Lettuce
Groove knows no borders. A utopia of expanding improvisational funk.
Once I let myself get lost in the music, I just couldn’t sit still! As the headliner on Day 1—with plenty of energy to spare—the entire venue was enveloped in a sense of exhilaration and a happy vibe, and that wonderful feeling just kept going…! For the interview, we spoke with bassist Eric Kooms and guitarist Adam Smirnov.
—It’s been 13 years since you headlined the FIELD OF HEAVEN stage in 2013, and now you’re set to headline that same stage again. With the performance just around the corner, please tell us how you’re feeling right now.
—You headlined the FIELD OF HEAVEN stage in 2013, and you’re back to close it out again 13 years later. What are your honest thoughts going into it?
Eric Cooms (hereinafter referred to as Eric): I’m filled with surprise and gratitude. A while back, a friend gave me a T-shirt that said, ”FIELD OF HEAVEN is my hometown.” To be able to close out a show like that is truly amazing—I can only describe it as an honor. I’m going to take it very seriously and make it the best performance of my career.
Erick Coomes: I’m surprised and grateful. I have a T-shirt at home that a friend of mine sent me from America, and it says, “FIELD OF HEAVEN is my hometown.” And to be headlining there is amazing. It’s truly an honor. We’re going to take it seriously, and we’re going to put on the best show ever.
Adam Smirnov (hereinafter referred to as Adam): I’m pretty sure my first visit to Japan was in the early 2000s, and I think I played at Blue Note Tokyo. A few years later, when I came back, I also played at Billboard Live. And last time I came, was it Club Quattro? Anyway, every time I come back here, I feel like I’m getting better and better, and it’s getting more and more fun. And there’s no day more fun than today.
Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff: We started coming here in the early 2000s when we played at the BLUE NOTE TOKYO, and then eventually we came back and played at Billboard Live as well. And then the last time we were here, we played at CLUB QUATTRO, right? And I just feel like every time we come back here, it just gets better and better and more fun. And it couldn’t be more fun than it is today.
Eric: Last time, I got way too excited. After finishing a song, I slammed my hand down on the stage as hard as I could, thinking, “We’re here—we’re right here!” I didn’t feel any pain at all at the time, but later I found out I’d seriously injured myself (laughs).
Erick: Last time I got too excited. I was so happy after we played one of the songs that I slammed my hand down on the stage, like, “We’re here. I’m here.” And I hit my hand so hard that I hurt myself, but I didn’t even feel it until later.
Adam: I'm really going to be careful this time.
Adam: Well, let's stop hurting ourselves.
—Looking back over the past 10 years, what would you say has been the biggest change for Lettuce? I’d also like to hear about what hasn’t changed.
—Over the past decade, what has changed at Lettuce, and what has remained the same within the Lettuce system?
Eric: I can say with certainty that the energy we have hasn’t changed since the very moment we formed. That feeling we had from the very first day we started making music together is still there, unchanged, even now when we play. It’s a kind of magic that goes beyond what we ourselves can even feel.
Erick: Well, for the most part, the energy Lettuce has is the same as it was right from the very beginning. The first day we ever played music together—that feeling remains the same every time we play, so it’s magic, a feeling that’s bigger than us.
Adam: If anything has changed, I’d say the way we improvise as a band is completely different from how it was 10 years ago. Rather than just playing solos over the groove, it’s more like we’re building each solo part from scratch—it’s as if everyone is acting as a live producer, I guess.
Adam: As for what’s changed, I feel like the way we improvise as a band now compared to 10 years ago—and I don’t mean, like, a soloist playing over a groove. I mean us actually improvising parts, almost like we’re acting as a live producer.
Eric: I'm writing music, you know.
Erick: Composing.
Adam: Yeah, thanks for telling me that.
Adam: Composing on the spot. Thank you.
Eric: It’s about coming together as one to improvise, as if we were coming together to create a single living being. It might sound like a jam session, but it’s definitely funk.
Erick: We’re like a single organism, creating music together in real time. Improvising as one. Almost like a jam band, but with a funk vibe.
—Going back to the beginning, how do you view music within Lettuce? And, so to speak, what kind of people does Lettuce’s music resonate with?
—Going back to your roots, what does music mean to Lettuce today? And what kind of people do you hope your music resonates with the most?
Eric: This is true for anyone. I think that’s really powerful. Music is an incredibly powerful tool—just as much as friendship. Actually, last night I went to a record bar where you can pick your own songs. The moment a song started playing, the person who’d chosen it looked so happy, and I realized how quickly they became friends right then and there. “Oh, I love this song.” “Me too.” Two people who might never have met without music become friends because of it. That’s why this is truly important—and incredibly powerful.
Erick: All kinds of people. It’s powerful. Music is a very, very powerful tool, like friendship or, um… so we went to a record bar last night, and you can pick the song. So I realized that as soon as a song comes on, the person who picked it gets so happy, and then they make friends right away. “Oh, I like this song.” “I like this song, too.” Now there you go—two people who might never have become friends are now friends, just because of music and how it brings us together. So it’s very important, and it’s powerful.
Adam: Music is a universal language that connects the world.
Adam: Music is a universal language.
—What do you think is the best part of a festival?
—And now you’re playing at such a massive festival. What do you think is the best feeling about playing in that kind of setting?
Eric: That’s the groove, right there. Once everyone starts dancing, you just can’t stay still. It’s the movement of the music that creates this groove. It’s like something simmering away, slowly reducing. And it turns into something that tastes just right.
Erick: The groove. You can’t sit still. Once everyone starts moving… because the music is moving and, and creating this groove. Bubbling and simmering and, yeah, it’s like a delicious flavor.
—Finally, since we at Fuinam bill ourselves as the “Magazine for the Hip,” I’d really like to ask: What exactly is “Hip”?
—The magazine’s tagline is “Magazine for the Hip,” so we have to ask: What does “hip” mean to Lettuce?
Eric: Isn't it just about being cool as an artist? Being yourself, being true to yourself, and feeling comfortable.
Erick: Just being cool and true to yourself as an artist. Being genuine, coming from the heart, staying true, and being comfortable.
Adam: Or are you satisfied with yourself?
Adam: Or feeling comfortable with who you are.
PROFILE
Formed in 1992 by students who met at the Berklee College of Music summer program, this band is a leading name in contemporary funk. The band’s name is said to have originated from a request to “Let
us” perform an impromptu set. With their overwhelming live performances, they have remained at the forefront of the scene for over 30 years.
Instagram:@lettucefunk
