Antwerp’s LOTUS are on the radar with their new album Forever Martial, dropping across all major streaming platforms on March 18 with the 12″ vinyl following on March 28 via Shield Recordings. Described “chain punk for eggs,” this four-piece have been walking the tightrope between punk rock and hardcore since 2014, and their first post-COVID effort dives headfirst into existential despair, economic hardship and psychological collapse. We sat down with vocalist Jelle to talk Crossbonefest singalongs, convincing their drummer to step behind the mic, and the split EP that saved the band.
Who are you and where are you from?
We’re LOTUS, a four-piece from Antwerp, Belgium, born from the underbelly of the local punk scene around 2014.
How did the band form?
Jente (bass), Jasper (guitar) and I (Jelle, vocals) had already crossed paths in the local scene throughout the late 2000s. Jente and I had worked together on a musical project before, and he and Jasper played in a melodic hardcore band as well. When I wanted to start something new with Jente, he pulled in Jasper, who was looking to play a more direct and primitive strain of punk than what he’d been doing up to that point. Jasper then brought in Bert (drums), our personalities clicked and we’ve been the same lineup ever since.
How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard you?
At some point, the Humanimaal gang from Tilburg, NL tagged us as “chain punk for eggs” in their DIY arts-and-noise zine, and we’ve been rolling with that moniker ever since. It nails the tightrope we walk: one foot in punk rock, the other in hardcore, lingering somewhere in the middle. Throw in a bit of emo-violence for good measure. I don’t know. It just fits.
What bands have shaped what you do?
When it comes to music, I think Shipwreck A.D., Blacklisted and Ceremony initially helped shape our sound on our first and second record. But for the upcoming record I think Mountain Man and Last Lights might be better points of reference. Not in a copy-and-paste kind of way, but their intensity and urgency resonate with where we’re headed.
In terms of attitude, the biggest influence has always been the DIY, no-nonsense BeNeLux scene. Bands like Point of View, Rage Feeds Death, Dad Magic, The Priceduifkes, The Headshrinker, Permanent Debt, Millions of Them, Rites, Cheap Drugs, Pressure Pact, Travolta, Hetze, Collère, Arrogänt, Foofer, Mitraille, Delinquency, Angstgegner, Ship of Fools, Vaag, Wet Sox, Verval, Haemers, Vogue, Imaginary Dictionary, Hard Shoulder, Flux, Burning Kross, Daggers, Stoop Kid, Reproach, This Routine Is Hell, Fever, Your Highness, Tangled Horns (and honestly too many others to mention) have all inspired us in one way or another. Their commitment, their work ethic or their “keep the bullshit to a minimum” mentality set a standard we try to live up to and like seeing reflected in bands we associate with.
What’s the one song of yours people should hear first?
A song I’m particularly excited about right now is called ‘Haunted Like a House’ from our upcoming album Forever Martial. But since we haven’t released that yet, I’d point people toward ‘Vlaanderen Ontdooid, België Voltooid’ from the split EP we released with Ship of Fools, a band from the Netherlands. We wrote and recorded it during the corona pandemic to do away with a stifling period of cultural and creative standstill. We were honestly unsure whether LOTUS still had much of a future, but that EP, and that song in particular, got us going again. It marked a sharp break from the mid-tempo, sludgier type of hardcore of our earlier work and a great statement of intent for things to come. I actually don’t listen to our own recordings, but whenever I stumble across this one, it gets my energy up and my blood boiling. That’s honestly everything I’ve ever wanted from this genre.
Tell us something people might not know about the band.
All four of us are pretty private, maybe even a bit reserved, when it comes to sharing what’s going on in our lives outside the band. People have already mentioned that we’re not the easiest to really get a hold of and that’s fair. But honestly, that’s part of what keeps us tight as a group. We’d rather be recognised for what we do than for who we are as individuals.
What’s been your best gig so far?
I got asked this question in a podcast once and ended up rattling off a list of about ten shows before realising I don’t actually have one definitive standout. But if you put a gun to my head, I’d say our set at a Belgian festival called Crossbonefest in 2016. We were in the middle of working on our second album and testing some of the new material live for the first time. I remember being genuinely nervous and us having to wade through a tightly packed crowd just to get to our instruments. The atmosphere was electric. As soon as we started playing, it turned into this overwhelming surge of singalongs and bodies twisting everywhere. I really felt appreciated for what we were doing as a band. It was humbling, and it made me deeply grateful for the people who find something of themselves reflected in our music.
What’s the music scene like where you’re based?
It’s genuinely exciting. The northern Belgian scene is thriving right now, with a strong mix of established bands and a wave of fresh young talent. The newer bands aren’t as locked into specific micro-genres within the hardcore punk universe, so they bring a lot of openness, attitude and raw energy to shows that might otherwise be filled mostly with the more reserved oldheads, like us. It creates an inspiring dynamic.
Tell us about your new album.
Our next album is called Forever Martial. It drops on all major streaming platforms on March 18, with the 12″ vinyl following on March 28. It’s our first post-COVID effort and dives into a visceral exploration of existential despair, confronting the tyranny of modern existence and the emotional toll of living in a world dominated by economic hardship, political lip service and psychological collapse. As with all things punk, people can expect an unfiltered, raw collection of songs set to a more analogue sound but entirely true to LOTUS form: no excess fat and relentless from start to finish.
We recorded the album with Thomas Valkiers at Hightime Studio, had it mixed by Tim De Gieter (Every Stranger Looks Like You / Amenra / Doodseskader) at Much Luv Studio, and then mastered by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden Recording Studio. Our longtime label, Shield Recordings, is currently handling the vinyl pressing. With some luck, we’ll have the physical copies in our hands very soon.
Tell us the story behind one of your tracks.
We already laid out a pretty clear mission statement on RAMzine when we released our latest single ‘JLD’, so let’s keep things a bit more lighthearted this time. When we had studio time booked with Thomas Valkiers at Hightime Studio, I was still finishing up a couple of lyrics. As the recording date got closer, I found myself completely stuck on the text for ‘Tyranny of Being’, which we’ll be releasing as a single sometime soon. It was the last lyric I had to wrap up. I had multiple ideas for it, but after four or five rewrites, nothing felt right anymore. Full-on writer’s block.
So I asked Bert, our drummer, for help. He was hesitant, because he knows I can get a bit particular about lyrics. But we stripped everything back to basics. I handed him half a draft, raw and straight from the gut, and he wrote the second half. We decided not to overthink it and left it exactly as it was.
When we got into the studio, I managed to convince him to record the vocals for his part of the lyrics too. And honestly, I think it turned into one of the coolest moments we’ve ever captured on record.
What’s next for you?
On March 28, we’re hosting our album release show at JC Bouckenborgh in Merksem, Antwerp, and we’ve invited Burning Kross, Mitraille, and Spare Kid to join us. Tickets are available online, and anyone under the age of 18 gets in for free. If it turns out anything like our 2017 The Road To Calvary release show at the same venue, it’s going to be an awesome night.
Where can people find you?
As much as we (only half-heartedly) try to keep up with streaming and social media, we honestly prefer people to keep an eye on what local promoters are putting on. Chances are you’ll spot us on one of their posters. So be part of the community and come enjoy it live.
DIY, hassle-free record labels are getting increasingly rare. Without them, bands like us wouldn’t have even the modest reach we do. So feel free to browse the Shield Recordings catalogue, pick up The Headshrinker’s self-titled album and keep an eye on their news section for when our album pre-order launches.
We’re also patiently waiting for the Subvert platform to go live, offering a grassroots, artist-owned alternative to corporate platforms like Bandcamp. We’re cooperative members and Toronto’s S.H.I.T. is already available on there.
But until Subvert is fully up and running, you can listen to us on: Bandcamp // Spotify // Apple Music // Tidal // Deezer
Keep up with what we’re doing on: Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Threads
Or contact us on: https://linktr.ee/lotusbelgium
