A Quick Chat With Lloyd & The Leftovers

Lloyd & The Leftovers breathe new life into the Aus music scene with Tried It On Tuesday, a heartfelt indie folk single out now. Hailing from Walyalup, the five-piece band has been winning over crowds with their nostalgic twang, thoughtful lyrics, and magnetic live shows. Tried It On Tuesday is a tender reflection on love, collaboration, and the creative friction that sometimes arises between the two. With crisp vocals, delicate guitar work, and a subtle emotional pull, the track captures the quiet tension of trying to hold onto something just as it starts to slip. We caught up with the band to talk about the song, their process, and what’s ahead.

Can you tell us what this track means to you and what you want people to take away from it?
This tune kinda signals the end of a relationship for me, it covers the last few attempts at making things feel alright, especially playing music together, which was something we had struggled with throughout but seemingly might be something that saves us, but it didn't. And this track is an ode to what could've been, the final chorus sort of feels like what the relationship might of felt like if l was well. I guess I hope people take the song as it is, that some things happen for a reason, and it sucks, a lot, but its probably meant to happen, and finding fun and laughter in that moment is pretty hard, but it all shuffles on either way.

Who are some of your influences, and why?
My songwriting is influenced by people like Dylan and Loudain Wainwright III and Randy Newman and some of the greats of that 70s folk revival, but the band takes a lot of inspiration from The War on Drugs and Van Morrison, essentially we love a long drive home to the end of the song.

What's the creative process for you, from writing through to recording?
I'll write the song, usually starting with humming a tune or some words stuck in my head until I sit down and work it out on the guitar and piece together the words, until the bones of a song is there. Then I'll play it for a few days or weeks until it's a full tune and then bring it to Chris and the band and usually Chris will say let's add all this stuff and we add a few bits and then Zac puts down a groove and we work it into a band song. This record we live tracked in the studio to chase the feeling of a live band, so we all set up and give it a few goes until one feels right. Chris then mixes it all up and wahlaa! Song.

What do you think makes a great song?
Most songs that I think are amazing usually are filled with feeling, are a little bit crazy in their delivery and lyrically speak to a whole lot of people. They flow and have a rhythm and groove that takes you to the end of the tune without being able to hold on to anything, so much so that you have to listen again. I'm thinking Sweet Thing (Waterboys version, although Van's live is incredible), Tumbling Dice, Oxford Town.

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
Andre Either, I really love his earlier stuff with Joseph Sebastian, it's pretty freeing and moody and he has this way of rolling up and down through songs that I'd love to be a part of.

When not working on music, what other creative outlet/s do you have?
When I'm not at home music'ing, I work out in the bush so spend most of my time in around it, I don't mind whittling spoons but most of my time is spent fixing things or making new things, be it anything, in anyway, a temporary fix that lasts is a good long term solution I like to think.

Who are some local bands we should check out?
Friends of the Family are some of our favourite crew in the scene, it's 70s rock and roll but with heaps of contemporary life, horns, kicking chorus and loads of spunk. I also love Anna Schneider and Symmetrical Dogs, they are lovely people and songwriters!

Winter or summer and why?
Winter's good, it's rug up time and head out in the rain with friends to the bar. It's cosy at home with the fire, there seems to be more time to do nothing, so I tend to write more in winter, and spend more time doing the things I like, the chooks hate it though.

What do you have planned for 2025?
Our debut record comes out late August, and the band is moving over east to Melbourne later in the year. Chris and I plan to play every tavern or pub from Perth to Melbourne, for dinner or a beer. It's been busy the past few years, so hopefully a little less stuff goes on, but I'm sure it will.

Interviewsaustralianmusicscene23 May 2025