Lung Flower

By Julia Hunter

CALGARY — Vancouver quartet Lung Flower describe themselves as a mash up of stoner rock and ‘90s grunge.

According to vocalist Tyler Mayfield, their live sound has been consistently compared to a mix of the raw, aggressive approach of early Alice in Chains and the rollicking desert grooves of Kyuss. The members themselves describe their defining quality as versatility.

“What we seem to find in the scene is that you’re either some form of metal or you’re a kind of rock or punk. We don’t want to get bogged down into one genre.”

Resultantly, Lung Flower plays an oddball assortment of gigs.

“It’s really awesome to be able to play with hardcore metal bands one night, then switch it up to a more bluesy rock the next!”

What makes their music so interesting is their approach to song structure and writing in general.

“We try to mix it up a bit; multiple tempo changes, even genre changes within the same song, and length that can range from your standard two and a half minutes to as much as seven minutes long!”

Both Mayfield and Marcus Salem, guitarist and founding member, share the lyrical responsibility. They are inspired by the harsh reality of skyrocketing rents courtesy of gentrification.

“We all grew up in the Vancouver Lower Mainland area and there’s probably a 90 per cent chance none of us will ever be able to afford to own a place here…”

Past experiences with drugs and alcohol are another recurring theme in their lyrical process.

“In 2009, Marcus had a dream… And he put it on Craigslist for all to see!”

According to Lung Flower, this dream was making the band.

“Lung Flower is Marcus’ brain child,” Mayfield confirms.
Deriving much of their influence from bands like Mastodon, Soundgarden, High on Fire and Black Sabbath, their first album Under a Dying Sun was a collection of blues-rock and grunge tunes recorded with none of the current members save Salem. On their newest EP, Death on the Crowsnest, the band’s sound has evolved into something much darker and heavier. While staying true to their signature grunge undertones, this album infuses much more sludge and stoner metal, even a bit of thrash. Somewhere down the line, they even hope to make a rockabilly album called Rockabilly Rig Pig. What will remain consistent is the band’s penchant for good times, which are sure to rear their head when they head out on tour.

“As you might know Vancouver has been previously labeled ‘No Fun City,’ so we’re expecting you Calgarians to show us up and teach us a thing or two,” they conclude, laughing. - BEATROUTE

SleepingBagStudios brings Lung Flower into to the studio for a live interview about the band - SleepingBagStudios

Concluding chapter of SleepingBagStudios' live interview with Lung Flower in the studio, ending with an acoustic jam of "Death On The Crowsnest" - SleepingBagStudios

Got another heavy Vancouver band for you, and these guys are standouts. I first caught a whiff of Lung Flower about two years ago when they had a different vocalist and slightly different sound. I mean not totally different, but less metal-y. Anyway, the band recently returned with a new vocalist and this bangin' three song EP. This is much heavier than I remember the band being, they sound almost like a NOLA band here, straddling that line between thrash and stoner rock the way Eyehategod does so well. There's also a healthy dollop of grunge ladled on top, not entirely unlike a Tsar Bomba, Satellite Beaver or even Cultura Tres. Anyway this is a PAY-WHAT-YOU-WANT situation so if you're into heavy sludge rock, you'd be a fool not to check this out. - You May Be Dead And Dreaming