Where are you currently?
I’m currently in my bedroom/studio in Melbourne!
How did you first start playing music?
I started playing guitar when I was super young so that has always been my go to and saviour. Throughout high school I then played in a few different bands and once I finished, I started touring the country so it all evolved from there!
What have you been working on recently?
As well as this first release I have been getting final mixes & masters completed for the next few Lakelend tracks! I have also been hiding away working super hard on the live show ready to start performing when shows are a thing again!
Your debut single Fall Down is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track?
The first instrumental demos for this track were written on my laptop in a Vietnam airport in December 2018. Everything I tried to write before this just didn’t feel right but this is the first thing that did. I think sonically and songwriting wise it’s a mix of artists like Lauv, LANY, The 1975 & The Chainsmokers.
How did you go about writing Fall Down?
The first part of this song that was written was the intro bell hook. I am definitely someone that writes of vibe, chord progression and sonic feeling. As stated above I was sitting in an airport in Vietnam when this melody came to me. I then built the rest of the instrumental and song structure on Ableton ready to fly back home with. Once I got back to Australia I had a session with one of my best friends Nicole and we wrote the topline for the song.
Where and when did you record and who with?
After completing the bulk of the songwriting for the song, I took the track to the MSquared boys (Michael Paynter & Michael Delorenzis) to build the production even further and record the final vocals! We did this over 3 days in May 2019.
What programs/equipment did you use to record?
I do all of my production in Ableton on my laptop! As far as equipment goes, I’ve got a few go to plugins on board my computer then I’ll use my Kemper to pull the guitar tones through my interface and finally my Shure SM-7B microphone to track vocals. Super minimal setup that works really well for musicians/producers that are on the go!
How did you approach the recording process?
I start with a vibe and build around that! Whether it be some chords or a vocal/melodic line I usually put this down first and construct a song around these elements. Once this is done I’ll make sure the song structure is correct. I’ll then usually midi the keys, samples & percussion out and after record the live instruments (guitar & bass). After these bones are in place I’ll then dive deep into the production and make sure it represents me as a person and Lakelend as an artist.
What inspired the music video?
I wanted to create a video that visually and emotionally represented the song to me. Having Clair and Indigo dance in the clip was so amazing. As well as their incredible talents I wanted them to portray the two completely different sides of my personality as one body.
Where and when did you film and who did you work with?
Months of planning, preparation and dance rehearsals were completed before shooting commenced. When it came time to finally filming the video it was done over three days in two different locations in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne in December 2019.
There were 13-15 people on set at any given time which was wild!
I brought the clip to life with Ben Davies (Director & Editor) and Anthony Littlechild (Director Of Photography). We then worked with choreographer Jordan Herbert from Boss Dance Company and two of his amazing dancers and people Clair Breyley & Indigo Hunt. These two extremely talented women had previously danced with artists like Tones and I & Vera Blue.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
At this very second I’m listening to some old school Bring Me The Horizon but my recent go-to’s are Lauv, LANY Jeremy Zucker, Chelsea Cutler, Sash Sloan, Juice WRLD & The Kid LAROI.
What do you like to do away from music?
Exercise and hang with my friends & family. I honestly think if I couldn’t exercise most days or listen to music I’d really struggle mentally. The combination of all of these together keeps me as happy and healthy as I can be.
What’s planned for 2020?
This year I plan to put out a few more stand alone singles, keep building the Lakelend team and start performing my live show that I have been working on for over a year now – very excited.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
Ooooft. Such a tricky one but I think right now my favourite food is from a Vietnamese restaurant called Typhoon in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne – incredible.
As far as places to hangout, I’ve always felt right at home near the ocean. So I love doing any sort of activity where I’m close to or in view of the water. I think good company comes before location though so I could literally be anywhere in the world and be super happy with my best mates around me.
