Le Big Zero. Brooklyn based. Garage rock. Angular songs. Punk spirit. Pop harmonies. Banana peel. Puree. (Photo credit: Jeanette M. Moses)
Blending garage rock with complex, yet poppy song structures, Brooklyn’s Le Big Zero continues to develop their unique and approachable sound. Through cross-country moves, DIY tours, and a rotating cast of crucial but temporary bandmates, Michael Pasuit and Ben Ross have held it down as the core of the group.
Their latest, the At Arm’s Length EP, is rounded out by Katie Cooney and Lukas Hirsch, who have taken the band even further since 2022’s excellent and critically-praised, A Proper Mess. And this is a far more collaborative effort for Le Big Zero, with much of the album coming together organically in the rehearsal space, over the course of extended jams.
At Arm’s Length asks you to come check this out, look a little harder. Because the songs, especially the EPs lead single, “Toy,” are right to the point. Inspired by indie acts like Parquet Courts, Les Savy Fav, and Speedy Ortiz, it’s all unconventional hooks and weird charm. Lock-step male-female harmonies for days. Beautiful and intense. But hang out with them for a bit longer, take another run-through. There are intricacies, unexpected time changes, syncopation. They switch without warning between big, deep, churning chords and jagged driving garage rock. Then it’s on to art rock, angular tunes. There are moments of tension throughout, and not one is anything like the other. Because we’ve all felt and internalized a steady tension over the last few years, in some way or another. This album got it all down on one EP.
How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
Michael: Le Big Zero started as a side project of mine while I was in Seattle. It’s tough for me to really focus my creative energy on more than one thing at a time, so it lay dormant for nearly a decade and survived a cross country trip before I finally decided to push it to the forefront. I cut down to part-time hours so I could concentrate on it more fully, realize the vision, and become a more adept guitar player I thought the sound required. It’s always been highly molded by the personnel involved, and here with our third album, At Arm’s Length, we now have four musicians who are experienced songwriters of their own.
The band name isn’t anything to think too long on. To me, it indicates a sense of whimsy. Big and small at the same time. While we put a tremendous amount of effort into the music we create, we don’t take ourselves too seriously.
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
Michael: I jumped around. A slowcore band Joss out of Hoboken. An aggressive math rock band X-Ray Press in Seattle. Then a short stint here in Brooklyn with Afro-inspired synth-pop Pollens before Le Big Zero started in earnest. I’ve always played though. Grew up on classical piano and then slowly took up bass guitar and six string once my teenage years started. Then there was no looking back.
Katie: I’ve been in bands starting since I was in 7th grade. I was kind of a tomboy growing up and always had guy friends who played instruments and I jumped on in. I dabbled and played in bands–I can’t even remember some of the names at this point, lol. I played in some Brooklyn based bands from years ago, Skeemers, and Heirloom, and in Austin I played in Light Me Up.
First concert that you ever went to? (Locally and National acts):
Katie: I want to say it was White Zombie, w/ L7 and Lunachicks. That was at Nassau Coliseum when I was maybe in 7th grade. I was all about the riot girl vibe for that show. On a smaller scale, it was Luscious Jackson at the now shuttered Academy in NYC. I loved the album In Search of Manny and still do.
Michael: Woof. I believe my first concert was when my friend’s parents took us to see Kenny Loggins. Highway to the Danger Zone!
What's your writing process like?
Michael: No matter what we have going on, we typically start each rehearsal with an impromptu jam to get situated and get in sync with each other. With Katie bringing a second guitar to the band for this album, it really reshaped the process. We’d workshop these jams over a few weeks, pluck out elements that we thought would make intriguing riffs, verses, etc.
Katie: Pretty much what Michael said. I like to kind of be the last person jumping in there to either help create the soundscape, if you will, or some sort of hooky melody.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
Michael:
Buzzcocks “Why Can’t I Touch It?” - late 70s new wave, groove, nuance
lluminati hotties “Will I Get Canceled?” - angular pop punk, modern sensibility
The Big Easy “Alone” - local, guitar driven, dissonant and poppy
Katie:
Mandy, Indiana “Pinking Shears”
Water From Your Eyes “Barley”
Just Mustard “I Am You”
All newer artists that inspire me because they’re utilizing sounds in extremely inventive ways. All have a very driving and impactful momentum.
Lukas:
Crumb “Nina” - Driving groove oriented, modern indie sound
;;;: “The Galaxist” - Hectic and pretty
Palm “Crank” - Aggressive and brave polyrhythmic
Ben:
Sunny Day Real Estate “Theo B” for bassist Nate Mendel, pre-Foo Fighters, just absolutely killing it with a pickAlvvays “Pressed” twinkly, but with plenty of attitude. And the bass sneakily makes the tension rise and fall.
Katie: Oh my goodness. I could be here all day.
Michael: I tend to go through phases. All in the last year I’ve had my Wye Oak phase, my Talk Talk phase, my Yes phase. I wear shit out and I kinda never know where it’s going next or how I even find myself on to the next thing. It’s a Rorschach. Most times I just ask Katie what she’s listening to. That’s the smart thing to do.
Katie: I’ve gone through every phase of every kind of genre and I know I’m never done discovering. It’s always been like that for me. Just always searching for more. Whatever captivates me tbh. I love all kinds of music if it’s really good. I’m not biased. I’m not limiting. It’s all eclectic and well rounded. I also grew up in a household of great music being played and both my parents and 2 older siblings listened to different things so I think that’s how that happened.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be its own thing?
Katie: No. Not at all.
Michael: Not necessarily, but I hate albums that sound overproduced.
Katie: I like seeing shows that are full of surprises and impromptu moments. I think the energy allows for the people in the audience to experience something versus going through the literal song. It can come off as robotic if it’s exact. I’m all for bands going off on tangents and jamming. I’m pretty open to how music happens in general. That’s the magic of it. When it’s being played through a feeling.
Michael: At heart this is a garage rock band, so it’s probably going to sound a bit more raw on stage regardless. They’re two different listening experiences. They don’t need to match.
Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been? Best shows? Worst shows?
Michael: The band started playing live just before the pandemic started, so it really didn’t leave us a runway to get our bearings initially. After the release of A Proper Mess last spring, we took some weekenders along the Northeast corridor–nothing too fancy. I also don’t think showgoing had re-normalized yet when we last hit the road, so I wouldn’t take a dud show too personally.
Katie: I’d have to agree with Michael on this. Definitely the oddest period of our lifetime except maybe that orange loom of wild fire smoke that blanketed NYC yesterday but point is it’s been a very poignant time to be playing. Covid definitely wreaked some havoc on the music scene, but it was super inspiring to be out and playing and seeing other bands do the same for the sheer love of music and keeping it alive regardless of how we were all collectively traumatized. People needed to playing and seeing shows.
Michael: We’re still most comfortable playing at some great spots in Brooklyn, like Our Wicked Lady or Alphaville. The scene here right now is incredible and very supportive.
Katie: The amount of camaraderie and support for each other out there playing has been such an amazing thing to be a part of.
What's up next for the band?
Michael: Since we put much of the last year behind it, we definitely want to play and promote At Arm’s Length live as much as possible. Hopefully it brings us some interesting places this summer.
https://www.instagram.com/lebigzero