Lava La Rue: Renegade

MUSIC

Jul 12

I have always found Lava La Rue a chaotic explosion of creativity in the most glorious way possible. From song writing to directing they always bring the fun and different. Their latest single ‘Renegade’, an alt Sci-Fi fantasy complete with 80’s movie posters and silver super monster video, is another great romp of a fully realised self produced dream sequence. Lava La Rue spoke to us about the aim to get to a place in society where people do not need to be tropes of their authentic selves, but can create in a place where natural self experience is allowed to take over. Recognition of the self and the joy in everyday inspiration and collaboration creates their best work, and with this project and their recent tours, that is just what we’re seeing.

Your early work has been described as being more spoken word, hip-hop, beats based experimentation, why the crossover to more rock/indie/alternative styles?

I started out playing in bands before I created Lava La Rue. I was in a punk band when I was 13 and all my first songs were written on guitar. It’s funny, my mum pointed this out the other day, that people often think I’ve made the crossover to alternative but actually I’m making music like the very first songs I wrote when I was little. When I was 16 I made the cross over to Alt Hip Hop/Soul because that’s what me and my collective were up to and getting booked for whilst we were in college. In that whole time period I was still making and writing on Indie/Alternative projects, I just wasn’t releasing them. It’s nice revisiting a lot of my older song writing styles and playing with a band again after a couple years of just touring solo with a DJ. I love having a band family.

Your works as a sonic, visual and true multimedia crossover artist are inextricably linked. In the age of musical genre blurring lines does creativity start to blur outside of its genres too?

While this isn’t a new ideology, I do think over time more and more people realise they are not limited to just one role or purpose in society, especially as an artist. The idea, especially as a young creative child, that you must find that one thing you’re good at and stick to it, whether that’s a genre, or a medium to make the most money out of. The fear of dabbling in too many things and never mastering one is a shame. I’d rather experience every practice to its fullest. If you have the capacity to be passionate for it all I think there’s enough years in a lifespan to get good at it all, or simply just enjoy it without the need to be the best.

“If you have the capacity to be passionate for it all I think there’s enough years in a lifespan to get good at it all, or simply just enjoy it without the need to be the best. “

You were described as a militant political artist in your previous work ‘Butter-fly’. In terms of the visual work, ‘Renegade’ is more of a Sci Fi fantasy. Sci Fi is traditionally a comment on current society, how were you putting that trope to use in this video?

It’s interesting how all the biggest Sci Fi’s often mirror our own society’s Imperialistic history. It’s always some emperor building an army or an alien group coming to conquer and take over worlds the same way we have seen it happen in our own wars. An annihilation of many cultures. There are loads of articles about this online, one I read by Noah Berlatsky on the topic that is really good. Essentially it is about real life defendants of colonisers fantasising about themselves getting colonised by aliens. In Renegade though, I wasn’t following any political tropes. It’s just fun. Like a Sci Fi pilot episode introducing the characters and environment. There was no underlying plot, but there will be in future episodes. You’ll just have to keep watching.

I used to think ‘genreless’ was becoming a prolific thing in modern music, but now I’m starting to form the opinion that actually we’re just in a blessed time where everyone gets to research their heritage and share things via technology, and people’s work is actually like a book of their specific evolution. Where is your musical evolution at right now?

A place where I am trying to exist more and not hyper analyse it at the risk of oversaturating a very organic growth. I think if I get too in my head, this topic could easily send any artist in a hole of hyper self-awareness. Realistically my heritage and identity will always come out in my music and lyrics and art, because it’s literally my experience, which I’m always going to talk about. The more I learn the more I creatively explore the world and myself, and the product I make just gets better.

‘98 Nights’ by NiNE8 Collective just came out, how was being back with your chosen family?

I can’t say what being back with them was like because we’ve never left! Group chat is going 24/7 and we’re always linking up. 98 NIGHTS was made when we all rented a house together in the middle of nowhere to write the project, but since then we hang out/play gigs/party whenever we can. But when we drop music projects like this the rest of the world gets to see us hang out sonically or on stage at a festival, which is cool.

How does having your collective inform your evolution over say just personal creativity?

The same way anyone’s close friendship group informs your own evolution. Whether that’s from the emotional support we give each other, or party spaces we find together, or new friends and collaborators we introduce to each other. Or even just the motivation we give each other to keep going and achieving our goals. You are who you keep around you. Friends are very influential.

Someone else I interviewed recently said the amazing line “I live my life intentionally wanting to be inspired”. How do you personally research, find and stay in the ‘always’ and not just use trends?

I go outside. I understand not everyone has this, but I’m lucky to live in London where I can just go to the pub and meet someone in the smoking area and talk to an old soul about their life lesson. Then bump into a mutual friend who’s on their way to a free party, and I tag along and 4 hours later meet a director on somebody’s sofa, who recommends me a new film to watch that inspires my next video, and tells me where I can build some props from my local market. There is literally inspiration everywhere here if you care to see it. And anyone who knows me knows that’s genuinely how I operate in finding new ways to create and collaborate.

“I as a POC Queer musician will always have to answer more questions about identity politics than my straight white counterparts who get to talk more about the music.”

You directed and produced the ‘Renegade’ clip under LAVALAND, your multidisciplinary creative wonderland of a company. Recently in Glastonbury, at Heaven, and at Coachella, your live sets have been more focused on the instrumentation and the music, but comparatively your video’s are all out fantasy multi media. Is there a plan to mix these for future major shows?

I’ve always had big ideas for this. Just give me a proper production budget and I’ll blow your mind. In due time I will; right now it’s a cool projection show with the live band and I’m pretty happy with it.

You were recently named as one of Forbes 30 under 30. What difference will it make to a younger generation having a strong Black Queer musician like you to look up to?

I’m not sure if I identify as “a strong Black” Queer musician - I mean I understand why journalists label me this because I happen to be mixed/Black and Queer and was raised by strong Black women. Because of class it sure did take a lot of strength to go through the ladders of getting where I am now (which is still the start). But what I think younger generations need even more is to recognise that they shouldn’t have to be a “strong Black Queer” to be black and queer and achieve their dreams. Someone on Twitter said (in terms of black representation in film) that they, as a Black person are tired of having to choose between Black films that are centred around Black trauma, or comedy where Black characters are just racial caricatures. Whilst people are in their right to enjoy those films we need more movies where Black people, or Black Queer people, are just average characters where they happen to be QPOC but that’s not the main point of the plot. They don’t have to go through some struggle, we just deserve to enjoy seeing ourselves in different places in society. Where are the black Michael Cera typecasts, where are the Black queer Bridget Jones, or Devil Wears Prada? Just fun silly films where it’s not even about their racial struggle but they are still lead characters to appreciate and feel represented by. We’re still in a place in society that isn’t a perfect world where this is always the case, and Black Queer actors will always have to answer red carpet interviews about identity politics 10x more than their straight white counterparts who get to mostly just focus on talking about their art form the same way. I as a POC queer musician will always have to answer more questions about identity politics than my straight white counterparts who get to talk more about the music. But if me talking about and being a “strong Black Queer musician” for other people will help society get a step closer to being in that place, then I’m happy to be that person.

Who are you fanning over that we should know about at the moment?

Kara Jackson & Yves Jarvis are two Black left-field folk artists that have a writing style I can deeply relate too. They’re both amazing guitarists too. Hugh Mulhern (Irish director) has been churning out some great videos for Hak Baker. Deffo been a fan of those visuals. Very creative lad.

You’ve got Lava La Rue and Lavaland, are ever worried you’re starting a Lava cult? Also just in case you are please let me know, because I would 100% join.

I was more going for franchise that has its own community supporters but I’ll take cult.

Words by Alex Officer / See more from Lava La Rue here.