The Belair Lip Bombs already sound like the coolest band on the planet with their name and for good reason.

They are. Forming in 2017, getting through the pandemic and out the other side with debut record ‘Lush Life,’ the band are exactly the type you’d want to keep an eye on. Which is why we’re super stoked to show them off at the Monster Children SXSW Showcase next week, and follow their journey there with the Monster Children SXSW Travel Diaries. With their honest lyrics and eclectic quality - it’s hard not to get a Lip Bomb song stuck in your head. Sitting somewhere between jangly punk, post-punk, jangle pop and new wave, The Belair Lip Bombs seem as comfortable on stage as a band that has been doing it forever. Here’s our chat with Maisie Everett.

I love the name of your band – how did you come up with this one?

The band name is a skateboard wheel from the ‘80s in California. It was a super limited edition wheel called the Belair Lip Bombs.

Do you skate?

No (laughs).

Yeah neither (laughs), although I wish I did.

Yeah same.

Are you the sole writer of the lyrics for the band?

The lyrics are solely me. The actual music is more of a collaborative, team effort. I guess I try to write the bones of the song and then everyone else adds to it.

Do you ever get writer’s block and if you do, how do you overcome that? What’s your way of recharging the creative juices so to speak?

We will just leave it for ages. Seldom do we try and work on a song if it’s not happening. One of the songs on the album took years to finish. That works best for us.

Just coming back to it.

Are there any films or books or art that you draw inspiration from at all? Like do you ever watch a scene in a movie or read a book and think I want to write a song that encapsulates that feeling?

To be honest, no. I know that’s a big thing to write songs inspired by films or books but I’ve never done it. I feel like I’m a little bit basic in the sense that my inspiration comes from other music.

Is there a song out there where you’ve just like ‘damn I wish I wrote that’ then?

Yeap. I’ve got a Spotify playlist that is literally titled ‘songs that I wish that I wrote.’ One of the songs in there is Girls Just Want To Have Fun.

That’s a great song.

Dakota by Stereophonics. Do you know that song?

I am notoriously so bad for putting names to songs and artists.

I reckon if you listened to it you would know it. There are definitely a few.

What is your favourite part of music? What’s the best feeling that you get and what are you doing?

Playing live. But not always. If it’s our headline show and everyone there is there to see us then that is really special. It’s totally different to playing a support show where people don’t necessarily know you. When people come up after a show and say they like our music and they really connect to it. It’s only recently started happening and it’s super strange but I’m starting to realise that music has a greater purpose rather than just my own experience.

So special to be able to do something that you love doing and connect with others.

Yeah it’s amazing.

Kind of the point of life?

Totally.  

Now doing some back research into the band I saw a couple of comparison to The Smiths and The Clash. Do those comparisons make you feel good or would you rather not be compared?

Nah it’s a good thing, I think!  Our guitarist Mike draws a lot of inspiration from The Smiths through his guitar parts. The Clash is a bit of a random one but I guess it depends won hat parts people are comparing. Honestly anytime anyone says you remind me of so and so, no matter who it is, I feel like it’s always kind of nice that people are even thinking about it.

For sure. And have you been to Texas before?

Never. Never been to America. So pretty excited,

Oh very exciting then! What are you most looking forward to about this showcase?

I think just having an opportunity to show off. Not trying to sound cocky but just excited to show people who we are. There’s a bit of a thing with Australian bands being a bit disconnected from the rest of the world and I feel like the rest of the world don’t pay as much attention to us, so even coming over with other Aussie bands we’re just keen for people to pay attention.

Finally, what are you hoping to get out of 2024 for the band?

We’d love to record an album. That’s the main goal.

Get your hands on tickets to our showcase at SXSW, here and keep an eye out for the SXSW Travel Diaries on our Instagram as we follow dust and The Belair Lip Bombs from Australia to Austin, Texas.