QSC Aspiring Interview: Loser Company on surviving Covid and upcoming album ‘The Floor’

Will and Shawn from L.A-based indie rock band Loser Company discuss the band’s origins and how some of their recent musical projects came together from a creative perspective.

How did the band originally form?

Will: Our origins are loaded with a lot of history. Masato [on bass] and I had been playing music together since we were about 12. We were in bands in high school, and when we gave college a try we sort of lost touch. Then we randomly saw each other towards the tail end, and he told me he was moving to San Diego to play music. I told him I was moving to Los Angeles because I had something cooking out there, and I wanted to play music too. Flash forward from our teens to our early 20s; we were going back and forth between San Diego and Los Angeles, trying some combos down there that didn't really work out.

I found myself going from band to band, and then sometime during our mid to late 20s, one band blew up in my face. It was a real stab in the gut, and I sort of gave up and just started working. Maybe it was a sign that it wasn't meant to be, so I started putting focus on trying to make money, which turned out to be really empty and a bunch of horse sh*t. Masato was on a similar trajectory and we started to refocus on why we came out here in the first place. I ended up getting myself into some trouble and I was down and out. I just felt empty; I needed music in my life because there was really no better time than when we were playing music together. He was serendipitously feeling the same way, and in April 2017 we decided to give it another go.

We had some supporters and some detractors. We found a drummer - she left, we found another drummer - he left. Fast forward to December 2019 after we had recorded our first album, and we met Shawn at a local bar; it was just kismet from there. When covid rolled around, we really persevered and started writing. Finding Shawn helped glue us together in a lot of ways. When we finally got back face to face, we started writing our new album, The Floor. Maybe in my mind it’s a wannabe version of The Wall, just without the talent(!). Since then things have been great. Shawn hooked us up with some really great producers and engineers.

Shawn: I played drums in various bands in high school and similarly to Will, a few of them imploded. I moved away for a while to catch a break, but when music calls you feel that calling and you have to go back. So, I relocated to Los Angeles, and just started pursuing music as much as I could. The moment I heard Loser Company, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. Fast forward a couple of months and we were working together and looking towards the future. When the pandemic started we hit the brakes and regrouped, and something really great came out of it, which is The Floor; there’s a silver lining to everything.

What is your usual creative process?

Will: It really has varied over time. The first album was really face to face in a practice studio, but then this time around for obvious reasons it was a lot of me on the couch, and Masato on his couch, just sort of plugging away. A lot of it originated on the acoustic guitar. I think we're always sensitive to our surroundings; we really ruminate on the past a lot, along with concepts of loss and death, and rebirth also. That's why we chose our logo and our mascot, the axolotl. It's a regenerative species that can regrow limbs; it's truly the survivor of the sea. Loser Company has always been this idea of, leave your stuff at the door; it’s a place where music can be shared by everybody. The album name The Floor to me is reflective of hitting rock bottom, and then trying to build yourself up again.

What are some of your personal highlights from recent years?

Shawn: For me it's always got to go back to the fans. There's nothing more rewarding than when you've helped somebody get through a tough situation with your music, or they can relate to you. We get a lot of comments from fans saying how much our music has helped them get through a tough time. For me that's so motivating, and so great to see.

Will: One time we were at a bar called CIA. We played a song, and at the end, everyone was silent, but it wasn't that awkward ‘oh man, these guys stink’ silent. It was like a sense of awe, and then a resounding applause, which felt awesome. But overall I’d have to agree with Shawn. The fact that our art is resonating with people the way we intended it; you can't monetise that feeling. This whole thing could end tomorrow, and that's a hat to hang on the wall forever.

Main image credit: MARK MARYANOVICH PHOTOGRAPHY

Listen to the full interview with Loser Company on Headliner Radio, here: