Sunday, August 11, 2019

"Music that wears all the flaws and beauty on it's sleeve" | An interview with singer-songwriter Lawrence Rothman

Photo ©  Robert Lindholm

I first came across your music in 2016 when your track featuring Kim Gordon “Designer Babies” came out. It had this melancholic yet beautiful ethereal feel that reeled me in and coupled with Kim’s raspy voice it worked perfectly. You have a knack for doing great collaborations. Your most current release “The Book of Law” features more collaborations with amazing female artists; Marissa Nadler and Kristin Control for example. How do you approach the collaboration process and find the right fit? 


MY MUSIC HAS MANY VOICES AND POINT OF VIEWS FROM MY VARIOUS SIDES OF MYSELF WHICH I CALL MY ‘ALTERS” AS A WAY TO SUMMARIZE THEM. WHEN I WRITE A SONG I ALWAYS HEAR ANOTHER VOCAL ACCOMPANIMENT. I REACHED OUT TO ARTISTS THAT I RESPECT IMMENSELY AS I HAD AN INTUITION THEIR TIMBRE OF VOICE WOULD MATCH WELL WITH MINE. I WAS VERY LUCKY AND GRATEFUL THAT THEY ALL WERE INTERESTED AND WILLING.




Photo © Dana Lynn Pleasant



Your music is often spoken about in terms of eclecticism and the expression of many of styles of music. Terms and categories aside, how would you describe Lawrence Rothman to the unbeknownst listener? 


MUSIC THAT WEARS ALL THE FLAWS AND BEAUTY ON ITS SLEEVE. I LOVE GREAT MELODY AND COLORFUL LYRICS. LEONARD COHEN, ARTHUR RUSSELL, NICK DRAKE AND BRIAN ENO ARE SOME OF MY MUSICAL HEROES. I ALSO LOVE MASHING UP STYLES AND ARRANGEMENTS FROM VARIOUS CORNERS- YOU COULD SAY I MAKE AVANT POP.




When researching more into who is “Lawrence Rothman” a parallel is continually drawn between yourself and Cindy Sherman. You identify as gender fluid and we’ve seen the visceral manifestation of this not only through your music but through your videos and aesthetics. The 9 alters you created bring various identities and different perspectives to the forefront. Can you explain the history behind the alters and how you came up with the 9 and what each mean to you? 


I BELIEVE WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT SIDES OF OURSELVES THAT WE REVEAL IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. WE SHAPE SHIFT THROUGH OUR VARIOUS RELATIONSHIPS AND STAGES OF GROWTH.  IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOT SUPPRESS THE MULTIPLE VARIATIONS OF YOURSELF AS IT MAKES FOR A MORE COLORFUL LIFE. IF YOU GET REAL WITH YOURSELF AND ASK WHO ARE YOU? IT'S MOST LIKELY THERE ARE MANY “YOU'S”.  YOU ARE A SINGULAR SOUL WITH THOUSANDS OF BRANCHES. MAYBE IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS.


Photo by @annepqe 

How important is expression and authenticity to you and how has that been challenged as your popularity and exposure grows? 

 I ACT ON FIRST IMPULSE. IT TOOK MANY YEARS TO EXPECT THAT. I USED TO THINK THE FIRST IDEA WAS JUST PRACTICE AND THE GEM WOULD APPEAR AT IDEA 20. I QUICKLY REALIZED IDEAS 1-3 ARE ALWAYS THE BEST AND MOST HONEST.



I saw an interview with you last year where you mentioned Nine Inch Nail’s “The Fragile” was the album that changed your life. Now that’s a collab I’d love to hear!! Can you explain the personal significance of that album for you? 


THE FRAGILE TOOK THE SONIC EXPLORATION OF ORGANIC INSTRUMENTS MANIPULATED TO NEW HEIGHTS. TRENT, I READ WOULD SAMPLE ALL THESE WILD STRINGED INSTRUMENTS AND PERCUSSION AND AUGMENTED THEM THROUGH EFFECTS AND SYNTHESIS. IT HAD THIS GRANULAR  EMOTION I HAD NEVER HEARD IN MUSIC. HE PICKED UP WHERE DAVID BOWIE LEFT OFF WITH HIS “LOW” ALBUM.


https://www.crash.fr

You’ve talked in the past about your musical influences from Prince to Leonard Cohen to Bowie. When did you have that moment when it all fell together and you realised music and art were your path? 


 VERY EARLY ON IN MY LIFE AROUND THE AGE OF 12, I NEW I HAD NO OTHER THING THAT INTERESTED ME IN LIFE. I LOVE WRITING, PLAYING AND PERFORMING MUSIC. IT'S NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF LEARNING - MUSIC HAS INFINITE VARIATIONS.


Photo © Floria Sigismondi

You’ve worked on at least five music videos with Floria Sigismondi whose unique style and aesthetic vision is both distinctive and atypical not unlike your work. How did you and Floria meet and can you talk about that creative relationship and process?  


FLORIA HAS BEEN ABLE TO TAKE MY LYRICS AND PERSONAL STORIES AND HELP THROUGH METAPHOR’S AND DRAMA HAVE WHAT I SEE IN MY DREAMS AND DAY DREAMS COME ALIVE ON FILM.



What I love about your music and song-writing is how multi-faceted, bold and yet delicate it is. How has your song-writing and musical prowess progressed from your humble beginnings in 2013 to now? And has that in turn changed the way you perform live and the way you write tracks?


 I WRITE SONGS AND RECORD EVERYDAY. I HAVE MANY MANY ALBUMS WORTH OF MUSIC - PROBABLY NO JOKE AROUND 125 FULLY PRODUCED SONGS NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD. FOR ME IT'S LIKE EATING DINNER. I MUST DO IT EVERYDAY TO FEEL HEALTHY. I PLAY MANY INSTRUMENTS SO I’LL GO FOR STRETCHES OF TIME WHERE I JUST WRITE ON PIANO THEN GUITAR THEN FLUTE AND SO FORTH SO IT KEEPS THE INSPIRATIONAL SPARK VIBRANT.


Photo by @justinlraisen

What are you most proud of with ‘The Book of Law” and what track or tracks are most poignant for you? 

I AM PROUD OF THE WHOLE RECORD AS A PIECE. IT WAS A LONG TIME COMING- AS WE SPENT 18 MONTHS ON THE RECORD AND 88 SONGS. LYRICALLY IT TELLS A PERSONAL STORY OF MY JOURNEY AND TO FULLY UNDERSTAND IT YOU WOULD HAVE TO LISTEN STARTING FROM SONG ONE WITH THE LYRICS IN FRONT OF YOU.




More often than not some of our biggest fans or influences are our peers. You’ve surrounded yourself with a decent slew of musicians and artists. What and who are you personally listening to at the moment?

 I LISTEN TO SO MUCH MUSIC - AT THE MOMENT I HAVE BOY GENIUS, NILUFER YANYA, JOHANN JOHANNSON AND HOLLY HERDON ON LOOP.



Photo © Steven Klein Studio

What’s next for Lawrence Rothman and what can fans expect coming into 2019/2020?

 I WILL BE RELEASING TWO NEW ALBUMS IN 2020, ONE IN FEBRUARY 2020 THAT IS A FULL BAND RECORDING AND ONE ACOUSTIC ALBUM IN MAY 2020.



Photo © Floria Sigismondi








LISTEN TO LAWRENCE ROTHMAN ON SPOTIFY