Roll of the Dice: 6 Questions with The Bobby Lees

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Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A Pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.

Woodstock, New York garage rockers The Bobby Lees have released their new LP Bellevue. This is the band’s first studio LP on their new home Ipecac Recordings. Singer/songwriter Sam Quartin took a few moments to sit down with TGEFM for our latest Roll of the Dice Interview series.

1. Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats on the release of the new album, Bellevue. Before the release, Sam had been pretty open about the album being born out of personal mental health
struggles and personal demons, so I have to admit I was shocked by how much fun the record is despite its dark origin. How did the creation of the album help the healing process and/or how did the healing process
help craft the album?

Thanks! I felt pretty good when we were recording this album at Vance’s studio, it always feels better to make something out of what’s going on instead of just staying stuck in that space. It’s definitely easier said than done so I’m really grateful we were able to make something we like and something other people seem to be enjoying too. I wanted to name the album Adventures of a Traveling Psych Unit because that’s how it feels on the road most the time, but we vote on everything and I got outvoted. 

2. What stood out most to you with this recording compared to 2020’s Skin Suit?

We had a lot more time to record Bellevue. 3 weeks in the studio which was a gift. The Jon Spencer album we only had a few days. I loved both experiences. 

3. Going back to the Skin Suit record, you released that in the middle of the pandemic, obviously that removed touring as an option for a long period of time, how did you counteract the lockdowns to get the new
tunes into ears across the globe?

When the lockdown started, we were on our way to a music festival and I remember being stuck in the hotel and starting to write Death Train with Kendall. When we got home we all quarantined together and since we couldn’t tour the new album, we decided to write as much as we could, and that’s what became Bellevue. 

4. What effect, if any, have the cultural and political landscapes of the last few years had on your music?

I’m sure some? I’m just grateful to have a place to put how I’m feeling because I think I’d go nuts without that, especially in today’s world. 

5. One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should know about?

We really like Turnstile, probably most people know about them by now. Viagra Boys are a favorite too. 

6. Now that the world has its hands on Bellevue, what’s next for The Bobby Lees?

We’re gonna tour Bellevue next year – planning a US and EU tour now, should have those dates up by January. I also have a film called “CANDY LAND” that comes out January 6th. It’s an art house horror movie about a young cult member who runs away and joins a gang of truck stop hookers. I play a hooker, it’s a fun movie! It’ll be in 100 theaters in Australia, and some US cities, also on Amazon, I-Tunes, Cable On Demand.

Thanks for spreading the word about our band!