draw inevitable White Stripes comparisons. What are your opinions on the quick rise to prominence of the “garage blues” scene on the national level?
LL: Yeah we def do, i don’t take that as a bad thing I mean I was really inspired by jack white and that sound he has, we have a few “Stripesy” riffs but the motherless don’t really emulate that. Our stripped down sound is the reason I think and also most people who are getting there education from the radio can’t really compare you to anything else when that’s all they've heard. Don’t get me wrong there’s def some good new bands out there on the radio but for the most part you gotta look around for yourself or you'll just get stuck eating what the serve you. As far as the garage scene recent rise, I think its great people dig good music and nowadays there is just so many new ways and vehicles to find new music and explore it

TF: There are few bands in the area (if any at all) that can blend punk and blues as seamlessly as The Motherless, what are your most direct influences?
LL: That’s the classic question no matter what i say by the next day be ill be like "you stupid fuck those aren’t even close" cause its always something different I’m hearing.
If I had to say to keep it short and sweet: The Sonics, Stooges, White Stripes, Kinks.

TF: Top five old crusty bluesmen?
LL: Damn there always changing, but you can’t beat Charlie Patton as being the crustiest his voice is so gritty and scary. I love al his asides too, ya know. In “spoonful” he sings a line like "would you kill my man" and answer in his aside talk is "well yes baby I will" that’s bad ass gangster shit!

TF: Did you like Black Snake Moan?
LL: Yeah its cool ass hell that The Black Keys rip the opening song, and the scene when Samuel Jackson pulls out his old guitar for the 1st time in years, that monolog he gives is badass.

TF: What are some of your favorite local bands in Baltimore right now?
LL: Just to shout out a few from the variety of music around town id say: The Hot Pursuit, Thee Lexington Arrows and The Fishnet Stalkers. My favorite band in town though are The Expotentials they rock *fist in air* so hard! Matt is a rad guitar player/singer and there is no nastier drummer around than Chuck!

TF: What’s been your best show memory so far?
LL: Um... probably gotta be over a year ago at the full moon saloon. i was sick as hell and my parents came out to catch a set. While someone was handing me shots and a beer in between songs i heard a loud cry "drink some tea baby!" and suddenly the crowd was laughing there asses off cause it was my mom!

TF: It seems like this time last year there were a lot more bands standing together in the garage/rock/whatever scene in Baltimore. I’ve talked to a lot of people around the scene who feel that it’s really fallen apart, a lot of bands called it quits. Do you have any opinions on why it played out this way?
LL: Dude I ain’t gotta clue its kind of a blower! I only got one thing to say about it…
BRING BACK"THE JOHN HARDY BOYS"...i know you can make it happen Johnny...lol
seriously though, check out The Hot Pursuit if garage is your thing they been around about a year and there great. Kind of sounds like Stooges meets Stones meets Kinks! Just with in the past two weeks I took over singing and playing some lead guitar for them things have been going really well and we're jamming a show on the Sunday 15th at The Ottobar.

TF: What’s up next for the The Motherless? Do you have any plans to record a full length in the future?
LL: Of course! our real goal this summer was to promote the 7'' we pressed with raped by records and also do a bunch of outa state shows to spread the e.p and some merch but with the line up change we kinda had to push the touring off for a tad longer... I’d like to record another 6-8 song e.p. and get set up to tour with in the next 6 months or so. Our next gig is the 20th at the metro art gallery we actually are rocking with your new band for the first time and also sharing the stage with Crankdaddy and The Rip Ovs should be a blast TAKE A WIFF ON US!!!

www.myspace.com/themotherlesschildren