Receiving critical acclaim for her albums The Avenues and Resistor and contributing to the HBO series True Detective, Lera Lynn has made great strides as an independent artist in the past few years. I sat down today to talk to her about her upcoming show at the Hi-Fi.
Jacob Click: You and your co-producer, Joshua Grange, played nearly every instrument on Resistor. How have you translated your newest album into a live show?
Lera Lynn: We play as a four piece band. Two electric guitars, drums, and bass. And the band’s great. Obviously you have to change things a little bit for a live situation. I personally enjoy that a lot, when you hear a song a certain way on the record and then you go see the song live. You see that everyone is actually playing the instruments, and you know the band has adjusted the arrangements for the live show.
JC: Have you ever played any shows in Indy?
LL: Yes! We played at the Hi-Fi like a year and a half ago as a duo, so this time we’re bringing the full band. It was great. They were super nice people, really laid back. They took great care of us, and they have great beer. What more could you need?
JC: What do you enjoy most about being on tour?
LL: At first it’s really exhausting, and it can almost make you angry. Just being so tired and having to look great and sound great and perform. You know so much of your energy goes out to the audience when you perform. But then you kind of hit your stride. I think my favorite thing about it is when you get to perform in front of an audience that gives the energy back to you. And no matter how tired you are, it can completely reinvigorate you. And it will keep you going for days, if not more.
JC: What are you currently listening to while on the road?
LL: You know what, I just discovered the new record by Andy Shauf. He’s amazing. He’s from Regina, Canada and I am totally smitten with his record. I can’t stop listening to it.
JC: You’ve had a lot of success as an independent artist in the past few years–TV appearances, critically acclaimed albums, and multiple tours. Where do you see your career going next?
LL: Ultimately, fans are the ones who make or break a musician’s career. So fans have gotten me to the place where I am now. They’ve enabled me to remain independent. And it’s just so crucial to keep building each market and getting new fans to make this career sustainable. There’s no entity pumping money into it. We get by literally through ticket sales. So that’s what I’m focused on–growing the fan base and just trying to spread the music as far and wide as possible.
