Last night the usually cavernous Echoplex was packed, couples and small groups spilling over into all major walkways and any nook they could squeeze into to get a better look at the stage. Apparently, word had spread that Australian power pop trio Midnight Juggernauts was the band to see in Los Angeles. They’ve toured with The Flaming Lips and made tracks across the globe, and the group was kind enough to answer some questions about their travels and sophomore album for BestNewBands.com via email in the interview that follows. After reading what they had to say, I couldn’t wait to check them out. I was lucky that I got to the club when I did, because right after I walked through the door they stopped selling tickets. The huge wave of heat coming off of the throngs was testament to the venue’s at-capacity status, and I don’t know if it’s the upcoming holiday or what but there was definitely no shortage of audience enthusiasm. I heard many a scream and group sing-a-long during the pre-show DJ spinning as I did during the actual set, and by the time the trio went on at 11:50pm (only five minutes late, which should be a given but is actually quite impressive), the crowd had sufficiently worked itself up into a frothy fervor. When Midnight Juggernauts took the stage, the cheers were as defeaning as the surprisingly groovy bassline that soon snapped its way through the speakers. The entire vibe was Bowie meets Depeche Mode, but with an irresistible and eerie edge that never let you get too comfortable thinking that they’re your average indie pop band.

Midnight Juggernauts definitely had the professional rocker vibe down pat: each member sported longer, shaggy hair, various combinations of facial hair, and relaxed but stylish and tour-friendly clothing. The lead singer/keyboardist walked onstage with a white sheet draped around his shoulders, explaining that it was a gift: “They gave us all these togas, but I don’t know how to tie one. It’s more Halloween than toga.” He laughed and then nonchalantly wrapped the sheet around him, thanking the opening bands graciously. Bathed in soft purple light, the trio worked their way up from ambient synth sounds and heavy keyboard chords to pulsing dance beats and a drummer that seemed eager to imitate a perpetual motion machine. Smoke drifted over the musicians and audience, seeming to come from everywhere at once. The bassist started out singing backup and playing bass, before transitioning to lead vocals and guitar. His voice was just as deep and rich as the other vocalist’s, and their similar timbres complimented one another well. Unrestricted by stationary instruments, he moved back and forth across the stage between the drummer and the other vocalist, somehow managing to crank out intricate and melodic bass lines at full volume and speed without losing any precision. They really got the crowd moving with ‘Lara vs. The Savage Pack’, an energetic dance groove that was heavy on the guitar fuzz. Once the audience started dancing, they didn’t stop until the very last song. After seeing them perform live, I can understand how they would be a great fit for a Flaming Lips tour. Read on to see what Midnight Juggernauts have to say for themselves!

LK: This month you’ll be playing a few dates in Mexico before heading back up to California and then on to the East Coast and Canada. Is there a particular show or place you’re looking forward to specifically?

MJ: Yeah, we wanted to play some interesting locations as part of this tour, so apart from the usual big cities we also wanted to add some other dates like Colombia and Ukraine. We weren’t sure if people would know us there, but the shows were great. Coming up this week, we’ve always had a good time in New York and Montreal. Actually, we’ve had a good time in all the US and Canadian cities. It will be great to return.

MJ: When we started the band we were always more excited to play beyond Australia and let our music travel. It’s more work, but it’s a lot more fun being able to have new adventures and experiences in new lands. Sometimes it feels like starting from scratch when you hit a new territory but thankfully, in the internet age it’s not as daunting as it used to be. Like on this tour we’ve played an intimate gig in a small town of 200 people, and then we’d play a headline show the next week in another town to 2500. It makes it more interesting when there’s diversity in the schedule.

LK: Your sophomore album The Crystal Axis (now available on iTunes) was released digitally this past June with a physical release scheduled for December 14th. What effect does touring have on your recording process? Are you inspired to craft new songs, or more interested in exploring and expanding upon your existing material? 

MJ: Well we’re constantly writing new material all the time, so as soon as we put something out we’re always creating new follow-up sounds. When we play live we also expand upon the existing material. I think it’s good to constantly keep in motion.

LK: While already having conquered power pop, psychedelic synthpop, and indie prog rock, is there another genre you’d like to explore or incorporate into your sound?

MJ: I started playing the violin when I was seven, and I used to play in classical string ensembles as a thirteen-year-old at weddings and other events. Even though I haven’t gone there for years it could be fun to play with string sections once again. Something based around grand orchestration. We’ll see…

LK: Do you have anyone in mind that you’d like to collaborate with in the future? Or anyone in particular that you’d like to tour with?

MJ: It would be fun to tour with someone with a crazy over the top stage show. We did a tour with Flaming Lips once and it was always exciting to watch them and the inflatable ball intro of the show. For that reason it could be fun to tour with Roger Waters, if they happen to do the collapsing wall trick. As for collaboration, it would be fun to do something with Kate Bush, Philip Glass or Steve Martin.

LK: The music video for ‘Lara Vs. The Savage Pack’ was shot frame by frame on 2000 pieces of paper (see video below). Who came up with the idea, and how long did the process take?

MJ: We wanted to have some intricate animated video so we approached two animator friends of ours, Lucinda Schreiber and Beatrice Pegard. They shot us stop-frame in lots of paper related scenarios, and then they printed those images out on paper and re-shot them in more inventive paper stop fram scenarios. There’s a lot going on and a lot of work involved, over six months total I think. You need a lot of patience to be an animator.