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Interview with
LANSTAN

(February 16th, 2021)

Interviewer – Dave Bruce

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Praise for LANSTAN

“Though each of his tracks differ in their vibe, the undeniable raw talent, power, and rapid-fire lyricism that Lanstan possesses is on full display at every turn.”  Tone Deaf

“Hailing from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, 21 year old Lanstan is one of Australian hip-hop’s brightest up and comers.” Good Call Live

“The melodies in this are hard to deny, it feels bold without being too egotistical…” Triple J, Declan Byrne (‘Blueprint’, 2020)

“Lanstan has continued to build his brand and loyal following through conceptually immersive projects.” Black of Hearts

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Have you always wanted to be a musician?
Pretty much! I started writing a lot of poetry and short stories from around five years old and over time that progressed into writing songs. It was the only path in life that made any sense to me.

When did you start writing music?
It’s hard to say because the transition from writing lyrics here and there to fully recording and releasing music happened gradually but the first song I ever wrote and released was at the end of 2015.

Which music did you grow up listening to?
I had a pretty eclectic range of influences. My dad and I had a system where we took turns picking concerts to go to which was really cool for broadening both of our tastes. He took me to Talking Heads then I took him to Linkin Park. He took me to the Indigo Girls then I took him to The Fray. He showed me Eminem for the first time when I was around seven years old and I think that was a really pivotal moment in changing the direction of my life.

How has it influenced your current style? 
My current style is a lot more influenced by melodic trap but all of the music I listened to growing up helped my understanding of sound and structure and old school hip-hop was great for developing my lyricism. At the moment I’m trying to experiment as much as possible with different styles but much of my music is centred within that melodic trap space.

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How would you describe your sound?
I pride myself on my versatility. I often use heavy autotune, reverb and delays but some of my tracks are just three minutes of straight rapping and some are melodic and minimalist. Ultimately I take a song wherever I feel like it needs to go and try not to let any limitations of the genre stop that. Whether I’m screaming over a heavy, distorted bass or creating a one man a capella choir, I’ll do whatever I need to do to express myself.

Why do you think people will resonate with your music?
I think I’m a voice in Australian music that doesn’t exist right now. I have developed such an amazing connection with my fans because of my energy and my vulnerability. With every project I create, I tell a story with a world of meticulously planned concepts and themes which allow people to become fully immersed. I have a very unique opportunity to create my own brand of exciting, yet emotional trap music and shift the face of hip-hop in Australia.

Your new EP ‘VISION’ has just been released! Describe its origin and evolution. 
Vision has been in the works for over a year now. It is the sequel to my first EP Dreams and I’ve been leaving little easter eggs hinting at it for a while now. Dreams was a surreal exploration into my mind where I shared my fears and ambitions. With Vision, I’m manifesting those ambitions into reality and inviting everyone to join me on the journey.

If you could perform with any music artist, alive or dead, who would you choose? And why? 
I would love to go on tour opening for Travis Scott. I don’t know if anything could compare to that level of energy.

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What are your longer-term aspirations?
I have a lot of big goals. First and foremost I want to establish myself as one of the key players in hip-hop in Australia. But long-term I want to create festivals that showcase local talent and filter more money into the scene. I want to work with every artist that I love and take a lot of the negativity and beef out of hip-hop. I want to bend genres and connect legends of Australian music with more modern sounds. I want to help bridge the path between Australian hip-hop and the world. I want to be able to look back on my life and know that I impacted music forever.

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE
Album – Land of Pleasure – Sticky Fingers
Artist – Tame Impala
Movie – The Matrix
Place to visit – The Blue Mountains
Venue to play – I’m itching to play the Parkhouse in Mona Vale!
Food – Ravioli Pasta
Drink – Beer!
Person in History – Nelson Mandela
Tattoo – I don’t have any at the moment but I’ve always liked eyes.

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Lanstan ‘Vision’ EP is out this Friday Feb 19

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Check out LANSTAN below
Official Website – Facebook – Instagram
YouTube – Triple J Unearthed

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AMNPLIFY – DB