BLACK LOUNGE: "WE’RE NOT LOOKING FOR REDEMPTION — JUST HONESTY"

From bedroom demos to festival stages in just over a year, Black Lounge are proving you don’t need a slick origin story to cut through the noise — just honesty, grit, and a sharp ear for melody. Their latest single “Misfits” is a scuzzy, slow-burning anthem for the anti-heroes: emotionally messy, morally grey, and proud of it. Released July 25 via Apollo Distribution, the track leads into the band’s highly anticipated debut EP Black Tapes, due August 8.

Written by vocalist and songwriter George Grant, “Misfits” doesn’t chase pity or catharsis — instead, it leans into the uncomfortable. We caught up with George to dig into the new track, the band’s DIY recording process, and how Black Lounge are shaping their sound with raw instincts and a refusal to play it safe.

“Misfits” feels like a cathartic anthem for outsiders — what inspired the character at the heart of the song, and how personal was that writing process for you?

‘Misfits’ definitely taps into that outsider energy, but interestingly, it’s not based on a personal experience. The writing process was more about stepping into the shoes of a character, someone quite different from myself. I wanted to portray a person who feels like an outsider, but not in the usual, sympathetic sense. This character is meant to be someone you might struggle to relate to, even someone you might actively dislike.

There’s a nastiness to them, a self-awareness about their actions that makes them complicated. They know what they’re doing and, in some ways, they lean into it. I was really interested in that tension — someone who’s on the fringes, but not looking for redemption or pity. Writing from that perspective was a way to explore darker human impulses without making it about me. I often write about other people and sometimes even make up stories entirely.

Your music blends gritty, raw emotion with polished hooks. How did you find that balance sonically on “Misfits” and the rest of Black Tapes?

Finding that balance really came down to how we approached the recordings. These tracks are from the early days, and apart from All Eyes — which is the most recent — everything else was recorded very simply. We just set up in a circle, played the songs live, and didn’t use a click track. It was all about capturing the energy and imperfections of a real performance.

I wasn’t aiming for a studio-perfect sound — I wanted that live-take feel, something rough around the edges but emotionally honest. That rawness felt right for the songs at the time, especially for Misfits, where the grit adds to the character.

That said, it really marks a moment in time. I’m proud of how it sounds and what it represents, but we’re already evolving. Sonically, this will probably be the only time we sound exactly like this — Black Tapes captures that early spirit: loud, messy, and real.

From bedroom demos to festival slots in just over a year — what’s been the most surreal or defining moment of Black Lounge’s journey so far?

Every artist's journey is different, and that’s what makes it so beautiful. There’s no set path; it’s messy, emotional, and often really difficult. But those emotions are what make it feel real and worthwhile. For me, one of the most surreal and defining moments so far has been hearing actual people, actual fans, singing our songs back to us. It’s something you just can’t replicate. Whether it’s one person in a tiny room or a thousand people at a festival, that moment of connection is what makes everything worth it. From bedroom demos to those stages — it’s been a wild ride, and it still blows my mind that something we created has found its way into other people’s lives like that.

There’s a clear thread of introspection and internal conflict in your lyrics. Do you see your music as emotional release — or are you trying to spark something bigger in the listener?

There’s definitely a thread of introspection in what I write, but I wouldn’t say my music is always about emotional release. I only really write to let emotion out when I need to — and that’s not all the time. For the most part, I’m more interested in telling stories, exploring specific topics, or sometimes even writing about love — but not in the obvious way.

I try to avoid the generic phrases or themes you hear all the time. It’s easy to write a love song, but it’s much harder to write something that hasn’t been said a thousand times, or to tackle a subject people don’t usually write about. I want every song to feel like it has its own story, its own world, its own house to live in.

I’m not trying to spark some revolutionary movement or change the world with my lyrics. I just want to create an interesting listening experience — something that sticks with people for its honesty, its uniqueness, or the way it makes them feel. If it connects, that’s more than enough for me.

Your sound pulls from a wide spectrum — from Radiohead to Arctic Monkeys to Pink Floyd. How do those influences shape the band’s identity without overshadowing your own voice?

I think your influences are always evolving. They kind of shift depending on what you’re listening to, what you’re drawn to in the moment. In my case, yeah, you can probably hear a few of those big names in there, and there’s definitely one clear influence that stands out (which I’ll leave unsaid), but it’s not something I try to force or lean on too heavily.

At the end of the day, I’m just trying to write stuff that sounds good — things that feel fun, exciting, or meaningful in the moment. The goal is never to copy a sound but to take the energy or the spirit of something I love and push it through our own filter. That way, it naturally becomes something that feels like us.

So those influences are definitely there — they shape your instincts and taste — but I think we’re always trying to carve out our own voice within that, not be defined by what’s come before.