Berkshire, UK native / London-based singer, songwriter, and pianist Lorne has been dropping new music onto the scene recently as he prepares to release his debut EP, Maze. We got a chance to get an inside look as to what inspires and drives Lorne in 2017. Check it out.
[ Vinylmnky ]: I understand you’ve been playing piano since you were seven, growing up in Berkshire, UK. When and how did you realize this was more than a hobby and had become a passion you were going to pursue?
[ Lorne ]: I was classically trained and studied Music at primary school and secondary school. A little bit of trivia - I went to the same secondary school as Brian May of Queen! When I was 18 years old, I started to write songs at home. I lived in Barcelona when I was 20 years old and managed to generate a lot of ideas during this period. After a few years of working on demos in my bedroom, I put a couple on SoundCloud and started to play at small venues.
[ Vinylmnky ]: Who are your biggest musical influences?
[ Lorne ]: I was introduced to Peter Gabriel when I was 18 years old and I would say he is my biggest influence. In particular, I am drawn to his darker songs like Family Snapshot, Here Comes The Flood, Mercy Street and San Jacinto. His ideas are unique and there is depth and emotion in his music that's hard to find elsewhere. In 2007, I saw Peter perform in Brescia and Arezzo in Italy, which are two performances that will never leave me.
[ Vinylmnky ]: We love the build and emotion in Bread Alone. Was there a personal meaning for you in writing about this biblical phrase, "man shall not live on bread alone"?
[ Lorne ]: I wrote Bread Alone" at a time when I decided to leave home, pursue music, and put myself out there as an artist. I heard someone say this phrase on the radio and I felt it encapsulated my feeling for the song.
Bread Alone
[ Vinylmnky ]: What was the inspiration behind Oil and Water?
[ Lorne ]: Like many songs, Oil and Water is about a relationship that came to an end. I like trying to find a different way of saying something and I felt that the analogy of oil and water was a good one for two people that fail to come together.
[ Vinylmnky ]: Your music has been described and haunting and emotional. How would you describe your music? Is there a genre you’d classify it as?
[ Lorne ]: This is a hard question for me and I always struggle to find a way of answering it. I draw influence from many different places and I feel that every song I write has a different spirit.
Oil & Water
[ Vinylmnky ]: What has been the most rewarding aspect as a musician for you thus far?
[ Lorne ]: I performed at The Troubadour in Earl's Court earlier this month and I feel it was one of the best performances I have given so far. I am still learning how to express myself on stage and it's a powerful thing when the music start to move through you and affect people in the room.
[ Vinylmnky ]: What has been your favorite venue to play and why?
[ Lorne ]: My favorite venue to play so far is The Troubadour in Earl's Court. It's an intimate venue for singer-songwriters that has been running since 1954.
[ Vinylmnky ]: What’s next for Lorne and what can we expect in the near future?
[ Lorne ]: A Bristol-based duo called BOA have done an up-beat remix of Bread Alone and I am hoping that this will be released later this month. I would like to release Cocoon in May, Oil and Water in June, and Navigate in July. These are the other three songs on my debut EP Maze, which I recorded with record producer Greg Freeman last year.
[ Vinylmnky ]: Is there an underlying theme to the Maze EP you can share?
[ Lorne ]: I chose “Maze” for the title for the EP as the songs are linked by a sense of loss and searching. I like the analogy of a maze where you reach a dead end and there are no signs to show you the way.
[ Vinylmnky ]: That’s very exciting. We also love BOA and look forward to hearing that remix and your debut EP! We can’t wait to hear it.
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