If you’re confused about the clone, look to Mycocepurus smithii, a species of ant that only consists of clones of the ant colony queen, as the species has no males. This is from where the band name stems and what the storyline incorporates. Bringing together tiny creatures of Earth with the vast expanses of galaxies, Laylo explains, “[The song] ‘Forest’ starts the story. ‘Forest’ sets it. ‘Galaxies’ kind of follows up onto the storyline...it’s like a storyline and we’re filling it in wherever we can,” says Laylo of the band’s process of writing songs, not necessarily in chronological order of the story.

Laylo herself is like a colony queen, even outside of her band, being the go-to person and innovator for fresh scenes and sounds in Honolulu. Always fashionable, resolute and often aloof to those who aren’t in her inner circle, she is fiercely protective of those who are in her colony. She was able to sway McVickar to stay in Honolulu to pursue music when the New England native was ready to take off. “I see musicians as soldiers,” says Laylo. “People leaving is like losing another soldier in the army. One less man to battle. I was like, come jam with us and see how you feel.” Clearly, she succeeded in her mission.

As Laylo infused her band members’ interests and roles in continuing the story, a sound began to gain an identity. Originally with multi-band drummer Jack Tawil, his amicable departure from COTQ marked a significant step in the band’s evolution, forcing the remaining members to rapidly cement a more defined sound. The smooth register of Laylo’s vocals along with her ability to belt—whether with or without restraint—makes the union with synth-influenced space rock a perfect match. Her voice can stay in your head or scale back and give way to McVickar’s beats and Bajcar’s dreamy, pedal-laden guitar lines.

While the territory is new, not all of the relationships are. “Me and Paul were in Teradactyl before,” says Laylo of Bajcar’s and her long-standing musical rapport. “We had that theme—electronic pop, electro-pop music…but I felt like because the writing was more from Jeff Sanner, it wasn’t really my writing...not my voice. Now it’s kind of weird. We’re in a three piece again. Electronic again.” The seemingly full-circle second chance at electronic pop gives the two another opportunity to grow in a different context and in a different decade and with new blood.

The young shine in McVickar’s eyes gives way to his musings on the band’s creation process. “It’s interesting...it’s just like three pieces that we have to figure out how to lock together. Usually we have two pieces, like we have a synth line and a guitar line that fit really well together, but Ara can’t figure out what to sing with it. But it shifts...it’s democratic without being overly democratic,” says McVickar. “I can compare it to a really good relationship,” adds Laylo. “You don’t have to talk about it. It just feels right.”