Squirming in their blood and filth, newborns tighten little fingers into little fists, kick their little legs and release bloodcurdling wails from little lungs. In the Spring of 2008, three drummers from three very different bands came together to give birth to New Brunswick’s own pair of Little Lungs. Their bloody little baby, though, seems to be growing up real fast.
It has been less than six months since Angie Boylan, of New York pop punk group Cheeky, and Jacki Sullivan, of now defunct Hub City drone rockers Tin Kitchen, began collaborating on songs fit for a separate group. In the new configuration, Boylan trades her sticks for guitar strings, Sullivan returns to bass and both trade off on vocals. “If one of us sings it, we probably wrote it,” Sullivan said. Along with current Helloids punk percussionist Josh Wolpert, who also has a hand in writing lyrics, Little Lungs successfully blend their styles and create an indefinable sound primed for New Brunswick basements.
Sullivan admits the group has a tendency to name certain parts according to their influences (“Oh, that’s the Jawbreaker part” or “Deerhoof part”) but pride themselves on keeping their music from being compartmentalized. “It keeps people from hitting their full potential,” Sullivan said, adding how their separate influences should allow them to have a constantly evolving song. “It’s going to get weirder.”
Compared to the amount of time they have actually been making music, Little Lungs are receiving the attention usually reserved for more seasoned acts. It was only July that they convened in the basement bedroom of Small Arms Dealer/Latterman member Phil Douglas to record their first seven song demo and have it picked up for distribution a month later by Detroit based label Salinas Records.
Even though their number of performances can easily fit on one hand, exciting news came late September when No Idea Records invited Little Lungs to join the 250+ bands playing at The Fest 7, located in Gainesville, Fla. The three-day Halloween weekend festival will feature well known acts as Atom and his Package, Bouncing Souls and Ghost Mice while also including New Brunswick staples Screaming Females and The Ergs. It seems that Boylan will have to pull double duty since Cheeky are also making the trek down.
“I’m surprised…not scared,” Sullivan said, “…and grateful.”
Make sure to check out Little Lungs October 10th at Courtlandt-land, along with Sea Creature, Pregnant, and Baby Guts.
