If any modern band could be described as taking whimsical freakishness to the realms of the transcendent, it would be The Flaming Lips - loved for their cinematic sound, hyper-quirky lyrics and sprawling stage shows featuring everything from fuzzy animal costumes to giant, translucent balloons.

It's natural, then, that the Lips' new dramatic feature film, Christmas on Mars - conceived by bandleader Wayne Coyne and billed as "a fantastical film freak-out" - should contain all of the psychedelia, drama, humor and hopefulness that fans have come to love about the band's music itself.

Coyne spoke with Steve Seel about the seven-year genesis of the film, and gave listeners some insight into his inspirations for it.