When genre lines blur and digital culture bleeds into every corner of sound, you get something like Lip Critic. Emerging from New York's ever-changing underground scene, the band defies easy categorization creating music for anyone who likes hip-hop, pop, metal, punk, and electronic. What started as a noisy chaotic comedic act has now evolved into a band capable of crafting songs that are as intense as they are inventive.
Lip Critic's performances thrive on spontaneity, improvisation, and community. Their live shows are legendary for high energy. But behind the noise is a band that pushes their own boundaries, exploring different compositions alongside their maximalist energy. Below, Lip Critic opens up about their evolution, their unique creative process, and the ideas that drive both the music and performances.
Lip Critic emerged at a moment when genre boundaries feel increasingly irrelevant. How do you describe the band’s identity to someone hearing your music for the first time?
It’s internet music. We all grew up listening to music online with no regard for genre, era, location, etc. We are defined by growing up with unrestricted access to the internet and being curious.
What was the original intention behind Lip Critic, and how has that vision shifted as the project has gained traction?
The initial intent was to be a comedy noise act where I would essentially do stand up over two drummers and a bunch of electronic music and we played a few shows with that intent where we wrestled each other and were ripping gymnastics moves the whole time, but over time it turned into a band where we were actually writing songs. We all just love dance music and hardcore so the songs and presentation kept drifting in that direction.
The New York underground scene seemed to take a liking to your music. Do you feel connected to a specific local or broader scene, or has Lip Critic developed largely on its own terms?
There are a bunch of great bands that we are close with and are doing great stuff but musically it has felt like we are not that heavy in any particular scene. We’ve played with hardcore bands, rappers, hyperpop acts, kind of anyone that would have us. It feels like scenes in general have dissolved a bit in New York for better or worse.
Your music pulls from punk, noise, electronic, and experimental sounds. Which artists or movements most directly shape your sound?
Soul Coughing has been a long time obsession of mine and hugely influential. They were a 90s alt rock band that did a bunch of groove jazz/beat poetry stuff that I steal from all the time. We all got 808 pilled pretty early so Chief Keef, Future, Raider Klan stuff has all been a huge influence on how we produce. And of course we all grew up loving Death Grips and Zach Hill.
Are there influences outside of music—visual art, performance, internet culture—that play a role in shaping your sound?
I look at a ton of sculpture from artists like Louise Bourgeois and Andra Ursuţa and have always found it to be super inspiring. We are also huge game players and me [Bret] and Connor have been grinding Magic The Gathering for a minute now. A lot of magic art and elements from the game's story have found their way into our songwriting. Anytime we pull up to a city on tour we hit up our discord and get a game together with fans before the set.
How do songs typically take shape for Lip Critic? Is there a consistent starting point, or does each track find its own path?
Most of the songs start from pretty garbage audio sources like live streamer audio or phone voice memos, and we like sticking with a lot of stock synths in ableton and logic. Most of the time we are sampling and resampling non musical audio over and over again till we eventually pull something out that feels like it could be music.
Lip Critic’s live performances have become a major part of the band’s reputation. How do you think about performance as an extension of the music?
The records and the live band feel like two different projects. The records are really about trying to refine ideas and make rock solid songs and the shows are much more about spontaneity and creating spectacle. We want every show to be a celebration.
Does the energy of a live audience influence how songs evolve over time?
Yes absolutely, no matter what emotion or idea we are exploring it has to make you shake your ass.
I read in a previous interview done by Monster Children that after your Partisan showcase in 2023 there was blood on the floor and there was such a high energy. From an artist standpoint, what do you hope people take away from your live performances?
I want it to be a cathartic and free space where people, for however long we are playing, can be in the moment and alive.
What directions are you currently interested in exploring musically?
We’ve been working on a lot of tracks that feel more hollow and spacious. We’ve been a fairly maximal group for a while now so it's been interesting trying to make equally impactful music with much fewer elements. And music that worships the other side.
Is there a goal—creative or otherwise—that feels particularly important for Lip Critic right now?
We are just trying to refine and improve the group. I feel we are capable of much more than we've accomplished so far and I want to deliver the best performances and records we can.
How do you hope this current chapter of the band is remembered?
I don't count on it being remembered all that much, if anything I hope people remember it as something that made them want to work on their own art or engage with art/culture more deeply.
Lip Critic will be heading to Iowa City and taking stage at Gabe's on February 19th. Opening the evening are Recess and Ascended Master. You can listen to a curated playlist now. Tickets are on sale now and can be bought through this link.