Denver’s The Lollygags have returned today with a new three-song EP, Old, New, Borrowed. The new collection can be heard now below.
The Lollygags aren’t so much garage-rock as they are garage rock ‘n’ roll. They also definitely aren’t a jam band, but they’re certainly a band who likes to jam. So… who the fuck are The Lollygags? Frontman Jonathan Snyder isn’t too pressured to answer that question any time soon — an outlook that makes The Lollygags charmingly relatable to each and every one of us. In a world where perfection is an unattainable goal that some can’t shake, The Lollygags have embraced a blissfully structure-less ethos equivalent to anarchy in the music industry.
Having been making music for nearly a decade as The Lollygags, Snyder has decided once again to press play on his creative dreams — when he’s not fucking around at least. On the heels of a fresh single, Snyder is releasing a three-song EP that consists of something new, something old and something borrowed. Aptly titled Old, New, Borrowed it’s a three-song EP spotlighting everything The Lollygags have to offer.
The EP commences with a revamped demo titled “Christian Laytner,” named after a homeless man in Denver who used to play acoustic guitar around the streets of Denver. “Grand Consolidation” — released earlier this year — is the “new” component to the album. Combining the anthemic sounds they’re known for with a garage-rock-dance element it spotlights both their strengths and progression. Old, New, Borrowed ends with a cover of Jonathan Richman’s “Affection.” When asked why that song, in particular, was covered, Snyder laughed and said, “Well, he’s a fellow Jewish Jonathan. Over time this song stood out to me because some of his discography is very silly but ‘Affection’ is such an honest, beautiful song. In a society when everyone is always on their phones it seems even more relevant than its release in the late ‘70s.”
Though fronted by Snyder, The Lollygags is an ensemble of members with Snyder being the constant lollygag. Old, New, Borrowed even features a different drummer on each song. Despite the band’s cool and casual structure, The Lollygags are a reminder that you can become the Best Indie Pop Band in Denver (Westword, 2017), making seriously good songs but still not taking life too seriously.