Jackson Free Press

If you haven't heard of Jackson's guitar-based pop quartet Lisbon Deaths yet, don't feel too bad—the band is only about six months old. However, the musicians are no strangers to the local music scene. Instead, they are returning to it with the hopes of bringing a different sound and a different perspective.

Guitarist and vocalist Chris Morrison, bassist and vocalist Lacy Ellinwood, and guitarist and vocalist Sarah Grace MacInnis first began playing together in synth-punk band No Ma'am in 2015. While the musicians enjoyed playing in the group, they ultimately chose to leave No Ma'am in favor of the freedom that came with creating Lisbon Deaths.

"In our last group, we were very stuck to what we would play, but here, we all are very collective people," Morrison says. "We like stuff that's on the radio and weird stuff, as well."

While the band, which has since added drummer Derek Middlebrook, has worked to create a cohesive sound in a short time, taking inspiration from artists such as The Smiths, The Cranberries and Talking Heads, each member of Lisbon Deaths has a unique musical background.

Morrison says he always had his hands on instruments, even before he could walk, and he also played drums, piano and bass for previous bands. He and Middlebrook met through playing various venues through Jackson well before No Ma'am. Ellinwood's first instrument was a tuba, but she says she got tired of being the "brass baby" and switched the "cooler" bass guitar. Likewise, MacInnis is committed to guitar these days, but it wasn't her first foray into music.

"I had attempted drums, but I was never good at them," she says. "I ended up taking guitar lessons because that's what my dad does. He plays guitars and sings. That ended up being a big influence."

Morrison says there is no set person who makes decisions about how something should sound in the group. Because of their desire to always try something new with Lisbon Deaths, the band mates accept ideas from the other members without anyone getting too offended about whether it makes it into the final song or not.

"The fact that no one has a clear idea is one of the best things," he says. "It's kind of a like hodgepodge."

Although the music is best described as indie pop, the members of Lisbon Deaths aren't dead set on becoming the coolest band nor a massive, mainstream hit-making machine. Ellinwood says they simply want give the audience a story that they can relate to, a catchy tune they can dance to or maybe a little of both.

"I think that the collaboration of all our weirdness creates something that sounds a little bit different that you can play (for) different types of people," MacInnis says. "I don't know when it became a bad thing to have people to dance and sway to your music."

While listeners can check out Lisbon Deaths' first two demos, "The News" and "Soft Chew Rodeo," on the group's Bandcamp page, they won't have to wait long for more music. In December, the quartet will begin work on a yet-to-be-titled full-length record with producer Misha Hercules of Olympic Records.

For more information, visit lisbondeaths.bandcamp.com.