Season Of The Peach scheduled for September 19, 2025 release

Transmission 247: Interview with Black Lips

Black Lips are an American garage rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1999. The group has maintained a consistent output of raw, unpolished rock music that draws from punk, garage rock, and country influences. Over their two-decade career, Black Lips have released numerous studio albums and established themselves as fixtures in the underground rock scene through their confrontational live performances and DIY aesthetic.

Title: Season Of The Peach
Artist: Black Lips
Genres: Art Rock, Garage Rock, Indie Rock, Psych-folk, Psychedelic Rock
Label: Fire Records
Description: Black Lips’ new album Season Of The Peach arrives September 19, 2025 on Fire Records. 14 tracks recorded analog at Sound At Manor in Catskills.

The band’s approach to songwriting combines traditional rock structures with experimental elements and outsider sensibilities. Their music often addresses themes of American decay, personal relationships, and subcultural experiences. Black Lips have worked with various independent labels and built a dedicated following through extensive touring across multiple continents.

Season Of The Peach represents their latest studio effort, arriving three years after Apocalypse Love and set for release on September 19th via Fire Records. Recorded at drummer Oakley’s Sound At Manor studio in the Catskills, the 14-track release spans 40 minutes and incorporates elements ranging from garage rock to new wave pop.

How did you first get into music, and what made you decide to start a band?

I think I first got into music from hearing my Dad playing Beatles records, and then seeing some things on MTV that I thought totally rocked. I really got into music when I started skateboarding. I would skate with a lot of older kids and they were into punk and they gave me mixtapes. I saw a movie called The Decline of Western Civilization when I was about 13 years old, and The Germs were in it. I thought they were the coolest thing I’d ever seen up to that point in my life, and it made me want to be in a band. Also, when I discovered the Sex Pistols, I became obsessed with them. I was in an imaginary band for a couple of years, and just told everyone I was in a band, and eventually I just became part of a real band. Fake it til you make it.

What were some of the earliest bands or artists that had a strong impact on you?

I guess I spilled the beans in the first question. The Sex Pistols and The Germs really opened my eyes. I didn’t think anything could be that wild! But soon after I was more into proto-punk, like The Stooges, that really blew my top. And then I found out that they made punk rock in the 1960s! Link Wray was my earliest guitar influence. The Kinks, a lot of no-name 60s garage bands. That really opened the floodgates, I found out about all these bands on compilations that labels like Crypt, Norton, and Bomp put out. Back From the Grave was a big one for me. I fell in love with wild music from the 1950s… Charlie Feathers, Hasil Adkins, Jerry Lee Lewis.

Can you describe what the local scene was like when you first started playing together?

The local scene was pretty cool. There weren’t really any bands that played the kind of music that we did, but it was fun. Mostly punk bands, the kind with big mohawks. There were a lot of DIY venues and people had shows in houses. It was great. Total chaos. Atlanta was a very cheap city to live in back then, so it was perfect for young artists. You didn’t need to work so much. We all lived in a big house with 10 people, and we had bands play in our living room every weekend. It was called DIE SLAUGHTERHAUS, and it was crazy!

What were the biggest challenges you faced in the beginning?

The first few years when we were touring we had some trouble playing clubs because we were too young. We would be in another city and show up to the gig, and they wouldn’t let us play because we were under 21. We had to get fake IDs. Sometimes people would beat us up because they didn’t like us. And we didn’t have any money, so sometimes it was difficult to get food, or gas for our van. Other than that, it wasn’t very difficult because we were so young, and everything seemed like such a great adventure. Can you imagine being a teenager with your best friends driving across the USA, and then seeing the desert for the first time? What a trip!

Did you approach this album with a specific concept or mood in mind, or did it come together more gradually?

We never come into an album with a plan. We just all gather together at the studio for a few months, everyone has some songs, and then we just go in there and see what happens. It happens organically and gradually.

Why did you decide to record on analogue tape this time?

We did all of our early albums on tape. I’m not sure if you can hear the difference anymore, but it feels different. It makes it impossible to cheat, you can’t use any technological magic. You have to all play together and get it right, so it’s more like playing it live. I’m sort of afraid of computers because I don’t understand them and how they work.

Did the rural setting in the Catskills change the atmosphere of the sessions?

I prefer to record away from a big city. I don’t enjoy the big city so much because it’s loud and stressful. In the Catskills you’re surrounded by nature’s beauty. I can record a track and then walk down to the river and jump off of a rock and into the water. You hear birds singing and not the sounds of traffic screaming. It’s so much more relaxed. I just think it’s better for the soul.

How much of Season Of The Peach was written in the studio versus beforehand?

I would say it’s about 50/50. We have the basic ideas of a bunch of songs, and we go there to work them out.

What inspired the lyrics and tone of “So Far Gone” and “Tippy Tongue”?

Those two songs were written by Zumi and Cole, respectively, so I’m not totally sure (this is Jared). I do know that Tippy Tongue was inspired by bubblegum bands like The Archies.

Are there any non-musical influences—films, books, visuals—that fed into this album?

I can’t really think of any specifics off the top of my head, but I think just being in the nature of the Catskills had an influence. Farm living.

Are there any guest musicians or outside contributors on the new album?

My younger brother, Jonah Swilley, came for the sessions and helped to produce. He’s a better musician than me and a real wizard. Clip from Funkadelic came in for a couple of days and played some instruments.

What’s the plan after the album release—more touring, more studio work?

We’re gonna tour the world! Then start recording again!

Photos courtesy of Black Lips

Matteo Damiani

Matteo Damiani is an Italian photographer and author. Curator of the sites Retrofuturista.com; weirditaly.com; china-underground.com and others