Notching 500 million streams worldwide and a number of Classical Billboard High 10 releases, Lawson continues to combine piano music into at the moment’s streaming panorama together with his latest EP irreplaceable, a meditative four-track solo piano set that gives solace and encourages self-reflection. Sitting down with AllMusic, Lawson mentioned the journey behind the EP, explaining his melody-centric composition course of and the way the that means of irreplaceable fell into place, earlier than describing the position of the piano within the age of streaming providers and the connection between music and psychological well being.
AllMusic: To begin off, might you briefly describe your writing and composition course of on your new EP irreplaceable? How did every thing come collectively?
Chad Lawson: Yeah, I imply, I really feel dangerous when folks ask what conjures up me so far as musically talking, as a result of it type of bursts the bubble somewhat bit for folks. I am truly fairly reverse in how I write music. I am not a kind of those that will get impressed by an occasion or a second or a sundown or one thing like that.
The best way I write music is somewhat completely different. And so what occurs is, I begin getting melodies in my head. And I’ve to attend till all of these melodies are in my head, and so they start to drive me loopy. After which that is once I sit down on the piano, and I write out the melodies. After which I begin constructing the chords and the songs across the melodies. And so sadly, I am a kind of those that have to attend till my physique, my thoughts, is principally saying, screaming at me, “Hey, it is time to write an album.” I do know some folks, they write forty-five minutes a day as a apply, or some those that have this routine in how they write. And I discovered for me personally, that till I’ve that melody simply pounding in my head, it should fall flat if I attempt to do it every other manner. Which works to the primary level of how I do music, which is melody. The whole lot is melody for me. The largest think about writing music is, what’s the songbird? What’s the melody of every thing? To be trustworthy, I really feel like on this circle, we have type of been void of melody for the final variety of years…And I suppose that is simply what folks want proper now. It is a kind of issues the place I feel for me personally, although, my largest factor that I need to concentrate on is simply melody.
The very first [song] that got here with this EP was “irreplaceable,” so far as the melody is worried. And so what’s fascinating for me personally is, I by no means know what the songs are about till after the tune has already been recorded. So I do not title the songs, I haven’t got an thought of what the tales are…I write the tune, I document it, after which I take a few month away from it. I do not need to return and hearken to it. After that break, then I sit down. I like to learn. And so I simply learn poetry whereas I am listening to those recorded items. And slowly the items will start to inform me what the story is. So for example, “fields of ceaselessly,” I had no thought what that tune was about. I simply had this melody. I listened to a number of Henry Mancini inside the previous 12 months, 12 months and a half. And since he’s so melodic, like who would not know “Moon River?” And so I actually simply devoured every thing Henry Mancini was due to his melodic construction. And so even with this tune, “fields of ceaselessly,” I had an awesome melody, I simply actually did not know what the story was about or what the tune was about. And it wasn’t till I began recording that, like truly [the] finish [of] the recording session, that I simply began getting these photographs of what the tune actually was about.
So two years in the past, I suppose, developing a few 12 months and a half in the past, my dad handed away. Throughout this recording of this tune, “fields of ceaselessly,” I simply began getting these photographs—they have been simply flooding me—of my dad and mom and their happiest moments. And I do not imply grandiose moments like weddings or stuff like that. I imply simply easy on daily basis, be on the park or having a picnic or simply watching TV collectively. I used to be simply flooded in the course of the recording, like truly with the purple gentle on and enjoying every thing. I am about to only burst into tears as a result of that tune actually started exhibiting me what it was about. And so for me personally, how a tune comes about is type of by itself, and I am simply type of the facilitator of it. It is actually actually uncommon for me to be impressed by a second or an occasion—it has occurred—however for probably the most half, it simply begins with a melody, after which I simply launch that melody and it tells me what it is about analytically.
AllMusic: And going off of that, I do know that in a press launch, you revealed that the EP revolves round “that individual you may by no means dwell with out” or “that favourite reminiscence that at all times brings a smile.” And I do know you mentioned very not often are you impressed by an occasion. So how did the journey find yourself main you to this that means?
Lawson: Now, that is nice, I tremendous respect that. So after that tune was recorded, “irreplaceable,” there was a second the place somebody was in a recording studio. And so they walked in whereas we have been recording it. And so they have been identical to, oh my gosh, this simply feels a lot a few pricey buddy that they have been speaking about. They’d simply had this dialog, and it actually struck with me. The final two years have undoubtedly been a second of self-reflection, hopefully not solely only for me however for everybody, to the place we have taken this time away from what we usually have instantly in entrance of us always. The previous couple of years, we have not had that any extra, be it distant faculty, be it those that you have not been round, be it issues that weren’t as accessible as they was.
And so for me personally, there’s been a large season of self-reflection and simply wanting again and simply appreciating these moments of what I did have. And never in a very unhappy manner. Like “irreplaceable,” in a roundabout manner, it might probably type of come off as, “Oh, I am actually unhappy as a result of this individual is now not in my life.” My dad, for example, being now not round. And I did not need to take a look at it that manner. I wished to have a look at it like, you already know what, there was a ravishing season that I’ve when my dad was right here. And now I need to take that season, what I realized from being with my dad and convey that to different folks, that emotional embrace. I take a look at my spouse, and I am simply so grateful for what I’ve in her. Taking these issues that we simply type of, up till the final two years, we have type of taken without any consideration in a roundabout manner, and simply realizing the importance and really what they do deliver to us.
That actually was the impetus behind irreplaceable, simply taking that second and simply being like, “Hey you already know what? That is truly actually stunning.” Even me personally, I am in all probability the one individual that’s grateful for the season of COVID as a result of it stored me residence. I could not tour. And slightly than be actually distraught over it, I am simply embracing the truth that I used to be in a position to be residence for 2 years, I used to be in a position to be round my dad when he was going by all that. I have been in a position to be round my youngsters for the final two years and get up in my very own mattress for the final two years. These are the issues the place I am actually hoping that all of us have that second of self-reflection and simply appreciating what’s irreplaceable, what does make us smile. What makes us type of heat throughout after we give it some thought.
AllMusic: Yeah, undoubtedly. And transferring away from the EP and extra to your music as a complete, one among my favourite issues about your work is the way it reinvents piano music for at the moment’s streaming scene. As a result of I really feel just like the piano is usually considered a classical instrument in a manner. So provided that, what would you say is its position within the digital streaming age of at the moment?
Lawson: I really like this. Thanks a lot. Yeah, it is fascinating. So in 2014, I did this factor known as The Chopin Variations, and I recorded that album as a result of I wished to introduce classical music to the Spotify technology, this younger viewers that had by no means heard classical music earlier than. And it is no fault of their very own. Possibly they grew up with a piano in the home, nevertheless it’s lined with pictures of previous standing mirrors and it is dusty and so they do not even know how you can flip it on. I wished to take Chopin and convey Chopin to this younger viewers. And so I mentioned, “You recognize what? If Chopin was going to launch an album at the moment, what would it not sound like in 2022?” So I reached out to 2 pals of mine—one among them is the violinist for Woman Gaga [Judy Kang], and the opposite is a cellist [Rubin Kodheli] that is performed with everybody from Snoop Dogg to Philip Glass.
And I mentioned, “That is my thought: Let’s deliver this music to them as a substitute of ready for these folks to seek out it.” For me personally, I feel the fascinating factor about that’s, we took one thing that was historically classical, and we flip it on its head, and we mentioned, “You recognize what, let’s put this into this panorama.” And the fascinating factor is, I assumed I’d get large pushback from folks saying, “You’ll be able to’t do that. Chopin, that is sacred.” And other people wrote in to say, “Hey you already know what? I’ve truly by no means listened to Chopin earlier than, however now I am actually curious. I need to return and I need to hear the unique.” So unexpectedly you have obtained this younger technology that is now interested by, following that rabbit gap of “Effectively, the place did this actually stem from?” And I feel that is what’s so fascinating, that I really like a lot about this youthful viewers that is developing—or once I say “youthful” I imply 30 and below. It is not classical to them. It is not.
The fascinating factor about streaming providers, like Spotify and Pandora, is I equate it to a document retailer. Again within the previous days, you’d stroll right into a document retailer, and also you’d go on to your style of choice. So as an example you go in and also you go on to the Gospel part. And so that you go in, you seize what you need out of that part, you pay for it, and you allow, however you by no means appeared over to see what was new in world or pop or nation or western. You simply type of stayed in your lane. And I feel the fascinating factor about this youthful technology is that they need that crossover, they need to have the ability to look over and say, “Hey you already know what, that is one thing I am probably not acquainted with. I am actually curious, I need to test it out.” I feel that is what’s occurring with classical music. It is like, now you have obtained this, quote unquote, neoclassical to the place when you have been to look and say, “Hey, you notice you are listening to classical music, proper?”, their response is usually, “Yeah, so? What is the massive deal?” After which it is probably not a reputation or a style, it is extra like this emotive feeling of, I favored this simply as a lot as I like Adele or Moist Leg or Arcade Hearth. It would not must be separate anymore.
And the fascinating factor is, I am an enormous information individual. I really like the analytics of music. And so in the course of the week, my listening numbers are sky excessive. They have been actually up there. However come Thursday night time, Friday significantly, they drop like a rock, as a result of principally no one needs to hearken to it on the weekend. That is not what this music is for. It is meant to be chill and to be calm. And so forth Sunday night time, my numbers unexpectedly, they simply soar once more, they simply return up. This actually illustrates to me that my viewers, if I take a look at the demo of it, it is heavy heavy heavy 18 to 34. That is super! That age group is listening to this. And it reveals to me that it is normally once they’re finding out, they’re studying, that they need one thing on within the background with out it being distracting but additionally type of simply good to have listening to. And so I feel what we have finished is, we have transitioned with the piano and with this fashion of music, we have taken this instrument to a degree the place it was like, yeah, it would not must be simply conventional Beethoven anymore. This will truly be one thing that we will placed on within the background with out feeling prefer it’s esoteric or feeling we will not join with it. And I really like that. I feel it is wonderful that this youthful viewers has embraced it this manner.
AllMusic: Yeah, I really like how it’s so relevant to at the moment’s world. And in an analogous vein, at the moment, psychological well being is a part of the dialog greater than ever, particularly additionally now with it being Psychological Well being Consciousness Month. How does your music match into or additional that dialog on prioritizing our psychological well being?
Lawson: I am glad you requested, that is my favourite subject. Previous to the pandemic, I get emails on a regular basis from folks saying, “Hey, I am going by a tough season in my life proper now.” Folks would write me and say, “I simply misplaced a cherished one to most cancers” or “I am going by a divorce.” And so what I discovered is that folks, they might say, “I’m going residence and lay on the ground. And even when it is simply forty-five minutes, your music simply type of stops the world for somewhat bit.” And we will always remember this, I’ll by no means ever ever overlook this, this girl wrote me an e-mail, I suppose it was a few 12 months in the past. It is a Saturday morning at seven o’clock. And he or she mentioned, “I am listening to one among your songs.” And he or she talked about the title. And he or she mentioned, “The pacing, the tempo of the tune matches the pacing of my husband’s respiratory as I watched him take his final one.” And there’s such a heaviness to that. Because of this I do what I do. And once I acquired these emails, particularly a few years in the past, that is when for me, I knew it wasn’t about Chad Lawson. It is not what I am making an attempt to do as a quote unquote artist. It is not about furthering my title or my model. It is about facilitating and holding the fingers of what persons are going by.
And that is extremely highly effective and emotional. As a result of a number of instances after we write a tune, and we document it, and when it leaves that studio, it leaves that door, we by no means know the place it lands. As a composer, you by no means have an thought till folks attain out and so they share these tales with you. And the fascinating factor is in the course of the pandemic, I used to be getting them increasingly more and increasingly more to the place it actually simply had an affect. And I had been finding out the wedding of music and psychological well being for a superb bit simply earlier than the pandemic hit. As a result of I used to be actually curious. I used to be like, sure, music makes us really feel good. Why? What about it truly, like scientifically and logically, what occurs after we hearken to music? And so I actually attempt to dive into that.
After which as soon as the pandemic hit, and I could not tour, and these emails are coming in, actually extremely so, that is once I determined to create the podcast Calm it Down, which is centered round emotional and psychological well being, as a result of I wished to additional the dialog of what music is doing for folks. And since I could not tour, I additionally wished to have the ability to proceed to attach with my listening viewers. And that is actually how the weekly podcasts, Calm it Down, started in September of 2020. And it is taken on an entire, completely different lifetime of its personal that I by no means anticipated, getting forty to fifty thousand listeners every week now, only for the podcast alone. And also you see the place music has that calming impact. There’s research from the Oxford Press and from Harvard that say listening to calming music even for 3 minutes, it simply raises this hormone in our physique that prompts us going calm.
There’s a lot science behind the dialog of psychological well being, however what makes me the happiest is that we’re truly speaking about it increasingly more and extra. It is unhappy in a single diploma that it is taken us this lengthy to have this dialog and it is also unhappy that it is now so prevalent, that it is undoubtedly on the forefront. However I am ecstatic that increasingly more persons are feeling extra comfy about it. And so if there’s any manner that my music can help and heal somebody or maintain their fingers or assist them, that is why I sit on the piano. It is not about what Chad Lawson is making an attempt to do as an artist. It is nearly what I am making an attempt to supply to folks going by what they are going by.
…And that is actually what I hoped this EP can be, to the place folks can simply shut their eyes and simply hearken to a melody, and simply connect themselves to that. Even only for a season, even only for a couple of moments…It took a pandemic for all of us to really cease and say, “Woah, what am I feeling proper now? How am I?” How typically did we ever ask that to ourselves? So if I can create one thing that type of opens that dialog, then deliver it on. I am all for it.
Take heed to the four-track EP right here.