DJ Mick writesThe CHIRP Radio Interview: Asbestos Lead Asbestos

by CHIRP Radio DJ and Features Co-Director Mick R (Listen to his most recent shows / Read his blog)

It has been said, that, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you weirder.” Now the person who said that was an actor, portraying a madman, in a major motion picture, but I defy you to find the lie.

Chicago’s electro-pop duo Asbestos Lead Asbestos takes this sentiment to the opposite extreme: If you want to live, you better prepare to get weird.

Named for a Meat Beat Manifesto masterpiece, the group boasts the talents of best buds Joey and Cassidy, who together form a human sound lab, conducting experiments at the outer limits of good taste while pumping out poignant, absurdist insights and Ableton-enabled, hip-hop night-terrors.

It’s perfect for disassociating with a can of rosé in a jacuzzi jerried out of a Waste Management container - in other words, it’s the soundtrack to your best possible life.

Intrigued? I certainly was! That’s why I caught up with this magnificent, two-headed panther to talk about the whys and what-fors concerning their art.

In the following transcript, you’ll find some necessary insights into the band’s debut LP Nature of the Feline; read the exciting, true story behind why they are technically a bedroom pop band, and learn important life lessons, like, why you should stop worrying and learn to love Asbestos Lead Asbestos.

[Interview was conducted via email on December 8, 2021. It has been edited slightly for clarity.]

Who are Asbestos Lead Asbestos, and how did the band get started? 

Cassidy: Joey actually originally started Asbestos as a solo project back in 2015 and I joined in about a year later. The first song we ever wrote together was in Joey’s basement and we just kind of messed around and made it about 10 minutes. It was hilarious and even inadvertently stirred up some high school drama.

As far as who we are, I feel that our band is really based in experimentation/abstraction around not just the music but our own humor and outlook that ends up becoming a part of whatever project we are on at the time.

What is the origin of your name? 

Joey: I got the name from World Domination Enterprises’ song of the same name. I was 15 years old and listening to a bunch of noise rock/industrial music at the time. It was a spur of the moment thing, but it’s an iconic name.

How does your friendship manifest within your music? 

Cassidy: Often times Joey and I’s ideas for music come to us as sort of diary entries independent of each other that we then sort of Frankenstein together but there are also countless times in which we both find ourselves humored by a situation in our lives simultaneously and decide to write about it together.

What pets do you have and how does your relationships with them enrich your life? 

Joey: I have a cat and a hamster. My mom and my brother have several dogs as well. I’m fascinated by animals in general and my pets bring me plenty of joy. One time I recorded audio of my old dog Lenny eating food and I then sampled it on “Subduction.” 

Cassidy: I have two cats, Pluto and Foot Foot. Pluto has made several appearances in our art. My cats genuinely keep me sane as I live alone and it’s nice to have the cats watching my back even if they’re helpless themselves, it’s sweet when they wait at the bathroom door and such.

What does bedroom pop mean in the context of your sound? 

Joey: We record the music in our bedrooms.

Do you see bedroom pop becoming more prevalent as a genre tag and description for music going forward? Why do you think this is? 

Cassidy: I feel that the genre tag of bedroom pop will slowly become an obsolete phrase going forward because so many of us are making music through means that are accessible and the capacity of genres are endless.

How often do you get compared to 100 Gecs, and is it accurate to say that they influence you at all? Alternatively, who are some of the bands/ artists you admire most and who inspire your sound? 

Cassidy: I wouldn’t say it happens often and while personally I am a fan, I wouldn’t say that they influenced our music. I really admire and look for lyricists particularly who push the boundaries in terms of simplicity/readability. I am deeply in love with Joanna Newsom and the album Divorce Lawyers I Shaved My Head for that reason, it is beautiful and poetic and just slightly out of the reach of my understanding. 

Joey: Personally, I was obsessed with Ween when 1000 Gecs dropped. I see 100 gecs as Asbestos in a different universe and timeline. I’d love to tour with them one day. Other artists who inspire me include Bbymutha, Backxwash, Prince, Beck and way too many others.

As a project, you have a very visual style. How is it that images play into your overall aesthetic as a band, and what/who are some of your visual influences?

Cassidy: I’ve always tried to get my hands into every medium that I can. For me I think I’ve always looked at Asbestos from more of a performance art lens. Yes, the music is the focal point but often times I feel our visuals act as statements or an embodiment of the feeling/sentiment we’re trying to convey.

I really love the work of Carolee Schneeman and Marina Ambramovic in terms of performance art. Also really enjoy film where visuals are at the forefront, very much enjoyed The Holy Mountain, Un Chien Andalou, and Fuses. 

Joey: Cassidy nailed it. My visual influences would be Gregg Araki’s Nowhere and John Waters’ Female Trouble.

How and where was your album Nature of the Feline recorded?

Joey: We recorded Nature of the Feline at our apartment when we used to live together. The sessions were fueled by bongs, dab pens, and art films. We mostly recorded with Ableton and a Yamaha mixing board. Our instruments included my bass + Cassidy’s Roland synth and acoustic guitar. We also recorded some vocals at our friend Veltenhill’s apartment. 

Cassidy: For a lot of the songs in this album I reworked poems that I had written for my poetry or songwriting class I was taking at the time. So songs like “I Smoke Too Much” and “In Sleep” are actually form poems, a sonnet and a villanelle. Then some songs like “Fetus” were written only moments before recording the actual song.

What are some of the overarching themes of the album? If you could condense its message into just a few words, what would those words be? 

Cassidy: Looking back on Nature of the Feline, I feel like there was a lot of personal turmoil for each of us being explored. Of course, there are songs like “Gaslighting” and “Shrimp ASMR” that are upbeat and high energy. But many of the songs were born out of a very emotional time in our lives and as we briefly mentioned previously there is somewhat of a diary entry like quality to a lot of the lyrics in this project. 

Joey: Songwriting wise, it’s about using whatever you sounds want. Thematically, the album is about foolery, scandals, and marimba. 

What direction are you looking to take the band in next? 

Joey: Hopefully we’re gonna start playing a lot more live shows. We’re working on a few separate projects including a short film, a collab record with DJ Rozwell, and the next album. 

Cassidy: Definitely am eager to start performing again and hope to keep exploring the visual elements of our bands through our performances and music videos.

Any shout outs you'd like to give? 

Joey: Much love to Cam, LOWERLIPDRIP, Don’t Be Kendall, Koifsh, Gravedream, and many others.