Interview: Lovechild

1: How did you decide on the name, “Lovechild"?

I was playing around with a ton of names but couldn’t pick just one, none of them gave me that “You’ll know it’s the one when you see it” feeling, until one day when I figured it out. I was thinking about what I would want our music to evolve into over time, almost like a fusion between psychedelic and grunge. In other words, our music would be a “Lovechild” of both music eras, like a generation clash ;). Once those words came through my head, I knew it was the name. I quickly sketched some ideas for the logo on a notebook, figured out one I liked, and made it digital, and it stuck.
2: What inspires you to create?

I think my music creation is unfortunately motivated by dark feelings more often than not. I get into these really low lows of depression and don’t know what to do. That’s usually when I make my best music. I’ll sit down with my guitar and write half an album’s worth of music in an hour or so. It’s one of the only things that cures my sorrow. I think the fear of failing also has a grip on me. I’m in college but I have no clue what I’d even do with a degree. I’m hoping music can be my saving grace.
3: What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a creative profession?

I would say go for it. Being creative is hot. A lot of people may be discouraged by the large amount of people that also want to make money off of creativity. That being said, the percentage of people that are actually talented AND have a deep passion and hard work ethic is quite slim. If you’ve got what it takes, do it. That’s what I’m trying to do.
4: Do you feel open minded about what you listen to? Do you like going out of your comfort zone?

I don’t listen to new music as much as I should. I get hooked on a new song every once in a while that I found and will listen to it for months over and over again. I started off listening to mostly rap and pop until junior year of high school, when I “discovered” the beast that is rock music. It captivated me and I instantly feel in love. Every once in a while, I’ll find some rap music or pop music that I really enjoy. Kendrick Lamar and Harry Styles are two artist examples. I sometimes use things that I hear in their songs, and many other artists’ songs, and try to use it in my music. Whether it’s catchy hooks or unbeatable wordplay, there’s a lot to learn from other genres. So, to answer the question, I wouldn’t say I’m completely close-minded, just picky.
5: What outlets do you find out about music from? (Record stores, magazines, samplers, etc.)

Like I said, I don’t find new music that often because I don’t look for it very much. But, believe it or not, I often find music that is new to me on the radio. I’ll listen to the local rock station and every once in a while I’ll hear a song I really like, Shazam it, and add it to my playlist. Old fashioned, I know. Fun fact: one of our songs actually played on the same station.
6: What is your favorite format to listen to music on? (CD, Vinyl, etc.)

Obviously, listening to music through your phone and headphones is the most convenient and highest quality (depending on your headphones). If I were to pick an alternate method though, I’d say it’s pretty fun listening to music on vinyl. It’s just a cool experience.
7: How do you feel the internet has impacted the music business?

I’ve learned a lot about the internet’s impact on the music industry. Spotify has allowed so many artists to get huge. SoundCloud has allowed anybody to easily upload their music to a listenable platform. Social media has given artists the tools they need to tell the world about their music. It’s great. It allows the artists to have a lot more independence.
8: Who was the first band/artist that became your favorite band?

The first band that I fell in love, which shouldn’t be surprised to many that know me, is Nirvana. It was the gateway drug of rock music for me. I had always had some sort of prejudice towards rock music, that only “weird people” listen to rock. As I started to realize how stupid that was and as I began to relate more to the music, I came across Nirvana and that was it. Some kid asked me at lunch if I had ever heard Smells Like Teen Spirit. I lied and said yes, but when I got home, I listened to it and was like wow. I know it’s overplayed, but SLTS brought me to Nirvana, which then brought me to so many other bands, and my music library expanded exponentially, as did my song writing.
9: Do you have any hobbies outside of music?

I’ve always liked basketball. Played it for many years. Sports in general are really cool. I’ve played basketball, soccer, volleyball, and did track for like a week. Video games as well, of course. Spent so much time playing them. Besides that, sleeping and wasting away occupies a lot of my time.
10: What was the inspiration for your song “Feel Again”?

Feel Again, like most of our songs, is made up of a bunch of pieces of things I came up with over a long period of time. My songwriting process for the first album was coming up with lyrics, melodies, and guitar riffs and chord progressions that I really liked, recording them in my phone, and then seeing what fit together. This process took place over the course of 2-3 years, mostly because I would often start a new song and never finish it. A majority of my phone’s storage is taken up by Voice Recordings and Notes. Do the lyrics have meaning? Maybe, up for interpretation I guess. I had come up with the chord progression and melody for the verses way before I came up with the chorus, like years later. I put the two together, loved it, and that was it. Usually, I come up with lyrics very last. Sometimes, I’ll just mumble nonexistent words and sounds when I’m writing the songs, then they’ll morph into actual words over time, and if I like them, they stick.