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image by Jono White

We had the chance to sit down with indie-pop visionary, Oscar Lang, to chat about his visceral new album, Look Now, as well Wallace and Gromit alarm clocks, adulthood, and even a suggested cocktail pairing for the release:

How are you, where in the world are you? 

I’m good! I’m in East London, set up in a rehearsal studio in a room with a lot of suspicious couches. 

They do look kind of suspicious – very “did we steal these from a vintage shop or did someone buy this?”

Yeah... I don’t know what’s happened on these. 

It’s part of the charm. So your album Look Now is out in two days, congrats! How are we feeling? 

Good – I was saying to my mate the other day, it’s kind of scary. Now, suddenly, I have no new songs. For ages I’ve held onto these songs, it’s been like “something’s coming, something’s coming,” and now it’ll be out in the world and everyone’s gotta absorb it. So, it feels weird, but exciting and scary all at the same time. 

Was this the sort of album where you sat down and said “I’m going to write an album about X theme,” or is it more of a collection of songs you’ve held close over the years? 

I think the thing that was cool about this album is that it’s more sort of similar to the way I used to make music, and how I started making music, in that it kind of came together as a collection of songs. We were just making songs. So we were piecing it together that way, rather than being like, “I’m going to sit down and write an album that sounds like this.” It was, you know, we write 50 songs and then pick the 10 “creme-de-la-creme” best ones. 

Did they end up having a common theme by coincidence? 

It’s weird, because I picked these 10 [songs], and they ended up being the ones that all actually mean something to me and have something to do with my life, or some story. So I think in some way that’s come through – in the tracks being more natural and how I was feeling at the time. 

When I was listening to it, I was very struck by the soundscapes you created. It’s very The Beatles' White Album… in the best way, it’s weird.  

I mean, I kind of find myself in an interesting zone as a big music-head who likes weird shit, but I also adore pop and grew up on Katy Perry and Rihanna, so. 

Oh yeah, it’s totally an amalgamation of all the best parts of pop – like those nature sounds you have in the background of a great, hooky melody. 

It’s one of those things I’ve realized: I love ear candy. You don’t even hear half the stuff that’s going in there once a song’s gone through the mixing process. On tracks like “Unspoken,” if you could see all the stems that it took to make that pad soundscape, it’s crazy. 

It’s also a very orchestral album, I loved the emotional vulnerability of all the strings I was hearing. Were there any emotions you were hoping this album might embody? 

Yeah, at the time it was a really rough year of my life. I think the last track, “When You Were A Child,” kind of sums it up. It was the first time I really felt like an adult, I no longer had the “wonder kid” thing and now I was just another adult making music. I got sort of thrown into this when I was in my apartment for the first time after breaking up with a long term girlfriend and suddenly I was on my own. It was just like, “I’m an adult.” And I don’t like it as much as I thought I was going to like it. 

I think this whole album is kind of grappling with different things about being an adult. “Leave Me Alone” is about social anxiety at parties, “Blow Your Cash” is retail therapy. Even today I feel like half the time I’m going on Amazon, looking for something to buy so I have something to look forward to. You know what I mean? It’s all different themes dealing with the breakup and being an adult. 

The Amazon retail therapy is so real. 

It was very real, I have too many lava lamps from that time. I even got a Wallace and Gromit alarm clock. 

That’s so important. On the topic of “Leave Me Alone,” the live video in the vintage piano shop is beautiful. I got pretty emotional watching it – how did you feel about this performance, tell us about it? 

It’s kind of funny, I’d been watching La Blogotheque and their Takeaway Sessions for a while, so it’s a bit of a historic thing. We were in a Parisian piano shop, the piano tech was posted up watching me, it was so La Blogotheque. The man who ran that shop made unique piano that were one of a kind, so I got to play this upright, grand piano, it was very French. 

My favorite part was that the door to the street was still open so anyone could just walk in while you were singing. 

Oh yeah, there was a bunch of people just popping their heads in. Just have to keep on playing. 

You’re also going on tour in a few weeks! Are there any songs you’re most excited to play live for the first time? 

Yes, we’ll be going around the UK in August playing the new album. We’ve been playing a lot of funky ones, “Circle Line'' and “Leave Me Alone” I’m excited to play live because they have both got a great groove to them. 

The thing we’re realizing is that a lot of the time, because when I make my music I’m not thinking about how it’ll be played live, it’s just the way I make stuff in my room, building layers and layers. But then you’re trying to figure out how to play eight different guitar layers played live. 

We’re realizing more and more that these songs were designed to not have any track. We just decided that we want the song to shine, and it’s sort of nice to have a different version to see live. It’s not just a press play experience, it’s unique, it’s musicians. And we’ll tailor it for the show, for instance if it’s a festival set. 

Right, you’re stopping at Green Man Festival on this tour, yes? 

Yes, it’s really exciting. It’s my favorite festival in the UK. We played 3 years ago in the UK on a tiny stage where the whole audience was sat down and hanging out. Hopefully this year when we go back it’ll be more than 10 people, but I’m just excited to go and be back. 

I always ask this about new albums; I’m curious what your suggested cocktail pairing would be for Look Now. 

It’s funny you ask that because we did a preview night for this album a few months ago and I was thinking of doing a cocktail list. I remember writing down that it was whiskey-ish and creamy and velvety. Something with Bailey’s. Whack a bit of cinnamon in there and make it Christmas-y. 

Ah, a holiday cocktail! Very warm. Well, here’s my final question for you: who are your Ones To Watch?

My mate Molly Payton who I’ve been working with for years, I produced her album that should be coming out this year or next. I’m really excited for it, it’s really special. And then also, my mate Ella, who goes under Hollinford, is a really talented musician. She’s incredible. I discovered her last year and we’ve now become close mates. It sort of feels weird that I get to be close mates because she’s like super talented and I just feel a bit embarrassed when she comes around and plays piano in my home. 

I’m sure she feels the same about you. 

 Look Now is available now.