Acid-soaked, woozy, hard-driving, funkadelic: Long Beach band Plant Tribe not only hearken hard rock’s heyday but something older, ancient even. Deep motoric beats and soaring chant-like vocals pull the listener in directions that feel primal and natural. Their newest LP “Late Noon” was released on Nov. 10.
The Daily 49er exchanged emails with Plant Tribe vocalist/lyricist Jeff Ziemba and bassist/precisionist Phil Lemke. The following answers are a collective effort by Ziemba and Lemke.
[Editor’s. Note: Questions and answers have been lightly edited for clarity.]
How did you end up in Long Beach?
Long Beach has cheap living and a good party scene as well as good record stores and good tacos. Phil is an alumnus of CSULB. When we first started jamming, a lot of our friends were living out here and playing in different bands that helped inspire us to get our own thing going. Lots of late night jams at the Tuff Shed and the Threat Lodge. That’s pretty much how we got started.
Your music seems to be a fusion of a bunch of different styles/eras. How would you describe it?
Basically we’re just making a rock ‘n’ roll soup. We all throw our own ingredients in, but the soup doesn’t necessarily taste like its ingredients. It tastes like its own soup.
In terms of music labels and touring, what is like get your type of music out there… what have been some difficulties, if any?
The touring aspect of the underground rock ‘n’ roll scene is still very DIY. If you want to play shows out of town, the best way is to start by looking at the bands you like and hit them up. You’ll start slow, but you get the hang of it as you go. As for labels, we’ve been lucky to land where we have. We are really grateful that we’ve struck a chord with a few people and they have decided to put our stuff out. As far as cool underground labels go, many thanks to Doug from Space Chant, Evert from Under The Gun, Parker from Creme Tangerine and Christian from Who Can You Trust?
I sense a lot of your music comes from jamming. Collectively, how did you find your particular sound?
Jamming, home demoing and refining is our usual process for writing songs. Everyone collaborates on the music while Jeff writes most lyrics with occasional collaboration from Phil. When we started Plant Tribe, we all came together digging on heavy psychedelic sounds, funky big city grooves, as well as international prog and dance music. Some of our earliest influences that we still maintain are Magic Lantern, Jimi Hendrix, Spacemen 3, Mandrill, Dead Meadow, Amanaz and Flower Travellin’ Band.
What are some of your non-musical influences?
Hot dogs, salami, bacon, fine whiskey, fine literature, fine art, rough camping and world-class pot, cheap thrills. Basically anything that gives you cancer.
What do you hope your music does for listeners?
We try to create fantasylands like some of our favorite bands of yore. Hopefully people just vibe out and can let go some of the day-to-day bullsh-t.
Are there any bands/musicians you’d like to give a shout out to or that readers should be looking out for?
JOY, Glitter Wizard, Buffalo Tooth Banquet, Queen Crescent, Occult Wisdom, Babylon, Wild Honey, Loom, Red Wizard, Lords of Beacon House, Fogg, Time & Energy, Evan Geesman, Pleasure, Highlands, Sweat Lodge, The Golden Grass, The Beatles, Uriah Heep and YES.
You can catch Plant Tribe alongside San Diego stoner rock band Red Wizard at Pierview Pub in Oceanside on Dec. 12. Plant Tribe’s record release party for their first LP “Late Noon” will be held at Dyzzy On Vynyl in Long Beach on Dec. 18. The “Late Noon” LP can also be ordered online at spacechantrecords.bigcartel.com right now.