Local Q&A: Tirra Lirra

(Credit: HANDOUT)

Technically, if pop music were having a party for all of its representatives, Chicago experimental rockers Tirra Lirra could probably snag a spot on the fringes. But singer-keyboardist Hank Henry says the band’s debut full-length, “Pink Live Forever,” is going for something much more complex.

“Experimentation and influences of ambient music and electronics but also underlying pop music” is how Henry, who lives in Logan Square, summarizes what you’ll get out of the record. It’s the sort of engrossingly puzzling disc that neither rocks nor drags. and is far from conventional but isn’t inaccessible either. Just don’t expect to go to the record release show at Subterranean and dance your pants or rock your socks off. Pants on, socks in place, you may simply sway to the drone--or join the people who have exclaimed to Henry, “Oh my god, three people have made that much sound come out!”

Henry, 30, checked in while he was at work at Lincoln Park’s Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum--which falls right in line with the band’s moniker and album title, both named after plants.

Do you ever look into the crowd during a show and everyone is so transfixed you could tap them and they’d fall down?

[Laughs] Yes! And I hope that that’s not going to be from boredom. [I like the notion] of wondering where all this [noise] is coming from and sort of just surrounding you and making for that type of experience, versus a pummeling of hard beats or anything like that.

How much does your work with nature influence the music?

I’m certainly into atmosphere, and I think that’s nature-based. Being in Lincoln Park too, the nature museum has a nice actual green area, so being in that space in the city is kind of influential on your mind when you’re going on lunch break or coming to work and things like that.

What would you do if a flock of birds flew in during a show?

Oh, [that’d] be fine! I mean, I’d feel bad for anybody who was hit by them, but if you’re talking about the dramaticness or the songs, that would be the most dramatic that you could get. Running through a field and all those birds flying a way. If they flew into the show, that would be pretty appropriate.

What’s stopping you from doing your own birdcalls?

[Laughs] Eh, we just want to stay away from that I think … well, if we’re playing outside that might be a better environment for that. Let the birds do the talking.

How would you describe your sound in five words or less?

Melodic atmospheric pop electronic experience.

Someone said it’s music you have to listen to in bed.

Yes. If you listen to music on your stereo you get it in one way, but if you put it on headphones and get into it… you just hear more when it’s closer to your ear. When you lay down in bed you kind of get to analyze it a little bit more.

If people fall asleep listening to you guys, what type of dreams will they have?

We’ve got a song called “Fever Dream” and that could get a little wild maybe. I’d say floating-a lot of people have dreams about hovering above things and looking down upon environments happening. You look down on people walking around. I think some of it sounds very watery too, so maybe out on the ocean or something like that.

Watery?

I think some of the synths that were played in it have a real gurgling texture to them. A lot of invokes a little bit of water to me. Real natural sounds that come from analog instruments.

What do you say if someone calls you guys weird?

I’d say that they haven’t really expanded their musical horizons really. I don’t feel that we’re weird. Just being involved in music, I gotta say we’re not weird. [Laughs] There’s much more weird out there that you can get into. We’re not really going for weird.

What are you going for?

Interesting. Memorable.

Matt Pais is the Metromix music and movies producer. mpais@tribune.com

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