Aussie animated metalcore band, Lost Souls, burst onto the scene earlier this year with their debut single “Childhood Died.” The track, which blends heavy riffs with a passionate critique of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, quickly gained traction online. Listeners were drawn not only to the band’s unique sound but also to their bold and entertaining lyrics, with lines like “How the fuck do Jedi die from being tired?” sparking curiosity and conversation. Their follow-up single, “The Return,” continues the Star Wars theme, celebrating that one Luke Skywalker scene in The Mandalorian with the line, “I can’t believe after all this time I’d see this scene, it’s everything I’d ever dreamed.” Both tracks are receiving heaps of attention and positive comments online, propelling the band into the spotlight.
I had the chance to chat with lead singer Kev, who gave me an incredible insight into how the group started. “It started like most bands, I guess. It was a little weird at the same time. Our guitarist, Knox, and I—we were just jamming, and then we were looking for a band, and then our bass player Jovi and drummer Yosh—they were jamming as well. But they had this other singer who was terrible. And I told them, and they were like, ‘well, I’d love to see you guys do better.’ And obviously, I did. I remember when I met Casey, she was actually getting mugged at the time. So, I ran over there—and I don’t know why, I’m a pretty skinny dude. I can’t remember what I said, but next moment I wake up and I’d been completely knocked out, and she woke up next to me. But she was all good! And it turns out she plays guitar, so she came and joined the band.”
You’ll only have to listen to “Childhood Died” for a few moments to realise how passionate Kev is about Star Wars. The incredible instrumentation and production on the insanely catchy track, combined with the unusual topic and relatable frustration is what has garnered so much positive attention for the group online. “For me, and for a lot of people, we were raised on Star Wars. These stories mean a lot to us… these were what we based our life on, and our sense of right and wrong. When people fuck with it, it’s like fucking with religion. It’s like writing a sequel to the Bible and Jesus dies from being tired or something like that… These were cherished parts of my childhood. I didn’t grow up with my dad around so Luke Skywalker gave me a real sense of right and wrong, and then to see it trashed like that is pretty heartbreaking.” Despite the humour in their tracks, the band doesn’t want to be seen as a parody act. “Objectively I can see that the songs are funny. But I think when you peel back the layers, and if you look at the comments, I think a lot of people share our opinions. You can think it’s funny or not, but as long as you’re throwin’ down to it, I don’t really mind.”
Discussing their recording process, Kev reveals, “We’ve got a pretty sweet setup. In the garage, it’s pretty incredible what can be done now with home-recording setups and stuff like that. We eat, sleep and breathe this. If we’re not writing, we’re playing around with sounds or we’re looking at all these different virtual instruments and all the recording tools that are available to us. The writing is one part, but it’s really nice to be able to be in control of the sound as well.”
While their current singles are still making waves in the metal world, Lost Souls have exciting plans for future tracks. “We’re not going to do some Star Wars stuff for a while,” Kev shares. “There’s so much stuff that’s moved me, from Star Wars to X-Men and more recently Attack on Titan, and all of those narratives have stuff that I take away from it. We’ll be writing a lot about that stuff, but we’re writing a lot about other things, too. I’ve got chronic ADHD so we’re writing a song about chasing dopamine and what neurodiverse people deal with. We’re also writing about the monotony of 9-5 hours and how backwards it is when you’ve got to be an adult but you also need to ask to go to the toilet. It’s just a mix of things that piss me off, basically.”
So far, Lost Souls are two-for-two, and I can’t wait to hear what they put out next. You can keep up with Lost Souls on Instagram HERE, and stream “Childhood Died” and “The Return” wherever you listen!
