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Hi Nick, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Hey! Thank you for having me. I’ve been doing okay under the circumstances. Trying to get on by just like everyone else here in 2020. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m staying positive and doing all I can to live my life and also do my part as a US and global citizen during these difficult times.
Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Blame”?
I sat on this one for a while, but it feels so good to be able to share it now. The song premiered on September 18th via 18 BuzzbandsLa, and I’m overjoyed with the response thus far. This song is really special to me for a lot of reasons.
Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?
There are a couple of significant events that helped influence the song lyrically. The song was written just before my wife Dani and I got married and moved to Los Angeles. It was exciting and scary to embark on this next phase of our lives in a brand new city. As optimistic as I was about the move, both Dani and I had spent our entire lives in Ohio. All the stories you hear about artists struggling to get by in a town like LA rushed through my mind. All the “what ifs” and fears of resentment took a hold of me. At the same time I was writing “Blame,” I was also preparing for the role of Romeo in the Actors’ Theatre of Columbus’ production of “Romeo and Juliet.” The motifs of dreams, fate, hope, love, and tragedy all seemed to intertwine in some way with this huge life change, so I felt inspired to use some imagery and direct lines from the play.
Any plans to release any sort of video for the track?
Way ahead of you! I released a music video with the track the day before the official audio release. My friend Logan Floyd and I were taking photos and recording videos on our iPhones while roaming Griffith Park one evening, just a few hours before the sun set. We ended up with some amazing visuals which I then pieced together for the video. It was such a fun and easy going process. Logan is such a talented photographer and cinematographer, and it was a joy to work with him.
How was the recording and writing process?
“Blame” was written back in April 2019 when I was still living in Ohio, and with the help of my producer and buddy Kyle Kanzigg. I came up with a really funky chorus instrumental first, looped it, and pretty quickly began singing the call and response melody, “blame it on me.” I’m not entirely sure why I started singing those lyrics. It’s often that a lot of the scratch lyrics and melodies I come up with end up in the final version of the song. I feel like those initial ideas are the best and most honest. I then went in with Kyle and he helped flesh out the tune and added some lovely synth tones and guitar work. The song was then mixed by Matt Huber and mastered by John Davis at Metropolis Studios.
What role does LA play in your music?
I just moved to LA this past November, and had only been here four months when COVID-19 hit. I’m still finding my place in LA and unfortunately have not had the opportunity yet to explore all it has to offer. I write mostly about how I’m feeling in the present moment and so a lot of the unreleased material I’ve written since moving here has been inspired by my experience adjusting so far.
Did you approach this album as a complete departure from your previous work or rather the opposite?
The only real departure from my usual writing process was incorporating existing literature into the lyrics, i.e. Shakespeare’s, “Romeo and Juliet.” Not only was I reading the play, but I was studying it specifically to perform the role of Romeo. I think it would be interesting to try and use another role to inspire the development of a song. It seemed to really work well with creating the imagery for “Blame,” so perhaps that would be something to explore again.
What is it about the 80s that you find so fascinating?
My parents were teenagers in the 80s, so some of their favorite music came from this era. Not surprisingly I grew up listening to their go to songs and artists. When I think of Pop Music I think of the 80s. I think of Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna. I think of luscious synths, punchy dance drums, and some of the catchiest melodies ever. When I was younger I focused primarily on playing drums and I listened to a lot of hard rock music. As I started writing my own original music, I found myself naturally inclined to write dance-y, nostalgic, synth based music that was reminiscent of those early years listening to 80s pop with my parents.
Does the new single mean we can expect a new material – how’s that coming along?
YES!!! I have been writing a lot over the past several months. It’s one of the few silver linings of this year in quarantine. “Blame” is just the first of many.
Any tentative release date or title in mind?
You can expect another release no later than November. I also have a collaboration track that I’m stoked to share. I’ll be releasing the title very shortly 😉
What else is happening next in La Poré’s world?
New music! New music! New music! Also taking part in my first virtual music festival on October 30th at Moonrise V. I’m hoping to have more opportunities like this until the world of in person live music comes back. I miss it so much. I’m also working on a couple of film projects.
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