Credit: Tony Aguilera
Credit: Tony AguileraYou could say that indie electronic artist Lamorn has a grasp on the whole “making music” thing, as he has received high amounts of praise from publications like Rolling Stone, MusicTech, and Forbes. It all started last year, when he became the only artist sought out and signed by the world-renowned deadmau5, who was blown away by the young artist’s talents. Now described as “deadmau5’s protégé,” Lamorn has been harnessing his skills as a musician, pushing and testing boundaries with each release. All of his hard work and impressive musical ability culminated in his debut EP Encore last month, which featured eight striking coming-of-age tracks. We caught up with Lamorn just after this release to discuss all things Encore, his relationship with deadmau5, and more.
Melodic Mag: Congratulations on the release of your debut EP Encore! How long were you working on this project, and how does it feel to finally have it out there in the world?
Lamorn: Thank you! I worked on it for a solid year and a half. “Between Us (Reprise)” was the first track that I wrote, right before all the deadmau5 stuff started. Most of the rest of the songs came shortly after, and then I spent a long time adding a few more and polishing. We spent a while working on my branding and art direction as well. I wanted to get that right, and am very satisfied with how it came out.
You worked on the EP with UK writer/producer Phil Simmonds, who has worked with many incredible artists such as Diplo and Olivia O’Brien. Can you tell us what it was like to create these tracks with Phil and any lessons you learned from him?
Phil is awesome. We worked on the main single “Encore” together, which was a track I was having trouble with for a long time. It started as a more indie rock track, which we wrote all the vocals around. I felt like the instrumental wasn’t doing the vocals justice, so I did a sort of remix, which is where the song is now. I think it is a cool blend of the indie rock sound I love mixed with the electronic sound. I had never really worked with anyone before like I did with Phil, and it really opened my eyes to how working with someone like him can bring out cool things that would have never happened otherwise. It helps the song break out of personal melodic tendencies and can feel exciting and unique.
Are there any tracks on the EP that stand out to you more than others, due to any experiences you had in making them, the way they sound, their message, etc?
I think “Missing Voices” really ended up standing out to me. It is the newest track on the EP, and I feel like it really shows where my music is going for my next album. It’s my favorite song to play live, too. I like the way it all came together, between the message of the lyrics, the sound of the vocals, and the instrumentation.
When you start working on a track, how long does it take for you to capture the feelings that you want to convey through the music?
It definitely differs quite a bit. It usually happens pretty fast for me, though. I have a hard time working on a song for more than an hour or so at a time, so when I do, it is a quick explosion of ideas that I get down. If I’m really feeling it, it’ll happen fast. For example, with “Physical Layer,” that main loop happened in about 15 minutes. It was super simple, but it felt exactly how I wanted it to feel. Those are the best moments when writing music.
Have you started work yet on the follow up to Encore?
Yeah, I have a lot of new music I am working on right now. Some of it I was already working on in the midst of writing these songs that are on Encore, so I feel like the next project will tie in nicely with what I have been releasing. I’m really happy with how it is turning out so far, and it feels like I am further honing in on the sound that I want.
Signing to deadmau5 and being dubbed as his “protégé” is a huge, huge deal. What are some of your favorite memories of working with him?
It’s crazy! I haven’t really worked with him directly much, but he’s been nice when I see him at the shows. He asks me about pieces of my setup, what I’m working on, etc. I really appreciate his support; he’s been great to be around and play shows with. He’s given me a lot of great advice and is completely the reason I’m getting a shot at doing the music thing.
You recently supported deadmau5 at Red Rocks and in Miami – what is it like to be up there playing these shows with him?
That’s a really cool feeling. I saw him a few years ago on the ‘cube v3 tour,’ and it was one of my favorite shows I’ve ever seen. I remember walking away from that show feeling inspired and motivated. I wanted to do that so bad. To be opening for him consistently now feels amazing. It is a huge goal that I achieved. I never in a million years thought I could be here.
What would you say is the biggest difference when it comes to recording a track to performing it live?
I didn’t really know what my stuff would sound like live, especially since I have so little experience in the electronic world. It has been cool getting some more experience under my belt. I have found it is affecting the way I write music, in a good way. Since I’m so excited about live performance, I’ve been learning a lot about how to make my music fit into all the worlds I want it to. I think overall the biggest difference is the energy. Since it is so loud and physically big at venues, the songs can really feel that much bigger.
Credit: Tony Aguilera
Credit: Tony AguileraWhere do you see yourself in the next five years?
I really have no idea where I will be in five years. My greatest hope would be that this is all going to work out and be a sustainable future for me. It’s hard to know what will work and what won’t, though. I don’t really know where music is going to take me, but I’m going to stick around for the ride no matter what because I really just love it after all. With where I have gotten so far, I feel like I have a decent chance.
Are you looking forward to the holidays/end of the year?
Yes, very much so. I don’t have much scheduled for this next bit of time, so it’ll be nice to work on whatever I want as well. Going to be working on new songs, hanging out with family, and enjoying the weather. It’s nice in Arizona during these winter months. [Laughs]
Thanks so much for your time. Do you have any final words or comments?
Thank you 🙂
