The Bel Air Lip Bombs are about to hit the road for their Jerry Can & A Van tour with Sailor Jerry and Yours & Owls, so we thought we catch up with them and lift the lid on life since the release of their 2023 breakthrough Lush Life…

To say that it’s been a massive twelve or so months for The Bel Air Lip Bombs would be an (even more massive) understatement. Since dropping their debut full-length Lush Life the group have played sold out shows in Europe received plenty of triple j airplay and amassed hundreds of thousands of streams.

It’s clear that people around the world are loving the melancholic, off-kilter indie rock that they’re serving up. Singer Maisie Everett’s vocals are an obvious standout feature; raw yet refined, it feels like every word is coming from a place deep inside her, giving each track on Lush Life an undeniable authenticity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHKlKvF4YZI

Over August and September the band will be hitting the road as part of their 11-date Jerry Can & A Van tour, presented by Sailor Jerry and Yours & Owls, performing all over the east coast in VIC, NSW, ACT, and QLD. With four capital cities and seven regional stops, it’s clearly the intention of SJ and Y&O to bring The Bel Air Lip Bombs’ music to the masses and champion the local scene.

The list of supports on the trip in no joke either – along the way, the likes of Sunfruits, Holly Hebe, Underlay, Sesame Girl, Sonic Reducer, Mr. Industry, Mac The Knife, HOON, and Private Wives will all be jumping on shows. Check out the full list of dates and head here for tickets. Oh, and peep our interview with Maisie:

Recording ‘Lush Life’ was a long process for you, how do you feel now that it’s nearly a year old?

It’s interesting to reflect on the past year and see everything that’s happened since the release. We’re so grateful for the support we’ve received and all the opportunities we’ve had in the past year catalysed by the album… that being said I think we’re all a bit tired of playing the same songs live and eager to share the new music we’ve been working on. But really it’s amazing to see how the album has connected with so many people. I feel really proud of what we’ve accomplished.

How will you approach the studio differently next time?

We’re still in the writing phase of our next record, so we haven’t got too deep into production/recording conversations just yet. I think we just want to make the best record we can, and if that means spending more time on the songwriting/production, we’ll do it. We’re definitely itching to get back in the studio though hehe…

What songs from ‘Lush Life’ are your favourites to play live? How does that correspond with the ones your fans are into?

‘Suck it In’ is one that we all love playing live. That song has a good progression that works well in a live setting, particularly towards the end of the setlist where we tend to play it. We’ve also been trying out some new songs in the set which has been lots of fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmhq_PJeP20

How was the experience of playing your first international gigs? Why was that an important stepping stone for you as a band?

We feel super lucky to have traveled to both America and Europe this year. It can be daunting taking your music to different cities where you’re essentially unknown, but we’ve had some really great support at every stage which has made such a difference. Selling out our first international headline show in London was a huge stepping stone for us, and we can’t wait to get back over there to do it all again.

The tour is called Jerry Can & A Van – do you guys have any breakdown stories from previous tours? Any near-missed shows or close calls?

We’ve had a few but most recently Mike forgot to bring his guitar to Margaret Court Arena and The Hordern Pavilion when we were supporting Hockey Dad haha.

Who will you be listening to when on the road for these shows? Who controls the AUX?

Some from all of us: Bollard, Snowy Band, Sky Ferreira, Greg Freeman, OXN, Proto Moro, MK.Gee, Deaths Dynamic Shroud, Floating Points, Kneecap, Charli XCX, Waxahatchee, dogworld, Dog Door, Gut Health etc. etc. etc. Maisie is the boss of the aux, but she’s always kind enough to share the love around in the van.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hmjf_fedbUQ

You’re playing a bunch of regional shows as part of this tour. Anywhere that you haven’t played that you’re looking forward to checking out?

We’re really excited to go to Newcastle. Our friends/rad management buddies Dust have promised to show us around the traps, so we have high expectations. We’re also keen to go to Coolangatta for the hot weather, but really we’re just keen for all the shows!

You’ve got a bunch of cool supports joining you on this tour. Who are you most excited to be sharing a stage with?

All of them :)

How are you drinking your Sailor Jerry while on this tour?

– 50ml Sailor Jerry
– Pineapple juice
– Squeeze of lime
– Cubed ice

Trust me