Interview with Låpsley & Steven Weston

Hello! It is Adam. Welcome back to bringing it backwards. A podcast where both legendary and rising artists tell their own personal stories of how they achieve stardom. On this episode, we had a chance to hang out with both Lapsley and Stephen Westin over zoom video Lapsley was born in York, but raised just outside Liverpool. And she talks about how she got into music, started playing classical guitar and piano at a very early age. I believe she was five years old, around 14 years old. She'd go out to Liverpool and was in the rave party scene. At 16, she helped throw some parties and she also joined a band when that band kind of fizzled out, she started writing her own songs with garage band and a cheap microphone. 1 (2m 7s): And one of those songs ended up going viral on SoundCloud. It was picked up then by BBC one, and she was offered a record deal with Xcel. Stephen was also born and raised in the UK. He talks about how he got into music, started off on the Oregon, which is interesting story there. And then he ended up moving to Spain when he was 18. 14 is when you started getting interested in deejaying 18. He got a residency in Spain, did that for a handful of months. Before moving back to the UK, he was in a band that did pretty well. They ended up getting signed and what's really crazy is a song they wrote 14 years ago. Just started getting some major traction on Tik TOK. 1 (2m 49s): I think he said it has like millions upon millions of views and plays, which is crazy, but he also worked as a sound engineer, a music director. He works with uncle. He was in Hawk for a while, and he's just played with various artists. This is his first solo project and Lapsley is featured on the song like I used to. They talk about writing together. Lapsley writes with other artists as well. They kind of write together with artists. So we hear about how they both ended up meeting and all about the new projects. They're both working on. You can watch the interview with Steven and lastly on our Facebook page and YouTube channel at bringing it backwards, it would be so awesome if you subscribe to our channel and like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Tik TOK at bringing back pod. 1 (3m 35s): And if you're listening to this on Spotify or apple music, Google podcasts, it would be amazing if you follow us there as well, and hook us up with a five star review. 3 (3m 44s): We'd appreciate your support. If you follow and subscribe to our podcasts, wherever you listen to podcasts, 1 (3m 49s): We're bringing it backwards with Lapsley and Steven Weston. 4 (3m 54s): How are you doing, 1 (3m 55s): Doing well? I'm doing well. My name's Adam. And this is about the both of you and your journey and music. I want to talk about how you guys met and then the record you have out, which has both of you on it and other various projects you have going on. 4 (4m 11s): Cool. Sounds good. 1 (4m 13s): Well, Steve, how, how, how, where were you born and raised? How were you born? Dalian? 4 (4m 29s): I was born and raised in Portsmouth on the south coast of England, but up in the center of town and frightened quite rough part of town, but it was cool. And I lived there until I was 18. And then when I was 18, I moved to Spain and became a DJ. I got a residency in Spain when I was there on holiday and then left and then to the mercy of coast. And then I came back after six months cause I was playing like funky house and it destroyed my soul. So to port Smith, back in with mom and dad, and then I joined a band start playing keyboards again, and then I moved to London when I was 21. 1 (5m 15s): Oh man. Okay. So did you start off on keyboards or keys? 4 (5m 20s): Yeah, sort of from kids when I was about 11 and then kind of gave that up when I was 14, because it came well, actually let on an organ, which is kind of on-call in my school to be playing an organ. So then when I got to like 14 puberty was really hitting in, I kind of gave it up and thought I'd get a set of decks. Cause that was quarter. 1 (5m 42s): Okay. So you started off playing Oregon. Who is it like in the church or something? I mean, that's 4 (5m 48s): Not in church, but not in church, but like a church organ, basically in my school that I went to my junior school, this, these music teachers came in and like gave a, a demonstration, I guess, of like, you know, you can come and learn a musical instrument or piano. Well, there were, it was piano. And then I'd say this little leaflet lions on mom and dad. And I was like, can I go and have piano lessons at first? I thought, oh, I'm not sure. Because as it all kids, I was probably doing, you know, like karate and then Judah and then like mountain biking and then BMX thing and skateboarding all at once. And I was like, 1 (6m 21s): I'm sure. 4 (6m 23s): And then, so y'all took this little leaflet home for piano lessons and then after a couple of weeks, mom was like, okay, alright, we can, let's do it if you really want to do it. And then, but all the piano lessons and keyboard lessons with 30 books, the only option they had was an organ. So I did that instead. 5 (6m 42s): I didn't know your circle. 1 (6m 46s): That is cool. I mean, how much different is the Oregon from piano 4 (6m 52s): And my left, my left hand dexterity isn't as good as the PNS. Cause when you learn how to play an organ, at least when you learning, you keep your left hand very still. So you do all your chords of your last left hand and usually doing versions so that when I play a C chord rather than going CEG G, C E automatically. Cause that's how you do it on an organ because the, the root based night you do have your foot on the C. So it'd be 1 (7m 17s): Interesting. 4 (7m 19s): And then you'd go up an octave or two with your left hand and then to play the G, which is the fifth. And then, 1 (7m 26s): Okay. So like when you started playing keyboard, was it hard to, you know, transfer that knowledge over or was it fairly simple? 4 (7m 34s): It wasn't too bad. Cause I was just starting out to play a waste test. So that was pretty easy. 1 (7m 38s): Okay. There you go. Awesome. And then you said you moved to Spain or you were, we went to Spain and ended up landing a DJ gig. So at 14 you started playing or you started deejaying with turntables. 4 (7m 52s): Yeah. Turntables like vinyl. And then as I got a little bit older, the CDJ came out and I got kind of like the basic kind of CDJ, whatever it was 200 or something. Apparently I know it's super cool. Was that a reverse button on it? Reverse. 1 (8m 13s): How did you get the gig where you just went in and said, I know how to use this stuff. Like, and I got to read crater records, like, how do you land, you know, this, this residency. 4 (8m 25s): So it was there on holiday and they were kind of like doing this bar club was, we were there and the bar, but it was still open, but they're building like the club, but it was already there, but they were like doing it up there, like renovating it. So I was just talking to like the owners and like the bar staff and stuff. And they were like, towards the end of the holiday, I was like, why have you got like a residence? Like a resident DJ? Like my doctor were like, no. And I was like, what I do it because we've become really friendly. And honestly, they were just like, be okay, didn't hear me DJ at all. Completely took my word for it. I could have completely blogged it. 4 (9m 7s): But luckily I thought I was a pretty good DJ at the time. And then I came back home 0 (9m 15s): And the global supply chain is strain. One essential transportation network continues to keep the economy connected 24 7. That network is freight rail. We're increasing, hiring and capacity all while investing more than $20 billion per year into our network to improve reliability every day, we never stop working to better serve our customers because freight rail works and the global supply chain is strain. One essential transportation network continues to keep the economy connected 24 7. 0 (9m 55s): That network is freight rail. We're increasing hiring and capacity all while investing more than $20 billion per year into our network to improve reliability every day, we never stop working to better serve our customers because freight rail works. 6 (10m 14s): Can you hum, along to every eighties, pop melody. Do you still know the lyrics to all the nineties hip hop tracks? Well, it's time to put your music knowledge to the test with song quiz, the number one music quiz game on Alexa. You can play a loan against random opponents or together with friends and family choose from a wide range of playlist and genres from the 1960s until now to see just how deep your knowledge goes. Just say, Alexa, play song quiz. That's Alexa, play song quiz. 4 (10m 43s): And then, well, actually before I came back home more on holiday, we like went to the state agent to try and find somewhere to like live in short notice and the guy was like, yeah, don't worry about it. I can get you a little flat, you know, around the corner. It'd be fine. It'd be cool. Don't worry about it. And then, so I took his word for it, young naive, and then go home, tell my mom and dad, by the way, I've got a gig, I'm going to get one way to get to Spain. And they were like, okay. All right. 0 (11m 13s): Sounds good. They're all good with that. 4 (11m 15s): That's cool. Yeah, there would be, yeah, they were pretty cool. Yeah. They were very like supportive. So, and then we then came to Spain, went straight to the estate agent and then like, didn't really have anywhere to live. Yeah, it was, it was very bizarre. And then, but my X, X, X, X, X, X girlfriend, who I went there with, you know, from my childhood, from school girlfriend, not a grandparents, her great uncle, or can't quite remember now lived there, which is why I went on holiday to like see some to 1 (11m 53s): Visit. Okay. 4 (11m 54s): Thanks. Some very extended family because we already knew someone that made things a little bit easier, but we didn't have any way to live sort of dragging them. And the first night we stayed in like their small bite apartment and the next day found somewhere to live and then started my four days a week playing funky house. 1 (12m 12s): Wow. 5 (12m 14s): Oh wow. You became an incredible producer now. 1 (12m 20s): All right. Yeah. Do you, are you trying to learn how to produce all at the same time or was that something that started later? 4 (12m 27s): No. So this was when I was 18. So I was meant to go to uni when I was 18 to do music production. I'd already done two years at Cora's do music technology. 1 (12m 37s): Okay. 4 (12m 40s): So it took a rather than going straight to uni after college took a year out. And then when it lasted six months in Spain, then I came back and then I got a full-time job in HMV, which is a music store. Like it was a, is a big music thing. And I was, I was the char and vinyl buyer. And this was like back in the day, not too old, not quite old school because I'm not that old. And like in the nineties it was very like people would, you know, the, the distributors would phone up the vinyl buyer on the phone, this song. But there was a few small labels in the south coast that played like happy, hardcore, a common borders. 4 (13m 22s): It was like kind of, not my bad, but it was like dance music that was popular on the south coast. And they'd let you call me up and like play me a song down the phone. I felt so baller, but like such like manage bugs. I'm like, yeah, we'll take three of those. 1 (13m 38s): That's awesome. We were like a tastemaker for the store. 4 (13m 41s): Yeah. Kind of Portsmouth anatomy. Nemesis. I'm kidding. 1 (13m 59s): Awesome. Well, before I get over to you, Holly, I have one more quick question for Steven Owen. I know what that thing is behind you. This is break in case of emergency. 4 (14m 7s): Oh, so that is a piece of art by someone called Ben Turnbull. Harry styles has one as well. So that's kind of cool. 1 (14m 16s): Cool. 4 (14m 17s): I've had it for years, but it's yeah, it says an emergency break glass. I've got again. 1 (14m 23s): Is there a, is that a gun in there? Yeah. Okay. That's what I thought I could. I thought that's like what I could see the outline of, but then I wasn't a hundred percent sure. 5 (14m 32s): Is it a real gun? 4 (14m 33s): No. It's like a toy gun. Big gun. The way spray painted blue. 1 (14m 40s): That's awesome. That's an awesome piece of art 4 (14m 45s): Fake that I made out of in data. Sorry in beta, but I made it a Rubik's 1 (14m 51s): Cube. Oh, nice. All right. So born and raised Holly born and raised in York, is that what I saw? 5 (15m 1s): I was born in York, but grew up in this little town, just north of Liverpool, 1 (15m 7s): Tommy. I was growing up there, 5 (15m 10s): Small town vibes on the age of 14. I used to go out in Liverpool to the raves. I used to help put on parties and I, I joined bonds and they were a lot older than me. And we made like ambient drone music. And that's where I started writing and producing. 1 (15m 28s): You said to a foot 14. Is that what you said? 5 (15m 31s): It all started at 14. And then 16 was like when the bond started to get a bit of traction, 1 (15m 39s): But at 14 you're putting together raves and parties. 5 (15m 42s): No, I was going out. 1 (15m 43s): I was going out 5 (15m 46s): And going out and then it wasn't until I was about 16 that I started to help put things on. So I had friends who got older in university who were like running disco nights and stuff like that. So yeah. But a wild child. 1 (15m 60s): Yeah. And what was the first instrument you learned? 5 (16m 4s): Piano and classical guitar was like five or six years old. 1 (16m 7s): Wow. Okay. 5 (16m 10s): That led onto like oboe and a bit of drums and now bass. So I can kind of play like everything to a medium level. 1 (16m 17s): Okay. And, but at five years old you were playing piano and classical guitar. 5 (16m 23s): Yeah. Not very well if I look back, but yeah, it was pretty, pretty tough. 1 (16m 29s): That's something your P yeah. Where are your parents musical at all? Like what, how did I get in both of those instruments? 5 (16m 34s): Yeah. None of my family, I guess. I, I was just fascinated by music, constantly listening to the radio. So I, yeah, it just made sense to put me in for those. 1 (16m 46s): Okay. And did you eat, what'd you play in the band? You said that you started putting on parties and then you were in a band where you the singer. 5 (16m 53s): Yeah. Cigna on producer kind of while it was Ambien drone music. So it wasn't like a full band and we have lots of like chaos parts and pieces of equipment and like just running things through loads of weird guitar arms. So it was a bit nutty. Okay. But that wasn't really working and I didn't really feel like it was my vibe. So I went create my own SoundCloud and put my own, put my middle name Loxley and then uploaded some music that I just made on SoundCloud at home, on SoundCloud, on garage muffins. And then that went viral and then that's, and then I signed with XL and then nine years later, when 1 (17m 36s): Here we are. Yeah. Wow. So you just put like, D tell me, walk me through this viral thing. So you, you put their music up on SoundCloud and just not thinking anything of it and then 5 (17m 47s): Yeah. Yeah. 1 (17m 48s): Okay. So how, how's the story go? I want to, I want to hear how this happened. This happened, this is so fast. 5 (17m 54s): Yeah. It's pretty noticeably. So I put it on SoundCloud and it got a bit of natural traction, I think started with like local artists, specking it off. And then, I mean, one of the songs from that time, Billy Eilish talks about, and like this apple interview, one of the inspectors for like ocean eyes. So it was that kind of, it was like 2014. So it was quite a long time ago. And then I also uploaded the music on this kind of player for the BBC radio called the iPad, the what's it called anyway, they have this system where you can like upload music and then they'll 1 (18m 34s): Sorry about this. Yeah. Like you can upload it there and then somebody will sit through it and you might get put on one of the channels. Right. They'll just put it, like, play it 5 (18m 42s): Like a board, certain 1 (18m 44s): So crazy. 5 (18m 46s): And it went straight from regional to radio one. 1 (18m 49s): And then 5 (18m 50s): On like the like Addie Mark's hot water bottle on Sunday night, which is like this iconic 1 (18m 56s): Yeah. 5 (18m 56s): Show show. Yeah. So it was pretty nice. 1 (19m 1s): That is so crazy. Like just having song go from SoundCloud to then you upload it to this thing and then it ends up on BBC one. Like what, like, what was your, what were you thinking when you, you see this go to, to, you know, to BBC one? Are you like, oh my gosh, like, this is so validating. I need to keep doing this. Or like, what's your thought? 5 (19m 24s): I think it was more intrigued. I don't think I'd gone through my life thinking that like, music was an option and, but it, but it was something that always made me happy. I think I grew up, it was like, you know, academics is the vibe. And I stick with that and that's why I was going to do a university. But it's funny now because I'm like, God, I could never do anything else. I am a writer and I'm a nutsy creative person. So it's really strange thinking about any of it, any other option, but yeah. 1 (19m 57s): So when that happens, then the labels start reaching out on imaginary, exhale, reaches out to you and says, Hey, we heard your song. And like, it's on radio. And like, what was that like? 5 (20m 6s): Is it so my, my emails, it's funny. Cause I made this stuff in garbage barns. You know, it wasn't like 7 (20m 11s): Progressive presents forest metaphors about bundling your home and auto 8 (20m 15s): And sports. Three goals is a hat trick. And when you bundle your home and auto with progressive, you get a hat trick of great savings and round the clock protection. So you might be thinking, wait, that's two things. A hat trick is three, but in this metaphor, great savings counts as two goals and sodas round the clock protection. So it's like four goals and that's more than three 7 (20m 33s): Basic math poorest metaphors presented by progressive bundle and protect today. Progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates discount not available in all states or situations. Sure. We have 30 seconds to tell you the drivers who switched to progressive could save big, but then what? Well, radio has been gold theater of the mind. So let's tell a story with sound effects. Wow, man. It's like I was in the story almost makes me forget. This was supposed to be about saving big with progressive progressive casualty insurance company in affiliates. You could save big when you bundle your home and auto with progressive. 7 (21m 14s): But when we just come out and say, it feels like it falls a bit flat. So instead we're going to hire a professional voice actor and pay him absurd amounts of money to say, 10 (21m 23s): I like this product. 7 (21m 26s): I'm not sure why that was better. I mean, I'm a professional too, but we didn't pay him to say the business part. So back to me, save big when you bundle your home and auto with progressive, sorry. I know hearing me say it was a bit of a letdown, progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates discounts, not available in all states or situations. 5 (21m 42s): I am with like a 90 pound Mike and I met wasn't mastered or mixed or anything. I didn't know. So it's, it's funny. Yeah. So they all started emailing me and I was like, well, I'm in sixth form. Like I've got exams. So I can't really come to London. So they all came to Liverpool and like quite a few of them like met me outside college and took me for like a drink and like told me about things that they wanted to do. Like, you know, put up out NEP or an album or whatever. So it was all a bit surreal. And I think, because my focus wasn't on music, it meant that I was quite balanced and I just waited. And then before I knew I had like multiple record deals on the table and then obviously one of the coolest, cause I was like, oh Jay Paul, you know, the wind and signed a big publishing deal as well with universal, which was kind of key to everything 1 (22m 38s): Because that would allowed you to write with other artists. 5 (22m 41s): No, that's that's laser, do I? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But just in terms of like financial, like to be able to move to London and obviously write the first record, you know, you need cash. And I wasn't a musician who was already from London with like rich parents and stuff. So you actually, you need to be able to take you into the city and you need like actual backing. So yeah, I haven't really looked back since 1 (23m 8s): That's so crazy. And then are you concerned at all? Like when you have to put a record out now, like you're like, okay, this thing worked in the beginning when you really weren't, you were just doing it for fun, like to actually now like, you know, follow up with it. And now it's like a career and people are investing in you. Was that like something that you felt a lot of pressure with? 5 (23m 28s): I think there's always that pressure, but I solved it by for the past few years I've been writing for the people and focusing on that. It's like kind of a career in parallel with the Lapsley projects and to be fair, the more success there is with that, the less commercial pressure there is on my personal project and the happier I am to the point where now, like everything I do is on my terms and I'm not with excellent anymore. And I'm releasing the next record with distribution. And it's just so freeing because I don't have to think about people putting money into me or how I'm perceived. It's just like this pure expression. 5 (24m 9s): Complete 1 (24m 9s): Opposite. 5 (24m 11s): Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, and then if times get hard, you know, I, I write pop tunes for people, you know? So, 1 (24m 19s): And when did you start doing that? Like what was the first artists that you wrote with, or the first hit you had with somebody? 5 (24m 27s): I wrote a track with Matilda man that came out last year. It's funny. Cause you, it takes like a few years for it all to come out and was all load of songs that I've written with artists in the last year that are going to be coming out this summer. And then there was a big one that I wrote for Charlie XCX and Jack's Gen-Z, which is called out why we sampled stormy. So yeah, it's a lot of fun and that's kind of how like me and Steve, Matt to be fair is like writer, producer, duo working with artists. 1 (25m 4s): So Steven that's how you were, you were riding with other people as well. Once you were, once you moved, did you move to London as well? Is that what you said? 21? 4 (25m 13s): Yeah. I moved to London when I was 21, but not necessarily to be a songwriter. It was like, I was in a band called Soho dolls and we we're all based in London, but then, then I started sessioning and playing keyboards, but then probably the last, I don't know, maybe six years or so of when more star to get into more songwriting territory. But I used to mainly tour and actually engineer who was audio engineering, like recording bands and studios and stuff. 1 (25m 41s): Oh, interesting. 4 (25m 43s): And then 1 (25m 44s): Is that cause you went to college or you went, you said you went to the university for that or you were going to school for that. 4 (25m 48s): So it did music production after my gap year, I did study music production then I, but then in my second year I dropped out because my band was signed, so I'm done. But then from, since now, until that time when I moved to London, so it, I was kind of like we stopped, although we just had a huge viral hit on Tik TOK. We've got like 76 million plays or something crazy 1 (26m 13s): Rally with, with Soho doll. 4 (26m 16s): Yeah. Yeah. So it's not just the song it's like 15 years old or something it's like, yeah. 1 (26m 22s): Oh my gosh. I want to talk about that real quick. Hold on. That's crazy. So, 5 (26m 27s): Oh my God. 1 (26m 30s): That's insane. That's okay. So the song is 15 years old and what somebody found it and just did it. What a thing to it. Like, tell me about this. This is nuts. 4 (26m 39s): I dunno. It just like just went crazy on Tik TOK. However, Tik TOK works. I don't really fully understand it. I guess no one at some point was doing like a dance and then loads of other people started doing it with it. Yeah. Complete lights. Completely random. Completely random. Yeah. I don't really fully know how, cause if I did know how, then I try and do it again. 1 (27m 4s): What's that, what's the, so that happens then what are people going to like, Hey, this is the band going to get back together. Like, well, what is the, you know, correlation to that and, and you, 4 (27m 16s): Well, so we couldn't let the bank on light stopped, but Maya, the singer, she kind of really is started off. So she's actually just had a couple of trucks out. I started, I was supposed to just as many. It's just her now, you know, she was the main song rose her band really. Okay. Yeah. But so 1 (27m 33s): Crazy. 4 (27m 34s): Yeah. Mad, mad times. Huh? 7 (27m 40s): Down with the youth. 4 (27m 41s): I know. Yeah. Yeah. Very bizarre. 1 (27m 44s): Yeah. I interviewed this band that just got signed to, I think Warner they're called the Walters and they like, they hadn't, they were broke. They broke up and like in 2014 and then they had this huge viral Tik TOK moment with one song and then it was like, they were like on a hiatus now the other backside of Warner records because of TechTalk and a song blowing up on it that they released in 2014. 4 (28m 7s): Wow. Yeah. It's 1 (28m 9s): Such a weird, it's such a weird app. 4 (28m 12s): Yeah. 1 (28m 14s): Okay. So you had viral success with a 14 year old time, but anyway, so you're in, you're in London and that was the project the time. And then you were, I'm sorry, where'd you go from there? 4 (28m 24s): So from there the band was kind of like ending and then, then I started sessioning for lady Hawk was kind of like my first kind of like step. Okay. And so I played with lady Hawk for years as a keyboard player. And then in between tours, I would engineered. So I got like, like I was basically like sweeping the floor at metropolis studios whilst on tour with lady Hawk. But from working at metropolis, I'd like learn all the ropes in the studio. And I was like very at the bottom, like the assistance system. And then kind of like, then I nearly, I wasn't quite up to the assistant level there, but then from there I moved on to other studios and then in between touring our current record bands or what to metropolis and strong rooms studios, which is in shortage, both in London, pretty cool studios. 4 (29m 19s): And then, and then the lady Hawk, I did like other bits of sessioning and played with Charlie XCX because I knew her since she was like 14, 15. I used to play. We used to put me and my friend Chaz, Chaz used to put on these nights called club. Cool. And Charlie used to come and play when she was like 15 and her she'll come with our, and she would give me like the CDR for, for like the DJ booth. And I'll, you know, she just went on stage and I'll just put this CDR into the, into the DJ deck hit play. And the first song that she had was God, I want to be Darth Vader, which is what she used to come out here. And it was so good. It was like BOM, BOM, BOM, and this huge, like electroclash beat came around and she would run on stage just like mentor and everyone knew she was going to be a star. 4 (30m 5s): She was like insanely talented. She was so good. 1 (30m 8s): That's so rad. That's a cool story. 4 (30m 11s): Yeah. And then as she got signed and stuff, I was in like, I think in our second band when, when she went a bit more electronic for a short period of time, and then, then I played with various other people want to play with Mickey echo guy from Nashville. I was his music director for quite a few years on both his records. And then I'm no closer with people now, mainly. And then I joined uncle a band, which is James Lavelle. It's is quite a heritage. 1 (30m 42s): Yeah. I know the band. Yeah. You play in that band now. 4 (30m 46s): Yeah. Yes. The last, yeah, the last record, the Ronin records. Me and James did that just me and him. And we're just, we're just about to start another record probably in June, July, I think, 1 (30m 59s): I think credible. 4 (30m 60s): Yeah. Yeah. So now, now I many juggle between uncle and then it was doing lots of songwriting and stuff. <inaudible> and then now I'm not doing as much of that because Mars project is actually doing pretty cool. So now I'm just doing uncle composition and then like my artist project really that's and like I'm still doing little bits of music directing. 7 (31m 23s): You could save big when you bundle your home and auto with progressive. But when we just come out and say it, it feels like it falls a bit flat, so we're going to sing. It we'll even sing the business cards. That's a commercial you'll remember. Even if you don't remember the bundle and save with progressive part, 12 (31m 43s): We're seeing 7 (31m 45s): Progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates discount amount available in all states or situations. 12 (31m 49s): This is the end of the gym. 1 (31m 54s): Okay. So that you guys, you two met through songwriting, then it sounds like, 4 (31m 58s): Yeah. 5 (31m 60s): And tons of mutual friends. Cause we'll in the same genes. It is long. 1 (32m 7s): Okay. And then what you just jelled together or you just worked well. And so you decided to just start working a lot more or like, tell me about like the, how the relationship started. And I mean, you have your, your records out Steven and, and lapse, like as a song on it or a feature on it. And she was saying that you guys had other songs as well together. 4 (32m 26s): Yeah. So we met, I used to have a studio in Finsbury park and I was doing producing basically like in a session, I'll be there. People come into my studio, work with an artist and then like top line will come over and other musicians. And then 5 (32m 43s): Judy, I love that sphere. Just like walls and walls of the race, like incredible sense. 4 (32m 51s): I've still got some of them in my, oh wow. That's still here just in a smaller room now. Yeah. 1 (33m 5s): Yeah. Sorry, go ahead. 4 (33m 8s): I love that. I love that room, but then I moved here. I've got this house in four escapes. So I decided to put the studio in the house, but yeah, me and I mean, love to just, it was like so much fun. It didn't feel like we're like, I don't know. It was just like the biggest fun ever. Just be like set up this slight desk, just like jamming. It was just yesterday. 5 (33m 30s): It's like when we did sessions for the people we always had, like, cause they will always lay it. I like to get there a bit early. So we had like 45 minutes just as to, before like making some starters and then be like, oh, maybe we should work on this separately. So. 1 (33m 46s): Oh, interesting. So you guys would be waiting for the artists that was going to come in to write with, and then you'd come up with stuff and we're like, oh, we should just keep this price look cute. We'll pick this up later. That's funny. Wow. Okay. So, well, I mean the one song that you have on the record was with Steven that's obviously out, but you have what more songs that you've worked on together and w where are those gonna lay 4 (34m 13s): There? Just, they would like with other kind of artists, I guess, really that we've, but we've worked with quite a few, quite a few people and sorry, my dog. Yeah. Just kind of like the kind of sitting with other artists, I guess at the moment. And then like a little bank in my folder, the thank bank in my photo folder, in my bank, whichever way it goes. 1 (34m 51s): Sure, sure. So do you guys work together and we're, so now it's like, okay, we're going to come together and then work with this artist more as like a, a package or is it you, you have a session and you're like, oh, maybe Lapsley come, you should come, you know, jump on this session. Like, how does that work? 5 (35m 8s): Do you want me to get, So it's funny because I didn't know this. I knew that Steve was working on his own projects. And when I, when we'd go into work for the people, he'd play me some stuff. And I'm like, oh, that's sick. And we have a session with an artist. And obviously I was booked as like the top liner, Steve, like, and producer. And, and we came up with this song, which is like, I used to, but with like a very different production. And obviously, you know, there's, there was like three pieces of the pie. We were like two thirds of the pie. And in the end she was like, oh, that doesn't really suit, like the direction that we're going in. 5 (35m 51s): So we were like, we absolutely love this shot. 1 (35m 57s): Perfect. 5 (35m 60s): So me and Steve got together after, and then we recorded the vocals, obviously all Steve's production and just like went for it. And yeah. So it wasn't like originally set out to be for Steve's project. It was just something that we were doing together for another artist. And then we pitched, 1 (36m 21s): I like that. That's amazing. Very, very cool. Well, it's crazy. So what do you guys both have going on now? I saw you've got a show coming up, right? Steven? 4 (36m 32s): Yeah. I have a show on the 25th of May. My first solo show. 1 (36m 37s): Oh really? 4 (36m 41s): Sorry. Where at the social in London. On the 25th of May. Yeah. I've never, I've obviously performed on stage hundreds and hundreds of tons of eyes, but yes, the first time it's just going to be me playing my own songs a little bit, a little bit nervous. Not going to lie. 1 (37m 1s): No. Okay. That was going to ask. So you're a little bit nervous. Do you have like a, like a general show idea planned? 4 (37m 8s): Yeah. I'm kind of like working right now for next couple of weeks. It's it's more of a technological nightmare. Like as in like saying it all up for like one gig. Cause I could go all in or I'm just, I need to be careful where I, how much stuff I take with me on stage, I think, but I mean, I'm just programmed now kind of like rehearsing and having fun with it. Yeah. But yeah. 5 (37m 35s): Yeah. See, Steve, doesn't just sit there at ducks and press play. Right. He has like all the analog sense. Like he's got everything, just pop it in and it looks like Charlie and the chocolate factory, you know, with like all of these different machines, absolute chaos, but organized chaos. So it's going to be like a proper, proper live show, which is explained, which I love for electronic music. I, it reminded me of like over Mono's like live, set up like lots of like live and analog shit. So yeah. 1 (38m 10s): That's awesome. What about you? What about you, Leslie? Who do you have going on? 5 (38m 14s): So I've finished the third records. That's going to be coming out later in the air. So yeah. Keep your eyes husband. 1 (38m 22s): Well, I appreciate you both being here today. Thank you so much for doing this. I do have one quick question for the both of you. If I can get an individual answer, that'd be awesome. If you have any advice for aspiring artists. 5 (38m 44s): Yeah. 4 (38m 47s): I think mine's going to be quite simple. It's just kind of like, just like go for it. Just like do it. I think I, I kind of like work to music, but now I've just kind of like decided, you know what? I am just going to do my music rather than like, I was like worked in the shadows, I guess. So I think if you just, if you like really want to be an artist, I think just try, just do it. My F my first song that I put out, I just did it all myself, put out my own label and yeah, the thing just kind of go for it just don't be scared. I love it. Don't want to like it, someone out there would definitely like it. 5 (39m 25s): Yeah. And it's not about like expensive equipment. That's a really important thing. Like I made my first things with garage band, a single, like awful keyboard and assumption G truck, like 90 pound Mike. So if I can get signed to Excel off the bucket bar, then, you know, and I don't have an uncle who works in the music industry. My advice I would say is actually have someone that you talk to that doesn't have a monetary involvement in what you're doing and whether that's another musician, like a confident, whatever. That's like a family friend is always have. 5 (40m 7s): Yeah. Someone involved in the team that isn't taking money off him so that you can keep like a balanced Tash and make decisions that aren't directly, you know, financial decisions. Not necessarily with someone who's invested financiall