The Lolligags

originally published August 29, 2007

Even though the group has yet to play a single live show, Nashville/Athens band The Lolligags has caught the attention of many Athenians full on. Working with a New Wave sound that is quickly becoming more modern, the band remains, in many ways, as home-spun and charming as they come.

Members Leslie Dallion and Ryan Breegle met while attending college in Florida several years ago. A long friendship and shared musical tastes resulted in the pair deciding to begin making music together. By this time, though, Breegle was living in Nashville and Dallion in Athens. Employing truly archaic means of musical communication - land-line telephones! - the pair managed to write a healthy batch of songs, the first of which are available on the recently released EP Wired, out now on Athens label Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records.

The Lolligags seems to be simultaneously reaching back and pushing forward. Although her vocal style is incredibly reminiscent of Siouxsie Sioux, Dallion's lyrics are much more straightforward. Similarly, the tunes composed by Breegle at first listen present themselves as minimal New Wave tunes, but subsequent listening reveals deeper layers in terms of both melody and rhythm. There's also a certain shock when one realizes that these songs are, despite the band's sweet-sounding name and accessible tunesmithing, tales of domestic squabble, sexual frustration, malaise, loathing and all-around adult-oriented themes. Flagpole spoke with Dallion and Breegle when they were both in town recording some new tracks over at Jason NeSmith's Bel*Air Studio.

Flagpole

So what's up with this name The Lolligags?

Leslie Dallion

I dunno. We were in Jason NeSmith's kitchen and I was, like, "Hey, we're the Lolligags!" It also sounds like lollipop, and I do a lot of work with my company Pancake Meow and am always thinking about candy. So there.

Ryan Breegle

There's a lot of potential imagery in the name.

Flagpole

Do each of you write the music or is it one person doing the lyrics and another doing the music?

Ryan Breegle

We each write music. Leslie comes up with a melody and she'll sing it over the phone and I put something down and we go back and forth. It's all over the telephone. We don't share audio files.

Leslie Dallion

Sometimes I'll play something I've come up with on my laptop and Ryan holds a tape recorder to the phone. Seriously! A lot is lost in the process, but we still think it sounds good.

Flagpole

When you guys finally do get out and play live, will you have a live band or will most of the music be prerecorded?

Ryan Breegle

We thought about both options, but think we're gonna go with largely prerecorded stuff.

Leslie Dallion

The stage is going to be filled with all kinds of props, so there's no room for a band!

Ryan Breegle

It'll give us more control over the music… I'll play guitar and some keyboards.

Leslie Dallion

I'll just be singing.

Flagpole

You have at least 28 songs recorded already. Why is the debut EP only four tracks?

Leslie Dallion

t's just supposed to be an introduction to the band. We just did it for fun. To put it out there. We probably have more than half of the first album in the can from all those songs we recorded.

Ryan Breegle

Leslie always likes the most recent stuff the best.

Flagpole

Why the hell has it taken so long for you guys to plan and play a show?

Leslie Dallion

We just wanted the first gig to be special. We didn't wanna go and just do any old motherfuckin' bullshit.

Ryan Breegle

After the first gig, though, as long as we're together in the same place we'll be able to play. Especially with if we go with mostly prerecorded tracks.

Gordon Lamb

Spotlight is a biweekly feature looking at newer or emerging local acts.