Mojave Lords come from a very specific place in a very vast desert.

(That’s the High Desert, city of Joshua Tree, the Rancho de la Luna studio, itself a monument of North American rock and roll. [Go to their website, really, and scroll to the very bottom. That there’s a BIIIIIGGG list.]) And that’s Mojave as in the desert and Lords as in they fuckin rule. In the past nine years they’ve released two outstanding albums: 2014’s ‘Unfuckwithable’ and 2021’s ‘Expensive Feelings’. The band’s core is Bingo Richey, David Catching, and Brian “Big Hands” O’Connor, with virtuoso drummer Barrett Martin often lending his presence. Plus many more friends, guests, and legends. Below, on behalf of Mojave Lords, Bingo Richey reflects on the Lords’ music.

“Any feeling can be expensive if it draws you off-balance”

The notes for the ‘Gloria in Absentia’ EP announce “This is the Rancho de La Luna home team doing what they do best, originating and creating new rock music.” Your team and your studio in Joshua Tree are truly legendary. And for decades these immensely talented players have been bopping in and out of each other’s work. What can you say about the people you play with?

Bingo Richey: I can say that the opportunity to work and play with such a vast array of talents, and with some of the brightest people working in music is a privilege that we treasure dearly. Every artist, and every session offers new ways of learning, creating, and collaborating in writing, arranging, audio engineering, and so on. All of us have decades of experience in all of these aspects, and including live performance as well, so the collaborations have a tendency to bring impossible combinations together, and create music in ways that are unique and fucking amazing.

Before a single note on either of your albums, you’ve achieved greatness with the titles. ‘Unfuckwithable’. Yes. It is my aspiration. But what about ‘Expensive Feelings’? What are they, and why do they cost so much?

To be ‘Unfuckwithable’ is, to me, a condition that is achieved over time from being beat the shit out of my life. The album is a battle between the Ego and the true, benevolent self that strives to survive against all odds and challenges. It’s not about hubris or machismo. BOC (Brian O’Connor) has been dealing with several late-stage cancers for more than a decade now, after having been handed a really grim prognosis originally. The upshot of ‘Unfuckwithable’ is that even though time and circumstance may conspire to destroy your body, that doesn’t mean it has to destroy your mind.

‘Expensive Feelings’ as a title is also a way to categorize an underlying theme that can be applied to a number of possible scenarios. While ‘Unfuckwithable’ seeks to deal with adverse circumstances and forbearance, ‘Expensive Feelings’ works toward a deeper understanding about what motivates our decisions, and our responsibility for the consequences that follow.

Any feeling can be expensive if it draws you off-balance. Destructive behavior usually stems from the inability to manage emotions. Self-destructive behavior is also included in this study. Addiction has many faces, and unfortunately many direct and collateral victims as well.

‘Unfuckwithable’ is crunchy, catchy, shreddy. On ‘Feelings’ all those lovely things are still there, but the palette seems to broaden. Bingo, your vocals are going new places, and the guitar washes, the jamminess, the fucking bass, boss as always, drum machines, then real drum beats, then both, all these crisp layers of instrumentation, and then the drum beats start skittering and the synths bring a whole new flavor. Was your intention to go bigger with this one?

I’m not sure that was our intention. We did manage to take a lot more time writing and producing the songs for ‘Expensive Feelings,’ almost ten years, in fact. ‘Unfuckwithable’ was recorded and mixed in a matter of days.

“Encouragement and kindness, especially when times are tough, don’t cost anything, and define character in ways that have a lot more value”

Not to get too judgy, but you both look like a couple of fellas who could beat the shit out of me and/or drink me under the table. And your music is, as the youth say, tuff. For sure, but there’s a consistent optimistic bent to your songs. I mean like struttin, walkin-in music. A song like ‘I Never Miss a Thing’ is downright empowering. The lyrics say “You got a backbone, use it, baby” and the guitar just lays out these triumphant licks. I feel like a new man after I listen to this. Maybe you could just pretend I asked a question.

We do not condone instigating violence in any way. We do have a fondness for Mezcal! We try to manage our intake of beverage alcohol to levels that won’t adversely affect our health.

‘Never Miss a Thing’ is about trying to live without being grossly materialistic. Being enamored of possessions, and getting a rush from buying or owning things is one of the most expensive feelings I’ve ever seen on anyone, and it’s sad to see obvious over-compensation. It’s one thing to have nice things, it’s another thing altogether to try to use those things to fill up the holes in your heart. Besides, the bike doesn’t make the man. Neither does expensive clothing, or a swole financial portfolio. Encouragement and kindness, especially when times are tough, don’t cost anything, and define character in ways that have a lot more value.

All the songs on ‘Expensive Feelings’ rule, but I have to ask about ‘Gravitron’. First, I think it embodies all the new feels you’re adding to the mix. Second, you’re talking about the staple of American carnival rides, right? And it’s such a nostalgic song, too. What can you tell me about everything that’s happening in this song?

My brother died from liver failure after decades of opioid and alcohol abuse. Quite a few of my friends/lovers and former bandmates have gone the same way too. This song is for all of them, and their faces all take turns appearing in my mind as I work my way through this song when I sing it or when I listen to it.

The ‘Gravitron’ reference points to a time when my brother and I were much younger, running wild in the streets and playing hundreds of bar gigs a year in Portland, Oregon. They have a Rose Festival there every summer, complete with live music on the river, parades, and a carnival midway downtown. My brother had been in recovery mode for a while, but had recently begun using again. He didn’t want me to find out, so he lied to me about it. The effects were unmistakable. We were downtown partying, and because I was always the goofy one, I suggested that we ride the Gravitron to see who would puke first. He agreed because he didn’t want to let on. It was a disaster.

Your videos on YouTube are badass. ‘Sweet Little Down & Out’ is perfect (side note: Who directed it?). But your latest, a gorgeous live version of ‘Copy of Summer,’ is instantly my new favorite song. What can you say about this take on what was already such a beautiful song, now made jaw-droppingly epic? (Side note: Who directed it?) And what’s the status of that ‘Concert Docu-Film’ announced at the end of the video?

Thank you. The video for ‘Sweet Little Down & Out’ was a group effort. Directed by Bingo Richey and David Catching. William McGuigan captured much of the original footage. Logan Owlbeemoth (Tachyons +) ran it through his homemade video synthesizer equipment. Juan Bachellier edited the pieces, and delivered the final cut.

‘Copy of Summer’ was shot and edited by a team working under director Alejandro Ordoñez. The film that the performance was taken from is scheduled to be released this summer (2023). There were two concerts played and filmed with multi-track recording at Indian Cove inside Joshua Tree National Park. It was the first time all of us had been able to get together since before Covid.