The Landing (for fans of Cut Copy, Classixx, Bag Raiders, et al) just rocked School Night at The Bardot, and wrapped up an exciting summer US tour. Get to know a little bit about him below:
Let's backtrack. Can you give us a little background or anecdote for each of the two EPs, We Are (2014) and How Strange to Be (2015), that you released so far?
Certainly! Both EP's are an effort to explore the utter improbability, the absolute miracle that is life on Earth, and are an attempt at reaching a broader, Cosmic perspective in which to place our existence. Whether it comes close to any of this I make no claims, but aside from this intention the songs on these two EP's are my personal spacey-spin on the indie-pop tune. I think We Are is a more introspective approach to these Universal themes, while How Strange to Be is a bit more of a celebration of them.
Now, let's fast-forward--catch us up on what's happened since then. What are you working on now?
I just released the single "Stars in Motion", which as I'm sure you can tell by the name is still belaboring my obsession with astronomy. This tune in particular is densely orchestrated with backing vocals and sci-fi synths, featuring a bit more retro-lounge-funk influence than my previous releases.
Congratulations on the start of your summer tour in the US! How have the first few shows been? Is the performance aspect something you find more difficult or exciting, maybe?
Thank you! It's been an amazing experience visiting places I've never been (let alone performed in) and meeting/making new fans and friends. I absolutely love performing live as I feel the project is meant to be experienced live. When you're trying to celebrate human existence, it's a lot more enjoyable with a large group of people!
In your bio, it states: "Turning the struggle of finding one's place in the Universe into an anthem for the optimistic." I'm curious, have you always been naturally optimistic, or is this something that developed through experiences?
I can't say I've always been optimistic, but when I started really thinking about these grander scales of perspective, and have made it a point to dedicate myself to exploring these ideas, I find it hard to be anything but hopeful. I hate that pessimists have commandeered the term "realist", that when someone says "I'm a realist" it's usually preceded or followed by some statement they made that's very bleak. When in reality it should be "I'm a 14 billion year old masterpiece of the Universe... and also a realist."
What are 3 things you learned in the past year?
1) Clarinet is really hard
2) How to drive the long way from Brooklyn to San Francisco
3) What a gravitational wave sounds like
What are 3 things you're looking forward to in the rest of this year?
1) Releasing new music
2) Touring new places
3) Seeing Rogue One on December 16th
