After a decade, Seven Lions eventually releases his debut album, ‘Past The Veil’ [Interview]

Since Seven Lions first launched his Polarize EP on Viper Recordings in 2012, followers knew there was one thing particular concerning the Santa Barbara-born melodic dubstep producer. In fact, on the time, melodic dubstep wasn’t even a factor, coming to gentle through the heyday of brostep and the murmurings of lure within the US.

By the point he launched Worlds Aside in 2014, nevertheless, Seven Lions had amassed a loyal following and ‘melodic dubstep’ was up and operating, because of others like Illenium, MitiS, Skrux, Rameses B, Dabin, and others.

Now, a decade after his first main EP, melodic dubstep has practically run its course, and Seven Lions is in some settlement, however extra on that later. After 8-9 sturdy years, it wouldn’t be stunning for a style as thematically limiting as melodic dubstep to achieve some degree of saturation, the identical as brostep or future bass. Although lure, spawned across the similar time, appears to be having a resurgence this 12 months.

Nonetheless, Past The Veil, the debut album from Seven Lions, out at the moment, doesn’t play on outdated tropes, nor does it attempt to reinvent the wheel. It’s simply Seven Lions, as he’s at all times been. Solely three out of the twelve songs on the album had been launched as singles, leaving a lot for followers and listeners to find. And with collaborations that includes Vancouver Sleep Clinic, So Under, Eli Teplin, GG Magree, JT Roach, Dia Frampton, Mija, and Lights, there’s a lot to take pleasure in.

I feel probably the most fundamental query I can ask is why now, after just about a full decade because the inception of your undertaking. What about this 12 months or this era in your life made you go, “Okay. It’s time for an album.”

I feel the pandemic type of allowed it simply because that was the primary time I had virtually two years off from touring, So it simply type of made sense to, um, I don’t know. I imply, I simply had numerous music on the time, however then I type of realized simply what the state of melodic music and numerous dubstep that I felt like I wanted to place out an announcement. Form of in a approach that was, you recognize, no collaborations with different producers and artists. I used to be fortunate to have the time and it additionally simply actually felt like the suitable time.

Okay, so even when you could have you recognize, as an example, GG Magree or Mija. They’re simply doing vocals for the tracks and never doing any manufacturing?

Yeah, they’re simply locals.

Attention-grabbing. Okay, That’s actually that’s actually attention-grabbing.

One of many tracks on the album is “Past The Veil,” which shares the title of the album. What precisely is the veil to you? What's past it?

I imply, that’s a giant query. I really feel like that’s type of the core thriller of the entire thing, proper? I imply, past the veil is one thing unknowable and uncrossable. And I feel that’s among the romantic beliefs behind the message. These are like past the veil and when the veil may be crossed, and loving any individual that you would be able to’t be with and that it’s an entire – I imply the idea is definitely, it was made to be a thriller, a bit ambiguous.

It will imply various things to completely different individuals. However throughout the context of the Seven Lions mythos, it does type of have a extra significant, particular context. It’s like, actually decide up on that and determine what it means to them, I’d say.

Did you make a few of these tracks with a vocalist in thoughts, or had been any of them vocalist demos that had been dropped at you first? When did you start to consider possibly which vocalist would go along with which tune?

There’s some that went each methods. The vast majority of them had been demos that I began after which went for particular vocalists. However there have been a number of that got here in that had been like this vocal is superb. And it matches with the album and that is like one thing that I’m gonna take and construct the tune round, however most of them began from simply instrumentals. Typically I'd simply be listening to numerous completely different artists on Spotify and be like, “Oh, wow, this particular person is superb.”

With So Under, I simply type of randomly bumped into her on Spotify and was like, “Wow, She’s obtained a tremendous voice, and this might be excellent for her. A few of them went like that. A few of them that had been already up and coming I knew, like Vancouver Sleep Clinic I used to be already conversant in for some time. So after I began the tune, I wasn’t instantly like, “Oh, that is excellent for Vancouver Sleep Clinic.” However then after I obtained decently far in I spotted that may be a very good one to ship over and we did, and he was into it. With JT Roach, I despatched him a demo, and he wrote to it, and his voice was unbelievable. He’s an excellent author and has an excellent voice. Nevertheless it simply wasn’t proper for that tune in the important thing that it was in, so you recognize, we went and really attempt to discover numerous completely different singers to sing that exact tune. It was truly the final one which obtained completed on the album as a result of we had such a tough time discovering somebody.

Had been there any songs specifically that had been created out of any particular occasion or feeling the place you thought, you recognize, “I have to make this tune for that reason”?

The entire album actually [laughs]. You type of really feel like that in a approach as I used to be saying, simply so far as an artist. Making music proper now and the present state of issues I’ve felt like I actually wished to indicate who I'm. And what I sound like, you recognize, like what my music means to me. I’d say the inspiration for among the songs got here by me simply strolling round. Through the pandemic I used to be spending numerous time alone, like a ton of time alone.

Yeah, I'll say the album, there’s lots much less of the bombastic parts that you just might need had previously, and numerous the tracks are extra somber and virtually melancholic.

Yeah, I’d say so for positive. It undoubtedly comes from a spot of solitude.

Was there any a part of the album course of specifically that you just actually loved? Possibly it was you recognize the place you the place you recorded it or who with or possibly it was one thing that simply occurred through the course of, like only a enjoyable studio session or one thing.

I’ve at all times been extra all for being within the studio and wherever else. As an digital music producer in 2022, there’s like a lot touring, and there’s a lot being away from dwelling and, like, simply the power to remain at dwelling and roll off the bed day by day and work on the identical undertaking was superb. I really feel like I actually obtained to discover completely different sounds and various things that I’ve been all for.

Doing numerous vinyl re-sampling was actually enjoyable. I'd go to the file retailer and flip via information and try to discover cool indie stuff, older stuff that I’d pull little samples out of, and I went to the thrift retailer and purchased some outdated shitty audio system and minimize them up and get numerous revamping stuff simply to get a cool natural texture out of among the issues that I don’t actually really feel like I'd have been in a position to do.

That method is extra like engaged on an EP as a result of I’m making songs that folks need to hear. Like I’m gonna make a banger, and I do take pleasure in doing that as nicely. However it is a far more private and experimental type of vibe I’d say.

Are there any examples of the vinyl thrifting that we might hear and acknowledge within the album, or is it so chopped up and form of melded into just like the core of the piece that we wouldn’t actually be capable to decide it out?

I do know it’s throughout. “Name On Me,” for positive. I’d say that one has it in all places. “Between” has it lots. Then additionally “By no means Study” there’s a ton of it. The revamping you undoubtedly hear in “Past The Veil.” Within the very starting, it provides it this bizarre distortion that you just simply couldn’t get from a plug in the place you hear the excitement and it’s an attention-grabbing type of sound for positive.

In order I discussed, it’s been just about a full decade because the inception of your Seven Lions undertaking. What are among the classes you’ve discovered alongside the best way and something you may need to point out to new producers, new recording artists who're both simply beginning out or need to advance their capacity as producers?

There’s so many issues to say. I'd say, clearly, the very first thing is do it since you find it irresistible. You understand, it’s an extended highway and I really feel just like the reward on the finish of the day is definitely making the music. In the event you take your time in how a lot you benefit from the course of versus what you’re on the lookout for the result to be, then I feel you’re in a great place. I’d additionally say being very conscious of what you let into your thoughts relating to social media and what you’re as a result of it’s very easy to get misplaced, evaluating your self to different individuals and get down and get knocked off your path. The way you examine your self to different individuals is essential.

Picture through Dawndra Budd