INTERVIEW: Asbury Park’s Lost in Society are giving out ‘Help!’ — to anyone who will listen
Album cover courtesy of artists / Provided by Earshot Media with permission.
The alternative punk rock band Lost in Society, who come from Asbury Park, New Jersey, recently released their new EP called Help!, available now from Wiretap Records. In addition to the title song, fans can enjoy a cover version of the Vine’s “Get Out” on the recording.
Zach Moyle, lead vocalist and guitarist for the band, said he wrote the song “Help!” as a solo piece, and he never expected much to come from the composition — maybe the chance to play the tune live at a few shows along the Jersey Shore. But then the other band members heard the song and wanted to make it a full band tune, and the EP was born.
“Needless to say, I’m happy it worked out like that, and the energy the band can bring through the song really helps (no pun intended) drive the message home,” Moyle wrote in a recent email to Hollywood Soapbox.” As far as what fans can expect, for me, it tows the line of catchy/melodic we hold so dear, but also brings across a simple message that we truly believe in. It’s a fun, yet serious song that can be tongue and cheek about really serious topics.”
The Asbury Park band had been considering recording a few cover tunes for quite some time, but they could never solidify a concrete idea on what they wanted to do. Then Moyle brought “Get Free” to a band practice one day, and everyone seemed to jump on the bandwagon.
The EP’s other song came about because the Vines “was always a band that I held in high regard and thought of them as a sloppy and unpolished Nirvana (high praise),” he wrote. “I really thought it would be a fun song for our upbeat style and my voice in particular. They wrote some incredibly heavy, yet melodic songs that I always really appreciated.”
One would think that Asbury Park was the perfect place to be based as a band. Besides the musical history tied to Bruce Springsteen and other musical acts, there are many live venues throughout the Jersey Shore town. But for Moyle and company, it’s more complicated than simple adoration for the location.
“Asbury Park is a strange place,” Moyle admitted. “We all love it to death, but we also feel like it has passed us by a little bit. The infamous Asbury Lanes closed down, and we, along with so many others, just feel like we don’t have a true home-base anymore. The scene is vibrant, and on any given night there are shows at multiple venues within a walking distance, which is incredible, but it’s mostly bands and acts that don’t really fit what we do. That’s all well and good, and there are no harsh feelings on other types of artists finding their place. But we just feel like we lost a little piece when the Lanes as we knew it went under. All that being said, we are incredibly lucky to be a part of a town that genuinely encourages the arts on all levels. It’s a town we all hold near and dear to our hearts.”
The Asbury Lanes, one of the live music venues in town, reopened after a renovation in 2018. The Stone Pony is still right alongside the boardwalk, and their summer concert series brings large acts into the central Jersey location. Musicians also play Convention Hall, Wonder Bar and the Paramount Theatre, among other venues.
For Moyle, growing up was less about the many musical offerings out there and more about one band and their heavy, heavy influence on his life. “Green Day, Green Day, also, Green Day,” he wrote. “All jokes aside, also Green Day.”
Like other bands, Lost in Society have been sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That means no live gigging, so the two-song EP has been their focus these past few months.
“We definitely lost some tours and festivals,” Moyle stated. “It’s all really upsetting. I love touring more than anything, but I know that this is the right move. This is going to take some time, patience and willpower, but without that, we won’t have shows anytime soon. Artistic avenues aren’t gone; we can still write and create. Our goal is to release a ton of music in the next six to eight months, and we honestly wouldn’t have that opportunity otherwise. We have to take the positive out of such a horrible situation. People’s lives are much bigger than our music, but if we can get together and put out songs that help people along the way, and make even the slightest difference to anyone, then that’s worth more than anything to me.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Lost in Society’s new EP is Help! Click here for more information.
