Uèle Lamore – LOOM

By starrymag | May 3, 2022

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) I would like to describe my music as contrasted. I think it is probably the most common feature in my music, lots of contrasts in sound and texture. I like to have extremes and an element in the middle to make them agree and coexist in an interesting way.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I have so many! If it comes to only naming a few, the names that come to mind are Floating Point, BadbadNotGood, Four Tet, The Strokes, Phoenix, Saint Vincent, SUUNS, MGMT, Denzel Curry, Warpaint and Black Sabbath…There are so many it is hard to stop!

 

Q) What are some themes you explore on your debut album LOOM?

 

A) I tried to write a record that could speak to as many people as possible while presenting a different sound. By this I mean that I wanted it to be possible to hear some clear influence, easy open doors for the listeners to enter the album, but then take him somewhere else and offer new ideas. So, I think that when it comes to themes in particular, it really is to the listener to interpret the meaning of the tracks. I have my own personal relationship with them, but I really want the record to live in other people’s minds and imagination.

 

Q) How did the pandemic alter your original plans for creating it?

 

A) It may sound unexpected, but the pandemic really did me a service in the making of the album. Since its release date got pushed off by almost a year, it gave me lots of time to really work on the sound but also it gave me the luxury of having time to try and experiment things. So, in retrospect, it did serve me in a positive way.

 

Q) What songs off the album hold a special significance for you and why?

 

A) I think that the most personal one is “Currents” and another one is “Dominance.” In the case of “Currents,” this is a track that wasn’t supposed to be on the record in the first place. I wrote in an emergency because lengthwise, the album was too short by a few minutes. I was personally in a bad place with lots of problems around me, so I really eased my anxiety and frustration by writing this song. “Dominance” is by far the most experimental and far-out one. There is this super orchestral introduction and the track closes with a dialogue between four heavily delayed and distorted slide guitars. This is one of the tracks where a lot of the ideas in it came from having so much time for experimentation.

 

Q) What tracks challenged you the most creatively? 

 

A) Without hesitation, “The Dark” and “Warmblood.” “The Dark” was at first just a file with lots of sound design, but no real music. I did not really know what to do with it, but I sensed that it wasn’t a track that I should toss away. I spent so much time trying to find the key to bringing it where I wanted too. And finally, I came to try out some flamenco elements and it really unlocked the process. “Warmblood” was at first the most experimental track of the record, very strange and almost scary. I sensed that vocals would be nice on it, but I also realized that it was just too far out for a singer to be able to lay lyrics with ease. So, I reworked it completely, made the structure much easier to comprehend, have a clear chorus and erased about 50% of all the stems to leave as much room as possible for the singer.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) Well, for the tracks with features, I had nothing to do with the writing process. I gave the guest some very general instructions of the mood I had in mind and what I wanted us to go for, but then they had total freedom to interpret the track to their liking and write their own lyrics. The only track I wrote and sang is “Currents,” and for that I just sat down with the track and tried and tried to write in the simplest of ways what I wanted to express. I like very simple lyrics that have a lot of meaning.

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) Well, I produce all my tracks, play all the instruments (apart from bass in certain cases) and I’m in charge of organizing the recording process. The only thing I do not do is the mixing, but I’m always working very, very closely with the engineer. I just work better this way and being able to do a lot of things on my own at a professional level gives me a lot of independence and inputs a lot of trust from my label upon me. It is a great feeling, but it is also an immense amount of pressure to deal with! You have to stay really chill if you don’t want to lose your mind!

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from exploring LOOM?

 

A) I just hope that they feel like they are listening to something different, that they want to offer new sounds and approaches. But above all I hope that they simply enjoy the record!

 

Q) Will you be headed out on a US or international tour in support of this wonderful new album?

 

A) I would love too! It’s going to take lots of work to get there but that is the plan for the long term for sure.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes them so significant to you?

 

A) I think that Paris will always be my favorite crowd to play, too. I’m being very biased because I’m from there, but a lot of international artists will tell you the crowd here is very particular. It’s a very tough crowd that is used to high quality music, shows and venues. It is really a challenge to get Parisians to headbang and go wild, so if you achieve that you can do anything.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) There are so many people! I would love to work with Victor Solf, an amazing singer based in France. And one day I would absolutely go mad if I could work with Alex Turner on a song,

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) I have Fontaines D.C. on repeat with their first three singles from the upcoming Skinty Fia It is the coolest thing I have heard in years, and they have grown musically in such an interesting way. I’m also listening to Warpaint’s newest single “Champion,” and I cannot wait for their album to drop. I’m sure it’s going to be amazing.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) It is very easy with social media to connect with fans from beyond the country where you are based. I’m able to have a direct way to communicate with people who enjoy my music in England, the USA or even parts of South America. However, social media is a double-edged sword. I think it is important to distance yourself from stats and other things like that. Especially nowadays, the numbers are becoming more and more irrelevant because of boosts and sponsoring, and the algorithm is ever changing. Just do your thing and use it as a tool to communicate easily and reach out to your audience!

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Well, first of all thank you so much! And then I would say that the best way to support is to buy the record and come to the shows!