In an era where musical experimentation often feels like a relic of the past, Brooklyn's Le Big Zero stands as a thrilling reminder that the spirit of artistic adventure is alive and well.
Since 2019, they've been crafting a sound that defies easy categorization—one that draws from the fearless innovation of bands like Built to Spill and Sonic Youth while carving out their own distinctive path forward.
With their new EP How To Use a Semicolon, the dual vocal attack of Michael Pasuit and Carolina Aguilar leads the band through three tracks that showcase their mastery of tension and release, demonstrated perfectly in their lead single "How Very."
The song's accompanying video, featuring comedian Billie Bullock in a surreal confrontation with a menacing toy piano, perfectly captures the band's ability to blend the familiar with the wonderfully strange.
We caught up with the band's Michael Pasuit and Carolina Aguilar to discuss their new music, their unique approach to songwriting, and the band's recent family reunion.
Carolina, how does it feel stepping back into the spotlight after your time away focusing on motherhood, and how has this experience shaped your approach to music and collaboration with the band?
Carolina: Feels fulfilling and energizing. I should probably tell them, but I'll tell you instead: the guys have been so supportive of and patient with me as I get back into playing live and getting together to write. Now that I'm a mom, they’re kind enough to leave their firearms at the door and take shorter drug breaks...
Michael: Wha?
Carolina: Seriously, the ease they've welcomed me back with has made for a really productive environment. We get drinks with our favorite bartender and hang out as friends, but follow that with pretty disciplined rehearsals and writing sessions.
Michael and Carolina, your vocal harmonies are a defining feature of Le Big Zero’s sound. How do your personal dynamics and shared sense of humor influence how you write and perform together?
Michael: It's a blessing and sometimes a curse in the dumbest way possible. It can be awkward to look a good friend in the eye and sing earnestly, like getting the giggles in church. I know that if we were harmonizing and she changed her expression in a specific way, it would likely get me to crack up and lose concentration. But of course, it's great for an artistic relationship. We can easily tell each other, "No, that sounds wrong," or "That lyric doesn't work," without hurting each other's feelings. And we can trust one another when someone has a strong feeling about a melodic or lyrical direction.
Carolina: What he said! I worked for a while at my brother's startup, and it's similar in that there's such a close personal relationship, but it allows us to throw everything into the work and not have to dance around feedback. Maybe we should be dancing around more on stage, though.
The band draws inspiration from underground heavyweights of the past. What personal connections or early influences shaped your unique sound, and how do you balance those with creating something fresh for today’s listeners?
Michael: Wow. So many. Growing up, I made these mixtapes that were such a hodgepodge that they sounded like they were created by a crazy person. Ranging from Swervedriver to Crosby Stills and Nash. Teenage vibes = chaos.
We obviously still dig the angular and off-kilter sounds, so bands like Jawbox, Chavez, Pile, Built to Spill, and Speedy Ortiz are all certainly reference points when writing the first album. But it’s also hard to deny the more melodic, classic college and art rock influences like Television, Mission of Burma, and Elvis Costello, too. I never wanted the band to be too dense or frenetic to be accessible.
Lukas is a drummer through and through, bringing the likes of Palm, The Ladies, and Faraquet to the table. Heavily intricate, complex rhythms. Our bassist, Ben, is also a drummer and is into Deerhoof, X, James Jamerson, and David Bazan, but also more melodic stuff like Alvvays. This has become quite a name-drop session.
Carolina: We try to draw on influences but not mimic them.
"How Very" balances cinematic aesthetics, jagged riffs, and poignant lyrics. What’s the story or inspiration behind the song, and how did the toy piano concept in the music video come to life?
Michael: We started on “How Very” a while back. I remember a rehearsal where Ben and our then-drummer Tim were working on this cool spastic groove, then I layered on a guitar part, and then Carolina just started intoning vocals over it. Very organic. It was one of the first times thinking, “Oh, this is what this can sound like." But sometimes, even the good ideas lay dormant in your phone recordings for a while.
The lyrics reflect that “maybe we’re late to the party?” echo of self-doubt. Imposters syndrome (but aren’t we all?). I’m beginning to think the feeling is just human nature if you take actual care in what you do and create, especially artistically.
Jeanette D. Moses and Justin Ferraro have been visual collaborators for a few years now, having teamed with us on three other videos. Justin found that mini-piano on the street and knew instantly he wanted to use it.
After listening to the song, he envisioned it as a stand-in for that itch that musicians get and can’t shake. At the end of the video, our protagonist is literally consumed by their art. Jeanette really wanted to create two visually distinct worlds: the dream of being a performer and the unglamorous reality of day-to-day life. It’s such a fun video.
Carolina: I don’t know about you, but my lyrics are fully based on the movie Heathers. And why shouldn't they be? It's iconic!
The EP How To Use a Semicolon is as intriguing as unconventional. What inspired the name, and does it reflect a deeper message or playful nod to the band’s creative process?
Michael: No one knows how to properly use a semicolon with any confidence. And if you do—good for you—you paid attention in the classes I was doodling band logos into my notebook. The concept comes from thinking about the lifespan of a band as a long sentence.
Trying not to let it get too messy. Trying to arrive at a demonstrable point. Trying to be eloquent and expressive, but there are always tangents. It’s running a race with your laces tied. Changing line-ups, life stuff. There's no sensible way to do this gracefully, for us at least.
Sure, it's a playful album title, but it also reflects the idea of forging forward with a creative vision, a heaping amount of anxiety, and the irrational faith that it'll all work out somehow.
This EP marks a new chapter for the band with Carolina’s return and a condensed, three-track format. What do you want this release to say about Le Big Zero in your journey, and how does it set the stage for what’s next?
Carolina: We embrace each other's styles more than ever, and the songs reflect that collaborative writing process. We do know ourselves and our sound and remind ourselves to be somewhat consistent: be more angular, be more unpredictable; how can we mess with form? But we've definitely explored new styles and structures in this EP and in the full-length album we're working on. We've all been through life changes and stages in the past few years, too, so I think the music reflects personal evolution, and it’s impossible for that not to be reflected in the music.
Michael: There's this more traditional sense of an EP where it's released to build awareness for the next full-length album. Le Big Zero has never been one specific thing—just kinda where we're at the time. We have a crazy amount of new material we still want to get there, and that's exciting to us. To get to share these frantic little harmonics with everyone and hope they elicit the same.
What's next? Well, the amount of 4/4 on this EP is distressing to me, so what's next is definitely a little bit weirder and raw.