Q&A With Lyn Saga
Hey guys. Time for another interview. This time I was happy to interview singer/guitarist Lyn Saga. We talk about her musical influences and her love for Weezer. And she's not only a talented singer/guitarist she also is very bright and is studying neurodegenerative disorder, WOW! Her debut album, Venice, is out now! Get to know her a bit better below!
What made you want to pursue a music career? Was it always
the #1 thing you wanted to do for a living?
When I was
growing up I was very involved in music and loved every aspect of it from
production, writing, and performance. I have always wanted to work in
music and am currently pursuing this path, however, I do still keep a day job
that is unrelated.
How do you describe your album, Venice?
Venice is a
power pop album that is uses bright crunchy guitars and hard hitting snares to
achieve a California-rock sound. I wanted the album to exude a summer
time feel while having meaningful lyrics.
What song off the album means the most to you? Why?
All of the songs
are meaningful to me, but lyrically, I think "Venice" and "This
Way" best reveal certain aspects of my personal life that are rooted in my
past. "Venice" is about working long hours at a day job and
living for the weekend with days on the beach. I personally experienced this,
sometimes working 24-hours straight and sleeping 2 to 4 hours a night. Additionally,
"This Way" is very personal. It is a song about childhood (mine
in particular) where other peoples' expectations were very high which drove my
own expectations even higher. However, the reality is, sometimes your
plans don't turn out the way you expect or others expect. And that is what the
protagonist of the song realizes at the end.
What are your musical influences?
I listened to a
lot of Weezer growing up. A lot of my songs and the way they are written are
based on that type of song structure and lyrical composition. In terms of
guitar performance, as a child, I played a lot of classical guitar like J.S.
Bach and Handel and so there are some classical elements to some of the songs.
Additionally, in grade school, I would perform in various pit orchestras
for school productions (ie: Grease, Man of LaMancha) that was made up of lots
of syncopated rhythms, triplets, and arpeggios, so you hear a lot of that in my
music as well.
How was it working with Evan Brass? Will you work with him
again?
Evan is a great
producer and works hard to make the songs sound polished. I enjoyed
working with him because he really understood the project and my goals with
this record. I would definitely work with him again.
Are you planning any collaborations/duets?
I am in the
process of co-writing some songs with other local L.A. artists which is very
exciting. More to come on this!
With whom would you love to work with and why?
I would love to
work with Rivers Cuomo, lead singer of of Weezer or Ric Ocasek, the producer of
Weezer because the albums that they have produced have been very influential to
me as an artist.
Where would you most like to perform?
I would like to
go on tour and open for Weezer. Also, I would love to play more festivals such
as the Warped Tour. Every summer since I was a kid, I used to go to
Warped Tour with my friends and see all the great bands. I have always
wanted to play on that tour.
You’re a true DIY artist. What advice do you have for
people who want to make it in this business?
My advice
would be to never give up and to listen to the critiques of people who know and
understand music. Also, it is important to evolve as a songwriter and try
writing and playing different styles of music. It is important to give
fans something different and interesting to listen to. It helps you grow
as an artist.
What artist are you listening to on your iPod?
I really like
the band Cage the Elephant. Their latest release is energetic and has a
lot of the indie rock influence that I am drawn to.
(c) Kaley Nelson Photography |
If you weren't singing, what would you be doing?
In general, I
love discovery, creation, and dissemination of information.
In music that is
analogous to discovering universal life themes, creating a song about it, and
then recording and distributing the song. There are other sectors and job
titles that do comparable work.
I am very
interested in molecular mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders (as I am
currently a student studying that) and treatment options for those disorders.
It is very similar to the aspects of music that I enjoy: discovery,
creation, and dissemination. I enjoy contributing to the discovery of
novel treatment approaches to disease (ie: pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology,
medical devices etc.), the publication of findings, and dissemination of experimental
results. So research in this area is what I would be doing if I were not doing
music.
If you could only listen to one artist the rest of your
life, who would it be?
I would listen
to Weezer. Their earlier stuff is my favorite, however, they continue to
change and experiment with their sound and I absolutely love that.
What’s your all-time favourite 90s band?
Weezer.
Name five things you can’t live without!
1. redbull 2.
coffee 3. food 4. my phone 5. guitar
What’s your favourite song of 2013 so far?
All the songs on
my new album! haha
What’s your favourite show/series on TV right now?
I really like
the show Workaholics, it is probably the funniest show that I have ever
watched.
Ten years from now you will be….
Hopefully still
playing and writing great music.