Fifth Lucky Dragon is back with another vivid single, “Idle on the Outside,” that takes us all on a sonic voyage through their creative realm.
With a name that originates from a 1954 fishing vessel that set out on the Pacific Ocean and a story of routine to tragedy, Louis Imperiale, came across this incident when his high school concert band played a piece called “Eternal Memoir - Saga of the Lucky Dragon.”
The piece caught his ear due to its drastic dynamics and sonic intensity. Upon looking into its background, he found the incident particularly compelling because it manifests the potential collateral impact of our decisions and actions.
The name of the fishing vessel was Daigo Fukuryu Maru (No. 5 Lucky Dragon) which is where the band name “Fifth Lucky Dragon” comes from. It is intended to serve as a reminder of the story and the lessons it offers for each of us.
This trio that reps lyrical integrity and sonic innovation, delivers music that resonates with their fans beyond the songs themselves. They want to inspire creativity amongst their audience, in a climate that focuses on ruthless competition.
“Idle on the Outside,” opens up with the elements of an airy lead synth with a hidden layer of what sounds like a plane taking off before the deep, intoxicating vocal of the lead singer comes in serenading us with well-crafted lyrics of treading lightly while being idle on the outside. This electronic ambiance has a pop flavor to it while carrying out the electronic score from the 80’s inspired synths to up-tempo drums.
The futuristic dystopian carries out ominous vibrations while taking an instrumental break before the chorus resonates and memorable harmonies chime in with a notable hook. The production components implemented match impeccably with the vocals, giving this an up-beat yet haunting tone, overall and pulling us in until the end.
“Idle on the Outside,” exudes vintage vibes and has us grabbing our leggings and windbreakers to match the energy put out. We are patiently awaiting what is next for Fifth Lucky Dragon as they continue to establish themselves as the up and coming artists they are.
Congratulations on the release of, “Idle on the Outside.” What do the lyrics scripted mean to you as individuals and what do you want your fans to take away from it?
Generally speaking, the song is about a personal outer state that is not reflective of the inner state, which is a lot of what I write about because it’s a lot of what I think about in an effort to understand it. The most important takeaway for me is towards the end of the second verse. The lyrics are, “...and we ask why we’re so depressed. Heads congested with endless questions, the one we don’t ask is ‘what have you noticed?’”
Since writing this, I have changed my thinking a little bit. I don’t mean to simplify anyone’s experience which I realize could be an interpretation. For me, one of the best antidotes to any affliction is to be more observant. I find myself at the end of the day without any observations that I could reflect upon. If I walk for 20 minutes, most of the time I’ll see something unusual if I am paying attention. Most likely it won’t be anything life-changing but that’s not the point. It’s just an exercise in being more present that I find to be helpful. So I try to ask myself what I notice. Whether it be in a movie/song, in a conversation, in my own responses, etc.… surely I will notice more if I am present with whatever I am doing. And I promise the rest of this won’t sound like a self-help book.
What does the creative process look like for you when an idea is brought to life?
Sometimes it starts with an instrumental track, or a certain lyric/concept, or even a song title. And then it’s just a lot of time working with the idea to get it to a point where it’s something I enjoy listening to (which is by no means a glamorous process). I need to step away from the computer/phone a lot so I take a lot of walks and focus on what’s going well and more importantly what’s not going so well. I have gotten better at putting myself in the “would I be a fan of this song if I heard it randomly” mentality which guides a lot of the process for me and gives me a hint of the ever-elusive objectivity within the creative process.
As individuals and as a band, who are your musical inspirations?
For this song in particular the only thing I knew was that I wanted to try a big chorus with 80s style falsetto vocals leading the charge. I think I was listening to a lot of Philip Bailey. Tame Impala is the intersection of influences for Nathan Roseboom (bass) and me. Some of my friends told me this song reminded them of Tame Impala and MGMT and I think Nathan’s bass gave it that character that it was lacking before.
Where is the strangest place you have had a creativity strike?
Walks, showers, and dreams are some of the common places for me. I know those aren’t strange but I don’t really think of any place as strange. When trying to come up with video treatments, the best thing I’ve found is to sit in a room with all the lights off and think until you can see part of the video you want to make. Force yourself to see it in your imagination before you try to make it. I haven’t really tried the equivalent of that for songs but maybe I will. 5. What has been keeping you inspired in 2020? Truthfully I don’t feel very inspired right now. And I’m trying to be okay with that, hoping it’ll be temporary. I have recently been watching some of Pixar’s early short films (“For the Birds” and “Geri’s Game” to name a few) for some much-needed levity.