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Sonic Weapon Fence: Chicago's "Lost" Band (Gapers Block)
"I think the goal, musically speaking, was to just write songs that would be enjoyable, quick and fun," Ehlers says. "This is for fans of the show and for people who don't know anything about the show. We get in, we have a good time, [perform a] two- or three-minute rock song and get the hell out. We don't really want to overstay our welcome with novelty."
Lost in music: songs inspired by the series (Guardian UK)
But just because Lost itself isn't very musical, it doesn't mean that its fans are similarly affected. Over the past couple of years, a number of bands have been formed with the sole intention of writing and performing songs purely about Lost...
Sonic Weapon Fence are by far the pick of the bunch. They write bright, smart, Weezer-ish pop-punk tunes about Lost from a fan's perspective, including an ode to the man who got liquidised by the jet engine in the first scene of the pilot (That Sucks, Gary) to a meditation on why Kate probably wouldn't be able to get away with her romantic indecision if she were male (the song Kate + No One 4 Eva! contains the chorus "Kate Kate Kate/ I hope that you end up alone"). It doesn't matter how much you know about Lost – these songs are good in their own right.
Island songs: Sonic Weapon Fence sings about 'Lost' (Chicago Sun-Times)
Sonic Weapon Fence has released an EP and a self-titled, full-length CD of pop-rock songs about the show’s characters, mysteries, puzzles and romances. Sometimes they sing about “Lost” plot minutiae (“That Sucks, Gary” is a lament to the guy who gets sucked into the crashed jet’s wing turbine in the pilot episode, and “Billy D.” hails the third-season, show-within-a-show appearance by Billy Dee Williams), sometimes they take stands on themes central to the narrative (“Kate + No One 4 Eva!” declares that “Lost’s” indecisive female tease shouldn’t get Jack or Sawyer — “Kate, Kate, Kate, I hope that you end up alone!”).
Writeup in Asylum Magazine
Admitting that to themselves was freeing. Their philosophy became "it doesn't matter the quality, just write it," Ehlers tells Asylum. "[Eventually] we kind of realized we were putting forth our best work."
To our ears, it seems like he's just being modest. Frontman Ehlers sounds like a more manly "Weird Al" Yankovic. Their '90s-style pop-punk hooks are pretty catchy. And all of their lyrics are about "Lost," for Locke's sake! Check out some MP3s here.
With releases including "The Oceanic Six EP" and a self-titled album, it's only natural that Sonic Weapon Fence -- so-named after the protective energy wall found on the show's mysterious island -- would be concerned about how the show's imminent departure from the airwaves will affect the band's longevity. But unlike many fans, Ehlers isn't worried about how J.J. Abrams and company will wrap up the frustratingly addictive series. "You can sit there and complain about not getting answers," he says, "but I say, 'Just enjoy it and defend it later.'"
Newer Blurb in Onion AV Lost Season 6 Roundup
I received a CD in the mail recently from the nice folks in the Lost tribute band Sonic Weapon Fence. They’re a talented bunch, who play a variety of bright pop-rock styles, while singing lyrics that approach the show from an intense fan perspective. They sing songs about the guy who got chewed up by 815’s jet engine in the pilot (“That Sucks, Gary”), and about Widmore’s evil commandoes (“Quite Unseemly, Keamy”) and about the dangers faced by the island wildlife (“Subject: Rabbit”). To check them out for yourself, you can go to Sonic Weapon Fence website. The CD’s a lot of fun; definitely recommended for Lost fans.
Blurb in Onion AV
The live show: Sonic Weapon Fence is a Chicago-based band that writes and performs songs all about the TV show Lost, with its name derived from the show's giant fence that uses sonic waves to disable any enemies. (They're not to be confused with Previously On Lost, another "recap-rock" band.) The fanboyish songs go in-depth with the show's many mysteries, characters and minor plot points. Damon Lindelof, the producer of the show, name-dropped the band in the official Lost podcast, but there's no word if the band's music will have any involvement in the show itself. You can download MP3s here.
Mention In Offical LOST Podcast
Carlton Cuse: I love this question. I play in a Lost novelty band called Sonic Weapon Fence. (Damon laughs) Lately our drummer has been ashamed to tell people what kind of music his band plays, because he thinks that we, and by extension he, will be branded as nerdy. Internally and within groups of Lost fans, he is proud of our work but as soon as he's out in the real world, he clams up. So that brings me to my two distinct but related questions. First, is this an experience that you have with the writers? Do they love working on Lost but have a hard time telling their wives or girlfriends about paradox-free time travel? How do you counter those feelings of supreme dorkiness?
Damon Lindelof: Wow.
Carlton Cuse: And the second question: will you please use the power of your podcast to tell my drummer that he is a nerd but that's okay. He needs validation. And then, does Vincent know who Jacob is? From Patrick in Chicago, Illinois.
LostPedia Sonic Weapon Fence Entry
Brief Mention in the Chicago Red Eye
Sonic Weapon Fence, a band that sings about ABC's 'Lost,' performs free Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. at The Mutiny (2428 N. Western Ave.). Their rep told me that they enjoy creating pop songs about 'Lost' that are tailored to fans, incorporating quotes, fan theories and the like.