Episode 11: Holly Ross & David Blackwell – The Lovely Eggs

The Lovely Eggs. Image: Darren Andrews

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If you’ve been listening to this podcast for the last 12 weeks, there’s probably two things you’re aware of. Firstly, that you’re incredibly charitable; and secondly, that I do tend to focus on artists who aren’t exactly household names.

That much is certainly true for this week’s artist, Lancaster duo The Lovely Eggs. Comprising married couple Holly Ross and David Blackwell, The Lovely Eggs have been going for 18 years now, having played their first gig in New York back in 2006.

Since then, phrases like ‘little known’, ‘underrated’, and ‘underground heroes’ have all been bandied about when describing the pair. This shouldn’t particularly come as any surprise though, especially given the way they conduct themselves.

After all, they not only describe their music as “too punk to be hippie, too hippie to be punk”, while their early work is like “a child making a kaleidoscope while listening to Red Krayola”, and their recent gear is like “listening to Black Sabbath while reading Richard Brautigan”.

In addition to that, they’ve never tried to be commercial successes, eschewing traditional release campaigns, label support, and industry insight, instead remaining steadfastly DIY and independent, and reaping the benefits.

Those benefits have been made apparent, too, with numerous singles, EPs, and albums arriving over the years, collaborations with producers like Dave Fridmann (who has worked with The Flaming Lips and Tame Impala, to name a few), and a song with one of their biggest admirers, Iggy Pop.

While some might say they’re doing themselves a disservice by taking a different route, folks like Holly and David are proving that success is still possible with that DIY spirit.

Now, they’ve released their latest album, the fantastic Eggsistentialism, and it’s a record you truly need to hear.

This week, Holly and David of The Lovely Eggs were true to their name, and were lovely enough to join me as they chatted about their own musical histories, their voracious independent spirit, and all the music that they love. It’s a little different this week, given that they both picked their favourite artists and albums, but teamed up to choose five songs as a couple. As you’d expect, they’re top-shelf choices the whole way through.

I strongly urge you to check out The Lovely Eggs’ latest album, and once you’re done giving that a spin, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

Holly Ross & David Blackwell's Trusty Chords

Holly’s One Influential Artist

1. Simon & Garfunkel

David’s One Influential Artist

1. Black Sabbath

Holly’s Three Impactful Albums

1. Grandaddy – Under The Western Freeway (1997)

2. John Coltrane – A Love Supreme (1965)

3. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970)

David’s Three Impactful Albums

1. The Flaming Lips – The Soft Bulletin (1999)

2. The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band – Vol. 3 - A Child's Guide To Good & Evil (1968)

3. The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

Holly & David’s Five Trusty Songs

1. Neu! – 'Hallogallo' (1972)

2. Sonic Youth – 'Teen Age Riot' (1988)

3. Simon & Garfunkel – 'The Sound Of Silence' (1964)

4. Jonathan Richman – 'That Summer Feeling' (1992)

5. The Flaming Lips – 'Race For The Prize' (1999)