A good number of bands start out when a handful of musicians simply plug in their gear and start jamming together.  Whether it evolves into something special begs to be seen.  With musician Nathan Peters, a night of hanging with friends on a cold December became a beacon of hope.  A fuse was unexpectedly lit and sparked the creative fire that became Lioness.
For this unique project to suddenly jump to life was beyond ideal for Peters.  His previous bands Captain of Industry and Swim Diver had  slowed or ceased production and a potential outlet to create some solo output never fully materialized.
The arrangement of Lioness alone is etched within the history of the Dayton, Ohio, music scene.  Such rich folklore within the project undeniably allows Lioness’ new album, Time Killer, to come off as a magnificent piece of indie rock and hints of other various genres.  Peters and company exemplify a group that’s exciting, refreshing and fully-formed out of the gates.
Ghettoblaster recently caught up with Peters to discuss more about the band and Time Killer.
It’s been about year since the band posted the first video footage of Lioness playing music together.  What has been the response been with the Facebook videos?
We had some pretty great responses, it’s a pretty great way to show people what you’re up to. We are going to be working on a music video with a local film maker in the next month!
How did the band get to be where it is today?
We started out as two people, then three, then five, then 11. We have so many people that put a ton of effort into producing the music, getting it out there. We have great strength in numbers in that regard.
When it comes to writing the music, how does the band go about piecing all of the ideas together?
We alternate Monday rehearsals, every other week is a song writing session with five members of the band. Its been fun to write lyrics with the core of the group. One of us will have an idea, then we bounce that around and craft it up, using imagery and word play.

A portion of the members have been involved in some of the great Dayton bands (Starving In The Belly Of The Whale, Motel Beds, Pig Eyed Jackson).  With a range of influences within the band, what was the process with honing onto a collective sound?
Basically I am the coral around the farm yard animals, but seriously, we try to work within strong lines using a minimalist approach to everyone’s part in a song, which makes listening to 11 people perform not overwhelming and not sound like shit.
Time Killer was recorded with Micah Carli, formally with Hawthorne Heights.  How was the recording process with him?
Micah Carli is a consummate professional, the likes of which I have only experienced previously with the extraordinary Noel Benford. Its easy for an audio engineer to rush the process and then you end up with something subpar. Micah not only doesn’t do this, he is honest and pushes you to get the best “good vibrations” possible. In his studio, Micah has a cross-stitched piece on his wall that states, “I don’t fuck around” and that pretty much sums it up!
I saw online that although the debut album hasn’t been released yet, the band has the second one almost written.  Is the thinking that the group wants to release music in a fast pace?
I think a record a year would be great. It would be awesome to do five or six a year, but, it’s hard to keep up with that Pollard pace…
Lioness will be releasing their debut via Magnaphone Records.  How exciting is it to be onboarding with the record label?
I think the goal of Magnaphone Records is amazing, which is to release old Dayton gems on vinyl, and slowly build up to releasing new vinyl as well. The days of the big record labels are numbered, and we are thrilled to be working with a local record company owned by someone the band knows and respects.
There was some discussions about taking the band out for regional touring.  Is that still being discussed?
I think regional touring is the only thing we will be able to accomplish. There are so many great places to play in a 2-4 hour radius of Dayton! We are definitely going to focus on playing more and promoting the new album.
Lioness Time Killer will be released June 24 via Magnaphone Records.
(For more Lioness:
BANDCAMP: https://lionessdayton.bandcamp.com/album/time-killer
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/LionessDayton/)