NESS LALONDE - Interview

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Tell us a bit about Ness Lalonde.

NESS LALONDE

Ness Lalonde is an independent, queer artist based in LA. I started making music when I was 16 - I moved from New Jersey to Paris and found music - a new way to connect to my new environment. I love climbing, watching TV and spending time in nature with my friends and little dog. :)

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Talk to us about your debut album, ' Buzzkill.'

NESS LALONDE

The idea for Buzzkill began during the pandemic. I was going through very complex and emotional challenges - finishing college, moving, falling in love... Each song in the album chronicles a different part of my life during that time, and ultimately captured the beginning and end of my first queer relationship - which inspired many lyrics in this album. Buzzkill is written and produced by myself and my best friend Chloe Corley. It's a coming of age album using 8 tracks to create a delicate sonic home - heavily inspired by the nostalgia of my childhood.  

ETHEREAL.PRESS

How is identity reflected throughout this project?

NESS LALONDE

I really grew to love myself and grow as an artist during this album. I cut my hair pretty short about halfway through production and it ultimately had a real important impact on my art. It allowed me to come into my own style and be fully myself. I started dressing more boyish and presenting androgynous. It was a really beautiful moment for me, and creating an album and singing so openly about queer love and evolving gender identity while I was experiencing both in my real life was special.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Do you view this project as social commentary and something that can help others through identity issues?

NESS LALONDE

Not particularly the whole album but I would say a few songs go in that direction. Note to Self is a song about when I went to Catholic school as a kid and was scared to come out as gay because I was conditioned to think that it was a sin. The amount of time it took me to actually accept that I was gay, was WAY too long (literally took me til' sophomore year of college). 

I do think the album as a whole captures the ups and downs of not knowing who you are yet or how you fit in or why you are the way you are. I think a lot of people struggle with how society perceives their "identity" as if we all are supposed to be a certain way. It's just not the case. and I hope this album helps others become closer with themselves, or maybe become more accepting of parts of themselves they haven't accepted yet.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Why did you decide to release a visual album alongside this release?

NESS LALONDE

Visual art was the first art medium I ever explored, and it's oftentimes the basis for any other art I make. When we were producing the album, we would reference a lot of cover art or movie stills and recreate in a sonic format. Or we would visit a place (often in nature) and ask ourselves how would this river sound if it was digitized and played by a wurlitzer?  I felt like it was important to accompany the album with the visuals that inspired most of the production. A few key visual concepts were inspired by me and Chloe's childhood - soccer fields, climbing trees, animals, nature. 

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Did isolation during the pandemic contribute to this album?

NESS LALONDE

Yes and no. I had so much more time at home to really work on the album. And I lived with my producer (Chloe Corley) so we would wake up and just start making music whenever we wanted which was great. But the isolation from the pandemic also made me really depressed sometimes, and I would have to step away from the album and reset for a few months. It took 2 whole years to finish it.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Talk to us a bit about the track Jan9th.

NESS LALONDE

Jan9th is the only instrumental track on the record and really serves as a palate cleanser in the project. Chloe and I were inspired by Florist's new album and wanted to create something that felt like solitude.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

What was your approach to art direction on this project?

NESS LALONDE

Design-wise, we took inspiration from (to name a few): Justine Kurland's "Girl Pictures", Nick Waplington's "Living Room", Ecco2k's "PXE", Frank Ocean "Blonde"

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Can you speak on some of your favourite collaborations outside of music?

NESS LALONDE

Definitely my favorite collaboration has been with my sister, founder and CEO of New York Jewelry Brand Beepy Bella, Isabella Lalonde. I made a 30-minute soundtrack which was released in tandem with a Beepy Bella fairytale book and we pressed it onto vinyl. The vinyls sold out pretty quickly which made me feel really proud. I've done a few more collaborations with my sister since, ranging from promo work to playlist curation and photographing for live events, featured in Vogue, Nylon, Flaunt, and Hypebae.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

What's next for Ness Lalonde?

NESS LALONDE

We're making merch for the album!! We're printing t-shirts at my friend Bobby's house and those will be available at the end of August. I also plan on performing this year or early next year - just have to work up the courage. I've also been working on a few new songs too. Lots more to come :)

LINKS: Bandcamp - Instagram