Interviews
Lani Renaldo – NOHEARTBREAK2020
By: Jamie Steinberg
Q) How would you describe your sound?
A) Alt-R&B meets electro pop.
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) I have a ton! I grew up listening to a lot of different music, but I love Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana and Prince. I also am really inspired by badass women like MIA, Gwen Stefani and Hayley Williams – they taught me how to be confident and that being a woman doesn’t always have to “look” a certain way.
Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Love Games.”
A) “Love Games” was initially a track I was working on for another artist. I was aiming for something that had a Banks vibe to it, but as I was working, I thought the song would sound cooler if it was less moody and funkier. The song is about chasing after a girl that has been hot and cold with you. It’s really an anti-fuck-boy anthem.
Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?
A) I think anyone that has ever tired their shot at love can attest to the fact that sometimes people are hard to read! You can totally be vibing with a person and then out of nowhere, they switch up on you. I think people relate to that. I also think people love to dance! This song has a really tight groove, which makes it almost impossible not to move to.
Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?
A) My process has changed a lot — I used to only write on guitar but now that I produce tracks in Logic, I normally will put a track together before I start writing lyrics. That isn’t always the case, but 80% of the time I start with the music. Sometimes I’ll have a concept in mind, but it really just depends on the song.
Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?
A) 100% of it!
Q) What are some themes you’ll explore on your upcoming EP NOHEARTBREAK2020?
A) NOHEARTBREAK2020is really an exploration of being in your 20’s. I talk about relationships, sexuality, self-doubt and self-worth. It was really important to me to capture the themes I was actively going through when writing the project and it’s always my goal to have songs that my audience can relate to.
Q) What songs on the EP hold a special place in your heart?
A) There are two songs on the EP that hold a really special place in my heart. One is called, “Trainwreck,” which is the song that really pulled the EP together. I wrote it with my best friend after a really hard time at work and it sort of helped me gain confidence to pursue music full-time. The other track I love is called, “Woman” – I wrote the song in about thirty minutes. It’s the only ballad on the EP, but it’s really meaningful to me in that it talks about self-worth and wanting to be accepted for who you are. I haven’t always had those moments in my career and I felt this song gave me a chance to be vulnerable.
Q) You’ve performed with the likes of Alessia Cara and Halsey. What did you personally take away from these experiences?
A) I learned a lot about what goes into putting on a show at that level — I had never played for an audience bigger than maybe a hundred people. So, to go from a small cafe to five thousand cap rooms was a huge learning experience. When you’re doing a big performance, the rehearsal schedules are tight. I had to get in-ears. I was learning about tech riders and simultaneously putting together a team to support me and my band members. It was a lot, but I felt like I came away from those experiences a much better performer and businesswoman.
Follow Lani Renaldo:
https://www.instagram.com/lanirenaldo
https://twitter.com/lanirenaldo
Listen to “Love Games”
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