Welcome to the first interview of a very exciting series titled 'tea and cake presents...', where we talk with a range of incredible up and coming indie artists. This time we spoke with Laurence Foster (better known as 'alderman'), a young musician based in Sheffield. Laurence began his music venture as 'alderman' at the start of quarantine back in march, and has recently released his first single 'northern slopes' on Spotify. Taking inspiration from the likes of The Smiths, Her's and Jack Stauber, his lofi bedroom pop style is certainly enjoyable. I took this opportunity to ask Laurence about his creative process, the impact of coronavirus on the music industry, his future plans and more.
Read the full interview below:
Q. Hey! First off, could you tell me a little bit about yourself?
“Hi! I’m Loz. I’m a musician based in Sheffield and am originally from Bristol. I study Politics at the University of Sheffield and started my new musical venture and first solo project ‘alderman’, at home in Bristol during the first lockdown in March. I am hoping to study abroad next year, bringing alderman along with me wherever I end up.”
Q. How would you best describe your sound?
“I try to avoid labels when talking about my sound but I would probably best describe it as lofi indie pop. This style has come less from creative choices, but more due to the constraints of having a tiny desk and recording space in my moldy student room. I always try to incorporate catchy hooks within my tunes and as my first instrument, guitar usually takes a leading role within my music. Recently however I have tried to experiment more, writing songs exclusively on keyboard or by giving the bass a greater role within the song.”
Q. What inspired you to start making music?
“I grew up surrounded by a wide variety of music. As the youngest of 5 children I not only got to hear classics like the Cure from my parents but also bands like the Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and Vampire Weekend at an early age. My sister Fran would always compiled ‘mega mixes’ for car journeys to the Lake District, providing new and old music for my younger self to absorb. I think I never viewed myself as as academic as my siblings growing up, which somewhat played into my decision to pick up guitar. I knew I loved music and I relished the challenge of teaching myself something that allowed me to recreate the songs I enjoyed listening to so much. I remember vividly learning almost all the songs off Jack Buggs debut album in my attic room as a teenager, playing a beat up old acoustic my sister had bought for a fiver. That independence and do it yourself attitude has always been important to me.”
Q. Who are your biggest musical inspirations and why?
“As a teenager I was massively into the Smiths, as all teenage wannabe indie guitarists are. This is certainly reflected in the songs of my first band Waved Albatross, with the guitar lines being jiggle jangle melodies washed in chorus and reverb. Since then I have certainly broadened my horizons, Her’s are a massive inspiration of mine, their jazzy chords and energy within their songs are something I draw upon greatly. Recently I have been listening to a lot of lofi artists, probably as they reflect the music I have been attempting to create, in particular JW Francis and Jack Stauber come to mind.”
Q. What is your creative process like?
“My creative process is constantly changing, especially now with alderman. With my previous band I would usually come up with a melody on guitar and build around this with lyrics and other parts that I would then present to the band. As alderman is far less structured and involves many different collaborators the creative process varies a lot. Sometimes I will have a song finished and recorded and bring in a vocalist I think my be good for it, other times I may just have an idea or theme that I want to write about and then collaborate with an artist more from scratch. When working with my good friend and musician Louey Kliener, we often go into a recording session with no direction and just see where it takes us. The results may not always be a coherent song but that’s not the point, it is worth it just for the enjoyment more than anything.”
Q. Tell me about your latest single. What is it about and what was your inspiration behind it?
“Northern Slopes was written in the summer of 2019, just after I had returned from travelling. I was pretty broke and was working at a GP’s surgery in Bristol, which felt pretty mundane after the excitement of globe trotting. I would walk through a small patch of green called the ‘northern slopes’ on my way to and from work, I always found it a strange place as it was in such a residential area, but I always welcomed it after a mind numbing shift in the office. I found myself walking through this place again daily as I returned to work at the GP’s during lockdown. I found the themes of repetition and everyday life just passing by in the song became more poignant, which prompted me to revisit and finally record the track.”
Q. Do you feel as if quarantine affected your creative process/drive and how easy has it been to get back to ‘normal’?
“If anything, quarantine increased my creativeness. I think with normal life there is so much going on especially whilst studying, finding the time and energy to create was difficult. During the first lockdown I had little else to do outside of my studies apart from create. I wrote the song I'm most proud of ‘‘hairdressers in berlin’ during this period. My output over those 3-4 months was probably the highest its ever been. I hope when we return to normality, I’ll remember to make the time to create like I did during lockdown.”
Q. How do you feel about the way artists and the music industry has been pushed aside by the government during this pandemic?
“I am not surprised about how the government has treated creatives at all. There has never been a government, Tory or Labour, that has truly championed artists’ rights. I believe because art is so often seen as a hobby that legislation surrounding artists’ rights has always been a grey area. Especially when venues and labels are involved, small artists are so often exploited and underpaid relative to the time and money they put in. When the industry itself does not look after its own then it is no surprise the government does not either.”
Q. Do you think that artists and creatives in general should have been given more support?
“Yes. Established artists and creatives will survive this, even thrive. They have the backing of huge corporations. It is the small venues and artists that have been thrown under the bus. The government’s support packages have been pathetic, giving money to big business and tory donors, whilst neglecting smaller creative firms and artists that provide much of the culture and vibrancy to our towns and cities.”
Q. Are there any changes that you would like to see from the music industry? If so, what?
“As I mentioned previously, I think we need a government that will provide proper support and protection for creatives, understanding that although art is indeed a pastime for many, it is also a job and requires the same amount of regulation as any other sector. I think this will help change the culture of the music industry as a result.”
Q. If you could open a show for any artist dead or alive who would it be?
“I would love to have been able to open for Her’s. I saw them in Bristol before they sadly passed away, it was such an intimate, friendly and energetic performance. Speaking to them after the show they also seemed like such genuine people, it would've been a privilege to open for them.”
Q. What is something that you want listeners to take away from your music?
“I never really set out trying to make statements with my music, I just hope the songs I make can mean something to people. Different songs remind me of different times in my life or feelings I’ve felt, so I hope my songs can do that too.”
Q. And finally, where do you see yourself in ten years?
“Ideally I will still be making music, hopefully as alderman but who knows! I would love to tour nationwide at some point just for the experience so I hope to have done that by then. I can’t see myself losing interest in music anytime soon so hopefully both of these things will come to fruition.”
Thanks so much to Laurence for taking part in this interview. Make sure to check out 'northern slopes' on Spotify, and follow @alderman_music on Instagram.
Article and interview by @poppygibbss