Baring It All, Shining Bright: An Interview with Lindsay Lou
What is possibly most apparent about Lindsay Lou and her band is the versatility contained within it all. The ability and comfort in swapping lead and vocal duties. The range and command that Lindsay powers in her vocal. The effortless flow from something with jazzy accoutrements and soul vibes to something truly down and rootsy. Its those abilities and that flow that makes Southland such a beautiful record to continually dive into. What feels like a southern revival at times and folky heartfelt confessional the next, the band perfects the blending of genre and sound across the board here. It is a collection of songs that open up a new chapter for the group and bares all in honesty and heart.
We caught up with Lindsay to talk a bit about how this album came to be, the band’s process and inspiration behind it all.
RLR: The record feels very collaborative to me in certain ways. There is a lot of full and heavy chorus portions with big harmonies that hang and real hit hard. While you sing the majority of tunes as the lead, there are songs like “The River That I Knew” where you step into more of supportive role along with a orchestra of voices. In terms of the process for coming up with these songs, how much really is collaborative like that? Give a glimpse to how a tune comes from an idea and a few scratch notes or iPhone recordings to what we are hearing here on Southland?
LL: I heard Nick Woods sing “The River That I Knew” at a show he played in Nashville a good while before we went into the studio. We’re all fans of his in the band and listen to his unreleased songs in the van when we’re on tour. PJ grew up with Nick in Virginia. I can’t remember exactly how it all went down, but I remember that song being in my head and wanting PJ to lead a song. So, PJ sent me a voice memo of him playing that song, and I proposed we work it up at a mid-tour rehearsal. Since he was on guitar, I took over the bass, which I had started to plunk around on during the recording of Ionia. Mark went to the percussion and Josh stayed on the mando. It’s usually fairly natural how we decide who plays what. It has a lot to do with what everyone is in the mood to do, and also what it sounds like the song is calling for.
I’m the curator, and we’re all the artists. Part of my vision is that everyone is heard and understands each others roles in the unit. Being in a band means operating on a shared consciousness and I think rotating roles when we can and it makes sense deepens that element.
RLR: The obvious answer is “there is a tune called that on the record”, but not just as a song, also as a record title, what does “Southland” mean to you in terms of a metaphor or a prompt for the story behind these songs. You are originally from Michigan, right?
LL: Ya! I was born in Missouri when my dad was working in the coal mines, but my family is from Michigan and we moved back up there when I was three. So I feel like a northerner even though I had a southern accent when I was first learning how to talk.
This record is all about transitions, and change, and recognizing the beauty staring us in the face while we clamor in the agony of all our growing pains. The song “Southland” is specifically about the natural beauty of the South, which adds a sense of calm and connectedness to a region known too often for its divisiveness.
RLR: I am going to steal page from the book of Joe Pug here…what does a perfect writing day look like to you, if the stars align and from the moment you wake up to the time you put down the guitar and close the notebook. Where are you? What are you getting done? What are you drinking? Are you alone? Take us through that process.
LL: When I think back on really good writing days I’ve had, they don’t all look the same. If I were to draft up a dreamy day though, I think I’d be in a cabin in the woods where you could hear the sound of running water. Or maybe on the ocean. I’d have cocktails and weed, but I wouldn’t be drunk and stoned the whole time. I like to give my sober brain a chance to exist and be heard. I’d be able to be alone with my thoughts. Can I have more than one day though? Because I really like co-writing, too. It’s all got its time and place. The trick for me is recognizing what the moment calls for and being a part it. Also, I need to be able to minimize distractions and anything that pulls me away from a flow state.
RLR: How about life in the van with the band. What are you guys listening to these days and drawing inspiration from when heading down the highway to the next gig?
LL: We have a playlist called LL Tour Soundtrack on Spotify. It’s public and listed on our profile. New songs are constantly added to the bottom of the playlist as we roll down the road. It’s an easy way to keep track of the van DJ jamz. Recent plays include Les Paul, Roger Miller, Joan Shelley, Neko Case, Little Feat, Canned Heat… etc.
RLR: We are winding down the summertime into fall season which means festival time is just coming to a close. In terms of the songs on the record and how you are presenting them live vs. recorded, is there any sort of difference in approach you take to performing these songs for an audience?
LL: Ya, in some cases it makes sense to play different instruments live than we did on the record. There are some songs where one person is doing multiple things on the album version, and since we’re not a live band that uses loops at this point, some parts were redistributed in a way a four piece band could cover. I think the vibe is preserved though. I played and sang everything except the percussion on the songSouthland, for example. In the live show I play the electric guitar and sing lead. The dudes cover the rest.
RLR: If there was one song from the new record that you hope would stand the test of time, people still playing and singing along to it in 100 years, what song would that be?
LL: Shining In The Distance.
RLR: So…what is next for you all? Anything you are particularly excited about for the future?
LL: I’m ready to make a new album of original material.
Also, we’re making our second trip to Australia this January for a month long tour. That’s exciting. We’re playing the legendary Woodford Folk Festival and making trips to festivals in Tasmania and New Zealand while we’re down there.
