Lost And Sound

Loraine James

• Paul Hanford • Episode 163

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Loraine James is one of the most forward-thinking artists in electronic music today. Her sound is instinctive, fluid, and deeply personal—whether she’s crafting glitchy, jazz-infused beats, bending genre expectations on Hyperdub, or exploring mood and texture through her Whatever the Weather project.

In this episode of Lost and Sound, Loraine talks about her approach to making music without rigid plans, letting emotion and instinct guide the process. She shares insights into the creative freedom that shapes her work, from improvisation to embracing imperfections in her own way. We also dive into the personal themes in her music, including the deeply moving 2003, a track that reflects on loss and memory.

With a new Whatever The Weather album out now on Ghostly International, Loraine talks about the balance between control and spontaneity, how she navigates external expectations without compromising her sound, and why she’s never been interested in fitting into any one scene. Thoughtful, open, and refreshingly down-to-earth, I feel we got a rare look into the mindset of an artist constantly pushing her own boundaries.

If you’re enjoying Lost and Sound, please do subscribe and leave a rating or review on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you listen. It really helps to spread the word and support Lost and Sound.

Loraine James on Instagram

Whatever The Weather on Bandcamp

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Lost and Sound is sponsored by Audio-Technica

My BBC World Service radio documentary “The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall” is available now on BBC Sounds. Click here to listen.

My book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culturet Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more. 

Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins


Speaker 1:

Lost in Sound is the podcast where we get deep into the minds of innovative artists shaping music today and in a few minutes. You're about to hear a conversation I had with one of the most prominent electronic music artists of the last decade. Loraine James is on the show today. But before we get going, a shout to my sponsor, audio-technica, the global but family-run company that make headphones, turntables, cartridges, microphones. They made the headphones that I'm wearing right now as I'm speaking to you on a street in berlin. They make studio quality yet affordable products because they believe that high quality audio should be accessible to all. So, wherever you are in the world, head on over to audio technicacom to check out all of their range of stuff. Okay, so let's do the show. Thank you, hello and welcome to episode 163 of Lost in Sound.

Speaker 1:

I'm Paul Hanford, I'm your host, I'm an author, a broadcaster and a lecturer, and Lost in Sound is the weekly podcast where I chat with an artist who works outside the box, from global icons to trailblazing outsiders and emerging innovators. We talk music, creativity and perhaps that most daunting part of being an artist the praxis of life. Previous guests on the show included Peaches, Suzanne Cianni,Jim O'Rourke, Cosi Fanni Tutti, Mykki Blanco and Thurston Moore. And today I'm speaking with Loraine James, who's just released an album under her alias Whatever the Weather and more of that shortly. But first, honestly, I think Loraine James is one of the most important electronic artists to emerge in the last decade. And it's not just because she's built up a really impressive string of albums, eps, singles and collaborations or that she's one of the few prominent queer black women in electronic music. For me, I think it's about how she's found ways to carve her individuality more and more into her work over over over the last 10 years.

Speaker 1:

And this is echoing something that steve goodman said about her work. Steve Goodman

Speaker 1:

, better known as code nine and also the boss of hyperdub, hyperdub having released lorraine's three most recent albums as well as a collaborative EP, he said that Lorraine's music has an honesty and melancholy to it, and I'm just going to directly quote here. He says I think her fans really relate to the fact that there is an intimacy that you are being invited into her world, end quote. Think it's that intimacy and that directness that Loraine gets, sometimes through field recordings, sometimes through the way she uses instruments or her voice or other people's voices, that add a totally unique emotional depth and ambition across her work and you only have to hear a gentle confrontation to sort of really really feel that, in my opinion. So she just released whatever the weather volume two under the whatever the weather moniker, kind of an alias, for more impressionistic, inward reflecting work that lorraine makes, and it's kind of ambient. Although I wouldn't call it ambient myself. It is filed under and if you go and search for it under apple music is is the description is ambient, but I wouldn't really describe it as that. I mean, labels are labels. Labels are just going to be like there. Labels are just like stamping some like a price on something in a supermarket. But whatever, I think it's a really, really great record and I really really enjoyed having this conversation which you're about to hear.

Speaker 1:

But before we get going, as always, lost in sound is a one-person operation I'm super lucky to get sponsorship for from audio technica um for making these episodes. But all of the research, all of the editing, all of the interviewing, the putting out, that's all just done by me. So if you, if you appreciate what I do, give it, give it a subscribe um. If you really really appreciate what I do, give it, give it a subscribe. Um, if you really really appreciate what I do, leave a review and a rating on your podcast platform, on Apple, on Amazon, on Spotify, wherever you. Wherever you listen to the show, it really, really, really does help, and I'm super appreciative of every lesson.

Speaker 1:

Um, yeah, so back to Loraine James. So in our conversation conversation, we go pretty deep into her creative process. We get I really wanted to kind of ask her about this kind of rawness and intimacy. Um, and that's what happens. It was a really fun chat. We had it on the 26th of February 2025. The recording quality is a bit iffy here. Um, lorraine sounds fantastic, but it's just on my end. I don't know what went wrong. Um, maybe I'd had too much coffee before we started doing the interview. Um, it's a little bit tinny on my end. Just to give you a little bit of a bit of a pre-warning into that. But yeah, this is what happened when I met lorraine james. Thanks so much for joining me today and welcome to lost and sound. How are you doing? How's your year sort of so far?

Speaker 2:

yeah, it's been pretty all right. I don't know, I think it's, it's. Yeah, I don't know. I feel like it's still pretty early in the year to figure out how it's gonna be in shape yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean.

Speaker 1:

So you've had like a really remarkable run of releases in like I mean it's coming up for a decade now, but it's still like a really comparatively short releases in like I mean it's coming up for a decade now, but it's still like a really comparatively short amount of time. Um, for the amount of work that you've done, I mean, how do you feel? Is that these sort of like really particular ways, looking back over this last decade, that you feel like your approach to making music has has changed the most?

Speaker 2:

yeah, definitely, I think. Uh, I mean, I I always like to keep it interesting I'm definitely was figuring things out a lot more like, um, I wasn't really planning to like produce music, other than I kind of just learned on like a midi keyboard. But I never learned how to, you know, produce something in the computer until I was like 16, and so just trying to figure that out and trying to combine influences together was a bit difficult like. But I think I'm definitely more certain in what I do and yeah, sometimes I listen back to my old stuff and think I don't know like you learn new things when you're making stuff. You learn new things about yourself and I think one thing I also I think my older stuff was definitely less personal, I think as well, and so I guess because of a lot of electronic music, you kind of sometimes you don't hear a voice or sometimes you don't really I don't know, it depends.

Speaker 1:

And um, I don't know, I think I've just kind of been challenging that more in the recent years and stuff yeah, I'd love to dive in a little bit and ask you a bit more about this, the personalness that comes from your music. But I think one thing that you mentioned there was about, like you know, when you started off, you're literally starting off figuring stuff out. I mean I feel like um, I mean every artist has different approaches, but is there a sense of that, like you know, the more you get you know, the more kind of uh I don't want to use the word professional because it sounds so weird, but you know, the more you know acclimatized, you get um to like, say, like the software and the industry, and also like understanding, like your own, the work that you've done. Is there like a sense of trying to find ways to keep, I guess, like the kind of like the creativity that comes out of not really knowing stuff too well?

Speaker 2:

um, yeah, that's that is very important to me.

Speaker 2:

I think, also, when I do start each project, I don't like to know what it's going to be.

Speaker 2:

I don't like to have a plan or an idea, I just like to kind of just step in and see where myself, my mood takes me kind of thing, uh, because I feel like it would just become quite rigid and I feel like it just wouldn't allow me, yeah, my moods to flow.

Speaker 2:

I don't know, I feel that could have to be, yeah, but I think, yeah, as I said, I always definitely want to keep it new, and I know I am definitely a bit conscious of it because I've released like so much uh, that it's maybe harder to keep things like newer to a listener. So I'm very aware of that, which I don't want to be aware of that, but I am aware because I also don't want that to dictate on what I make. But also also, at the same time, my music listening has definitely gotten much more broader, and so, or I even circle back to stuff from when I was younger and just interpret that in a different way. So I always feel like I'm doing something different, for myself at least, which is the main thing I don't want to be bored, ever making something.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, I like what you're saying about not having a fixed idea, at least, which, which is the main thing, I don't want to be bored ever making something. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I like what you're saying about not having a fixed idea. Is that kind of connected to as well, like second guessing yourself what can happen when you know we kind of maybe look at what other people think of our sound?

Speaker 2:

yeah, definitely when I, when I have had an idea or something or listen to something, oh, I'd really like to make something inspired by this or this, and when I do and obviously it doesn't sound like it, I get like a bit frustrated and like, oh, this is rubbish or whatever, and so I really just try and leave that out the window and sort of let's just see what I make today, and even if it's like, even if I'm at the computer for three minutes and it's rubbish and I just turn the laptop off, that's fine. You know, I also like to keep it very low pressure for myself. So there's like times where I don't make music for months sometimes, and then there's times where it's like ten minutes a day or like two hours. But I also really try and not make it feel like a job and something I have to do and has to be a routine that I I feel like something creative, like that for me shouldn't be a routine, um, so I also really make sure I don't do any of that kind of thing yeah, I.

Speaker 1:

I definitely it's very subjective thing to say, but I definitely relate to. I know that I myself am not always, I don't always have ideas all of the time. I don't think any human I mean some humans maybe do quite jealous of the people that do. Maybe I'm not. Maybe it's good to just not have ideas sometimes, just maybe go out and do other stuff, like get into cooking or something, or seeing friends.

Speaker 2:

That, honestly, is equally as important to also even just like going out to shows and stuff. But yeah, I think just, yeah, I don't know, I, I really, when I've, when I have, I don't know, told myself to maybe make a bit more routine out of it, I, I I'm like, no, I just, I just you have the one day and we're like I can't be asked.

Speaker 2:

I think, because when I sort of tell myself I have to do something, sometimes I really like I don't know yeah, yeah, I'll do it tomorrow yeah, exactly because, like oh 10 am, I have to feel like this way, so I have to feel like in the mood it's like whatever you know.

Speaker 1:

So let me just, let me just see, yeah it reminds me of like planning a birthday party, like you know, based on like a spontaneous party that he had once and it's gonna go. We're gonna do exactly the same thing again and it's just never the same. You're always there waiting for people to turn up or worried about like something going wrong, and it's never. It's like recapturing an atmosphere can never really be pretty much.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I'm not much of a planner generally.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I agree with that 100 I mean, I've been really getting into whatever the weather, volume two, um. And is there, is there a sort of way that you decide like, um, because you know you have the work that you release under your own name, and then the work is whatever the weather. I mean, how do you decide what is what initially?

Speaker 2:

um, I think this one was much more simpler because I made sure not to like write a lorraine thing simultaneously volume one. I wrote it whilst writing Reflection, which which I think there was like one song or two which I ended up I was like, no, actually this is for whatever the weather and this. But this time I was more sort of set on what I wanted it to be in terms of like. I wanted it to be like kind of less like beats led kind of thing or like used in different ways anyway, kind of a more minimal kind of approach and maybe a bit more traditionally ambient in a way. I think. Um, but um, yeah, I just made sure to clear any Lorraine kind of thoughts.

Speaker 2:

I actually much more enjoyed making this album, I think because I think the first time around I didn't really know what I wanted it to be or anything. I think, yeah, this time around I have more of an idea.

Speaker 2:

Is it quite freeing knowing that you don't have to do a Lorraine release, for example yeah, yeah, there's definitely less pressure also, I guess you know, I think, um, yeah, I guess it's like less, less expectation, less pressure and, yeah, definitely more freeing, like even making it it's sort of more freeing and less like, yeah, restraints and like, or I definitely, yeah, I like to keep it like featureless, just myself as well, because I guess Lorraine is more collaborative.

Speaker 2:

And I don't know, I think I played, like I played one show at Café Otto last year. It was whatever the weather, and like I don't know, I was really thinking to myself how much I really kind of enjoy like doing live shows as that and just sort of I sit down and I don't know just much slower, and like I don't know, I was like, oh, I kind of want to do this more, because I initially said to myself I don't want to play it live. Really, at first I didn't even want people to know it was Lorraine actually, um, but this time around I kind of, yeah, wanted it to stand more on its own two feet and like, here I am, here it is, and but it's very low-key also like I'm not yeah yeah, yeah, I mean I love the thing about like initially not wanting people to know it's you, but then I guess it's like people accept that you know you can be this and you can also be that you know.

Speaker 1:

And I was really interested about like the weather titles as well, like the degrees celsius is that? Is these like directly connected in a way to the?

Speaker 2:

songs in terms of like, uh, what does this feel like? Kind of thing. Just kind of like each song title has like an asterisk next to it. In a sense of that it could be named 12 degrees, but actually if I listen to it now it could be like could feel like four degrees to me. You know, I I always kind of I think everyone music kind of don't like it to be. Oh, it's just this one thing and that's it. So, um, yes, it says 12 degrees or whatever, but it can mean whatever to you. But um, yeah, I was just kind of like at the moment kind of thing. So I I because I feel like if I listen to it a number of times, it would be like all over the place in terms of thing. So I I because I feel like if I listen to it a number of times, it would be like all over the place in terms of temperature.

Speaker 1:

So I make sure, just kind of doing a quiet sitting and that is it kind of thing yeah, I mean, there's something almost like synesthetic about it as well, like kind of giving it like a temperature. It's like having like a little album sleeve for each track in a way, because it's like you know, my mind just automatically associates like a kind of a heat or a temperature with each one, yeah, someone.

Speaker 2:

Someone said I should go into the minuses or like decimals. But I said I think decimals look, because they said, oh, like lorraine's gonna run out of uh temperature degrees soon, it's like. And then I was saying about decimals and I said I think that would look ugly, that would be too micro for me. I just, I was like maybe minus, yes, but yeah also like. I feel like I could use the same number again. I don't feel, as that's off the table either, so no there are no rules about these things, really oh no, there's just like.

Speaker 1:

There's just things of going like, oh, is that weird?

Speaker 2:

no, no, I mean why no one's made a rule saying you can't do that I, I thought about like having it as Fahrenheit, but then I was like I was like I don't want to make it like America Cause. I was like why? Yeah, I would just keep it Celsius. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I always get confused when, um when I speak with an American friend and they say the Fahrenheit, I'm like this is, you know, this is 56 degrees.

Speaker 2:

And I'm like that, what?

Speaker 1:

no, it's not yeah, I don't even know that. Yeah, I really don't know what that means. Yeah, yeah, definitely everyone. Let everyone have their own, their own way of doing it. I mean, there's a track on it, like a track, uh, 12 degrees, and I and I love there's a bit.

Speaker 1:

I love it where it just switches to this guitar, you know, and it's got these like sort of really wonky synths and it just cuts to this guitar.

Speaker 1:

And it struck me, is just like in terms of how I appreciate your music, like it has this connection to like intimacy that sometimes, like on previous work, you've kind of explored with your voice. But this just feels like you know the guitar's, just like it's almost like someone just trying some notes or you know something like that. And and it connects with something like, like the Hyperdub boss, code Nine, said about your music, that how your fans connect to this intimacy that you you have, that invites people into your world and I was wanting to just ask you a few questions about that. Like I mean, you mentioned a little bit about it beforehand, but like I think it could be quite scary putting our own intimacy into our music. You know, what was your process like for you in terms of like reaching points where you can feel like you can like leave like really intimate, very close kind of connections in there in your music.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I've never expected it to happen. I think it's sort of come with age, but also just sort of like sitting back and reflecting on my life and and maybe like also like not processing things. I also sometimes like keep things bottled in, and so it's also like well, if I don't talk about it, I gotta kind of like get out another way. And so I think really in the pandemic, that really was kind of the the turning point, I think. I think as I've gotten older, I've gotten more like emotional like and and sort of yeah, in ways, less less afraid, yeah, less afraid to show feelings, less afraid to express if I'm happy about something or like annoyed about something, etc. Also, and and even just trying out new things. I think, yeah, I used to be more scared to sing on my stuff, you know. I think it's more now, but I think almost something like this part. It's like I know I can't sing, I'm not really. I'm not really trying to be a singer. You know I do it because I like to sing.

Speaker 2:

I was singing in my room when I was a child, when I was a teenager, so why not put that in my music? And I've always liked guitars. I always liked guitar music. I can't play guitars at all and I bought one a couple of years ago and it's just there a lot of the time. But I was like why don't I just record this in three separate takes. One me plucking here when we fucking there and just like, and then like, let's see, you know, um, I really like the sound of the guitar. Oh yeah, I'm so bad, it hurts my fingers, I don't know any technique or what.

Speaker 2:

I don't really care to I think I don't care about using things properly or well. I think there's also laziness and I can't be asked like like tutorials and stuff to suck the fun out of it and like whether it's from like video games or I'd rather just like dive in and just figure it out. So I always like to sort of yeah, maintain that when I'm making things as well yeah, so you've never been one for like Ikea manuals no, I get so stressed out.

Speaker 1:

I actually yeah so much, yeah, no, no yeah, I mean, I can definitely relate to that. Like I think I don't really play music now, but when I did like I didn't, you know, I just figured out what worked for me, you know, and um, but there's, there's a lot of pressure though, like you know, I think, in different depending on, I guess, in what music circles people are into, sort of like have like conventional standards, you know, be able to have you ever like experienced that in in in your music career, like sort of um, where there is, like you know, maybe like there's a producer that sort of has like a very, very set way of doing things or like a very sort of set standards in the industry uh, I think I'm a bit lucky where I don't run into that too hard because I think I can kind of make whatever and people at least some people would get it or some people would understand like I'm influenced by many different things.

Speaker 2:

So you know, there's going to be a slow IDM R&B track and then the next would be like a drill track, for example, but like I think maybe some other artists might not possibly possibly be able to do that without people being like this isn't normal, isn't the techno record I was expecting or whatever. But I think I think with me I think it's definitely helped. Doing like the like random band camp releases and stuff where there's always something different from a project, I think I'm able to maybe sometimes incorporate that into like my actual albums and I think even when I do like NTS shows and I show into, I think people kind of can get where I'm coming from. So I think I'm luckier than some and I think in playing the guitar really poorly or singing poorly, I mean I've seen a few things saying about my voice and like there's like a people like it, people don't, which is which is fine, because I'm not, I'm not.

Speaker 2:

I also like not doing it for you kind of thing. Yeah, um, so which, which is really what I tried? Yeah, make sure that I maintain that as well. So I'm just like I'm just trying out whatever, and if you like it, cool, if you don't, it's also cool, kind of thing. But I think, yeah, I'm lucky that I can, lucky that I can kind of move around a little bit.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

More than maybe the other electronic producers, I think.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, I mean I personally love the track 2003. Like the vocals on that are just so like nice and I really love that the rawness and the intimacy and just like there's such a sort of direct sense of when I listen to it, sort of connection to like. This is a person making music, you know, without necessarily going. This is a person trying to make a sort of like R&B record or an EDM record.

Speaker 1:

This is a person just just making music yeah and do you feel like I mean, I mean, and it as it's going back to that kind of idea of the personal connection, and that tune particularly does feel so personal? Do you ever feel like you? Maybe have you put something out that has felt too personal?

Speaker 2:

no, because I like, I think also I like to keep it kind of vague in ways.

Speaker 2:

So like 2003,. Obviously it's about my dad passing and stuff. I don't go into detail about everything. I always like to retain a bit of stuff for myself. But also, like I like people to have their own interpretations of songs as well. I don't like a song being so obvious in what it's trying to say necessarily, yeah, no, I don't think. I mean, I was at first, I was, and even like the cars with the grandparents when I was, I was like oh, maybe, but also like I don't know, I haven't conversations with my mom. We sort of cried about it. It was really nice and we just sort of had like an intimate and stuff and yeah, I think I think it's like worth it. I think I find it quite like benefit, like, yeah, worth it to be vulnerable, um, yeah yeah, so is it.

Speaker 1:

I mean thank you for sharing that, like you know, because this is all about, like, people's lives, you know. So I appreciate you sharing that, you know, and um, but that thing about, like you know, making a piece of work and then actually having a knock-on effect in terms of like, uh, you know, having a conversation with your family about it, you know, it's like, um, it's really amazing that you can do stuff and then it actually has this sort of outside of music effect, you know, yeah, like a process yeah, exactly like, uh, I think.

Speaker 2:

I think, yeah, I was. I was like particularly very, very young when it happened. So there's, in a way, there's not a lot of talking, there's not a lot of understanding. Even so, I think, you know, being like that 20, 20 plus years later and stuff, and us being able to have more open conversations with each other, I think, yeah, it's been, it's been really nice. So, yeah, and like my mum was like like I don't ever really share my mum music before it comes out, she sort of hears it with everyone else. So she was like surprised but like in sort of like, uh, yeah, like not not in a bad way or anything, but yeah, it was nice that we sort of had a chat as well and stuff.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, yeah, is your mom a fan?

Speaker 2:

mom's like the number one fan. If you go any of like my music videos, things, she's like the top comment over there. Like it's been noted by a few people, sometimes they're like oh, your mom commented and I was like, okay, cool, oh, she's a big fan, which which I'm actually very grateful for. Yeah, because I know a lot.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, like some people aren't fortunate but, yeah, my mum's always been like a supporter of me doing music. She was the one who even suggested to me that I go to college to do music production, which I've never done in my life. Um. So yeah, without her sort of making that decision, I honestly don't know what I'd be doing, to be honest.

Speaker 1:

So, yeah, I'm always very thankful for her yeah, so you grew up in North London, yeah yeah, yeah what, what was it like? So your mum was really encouraging, but what was like sort of what were you like your early musical experiences? Did you? Was there like a sort of epiphany that you had, or like a kind of? Was there like a really early music point where you went? Yes, this is something that is really real for me.

Speaker 2:

To be honest, I mean, like my mum like plays still pan, and she'd been playing it for many years. Right, I grew up. I grew up always playing like music around the house, like yeah, queen, or like Circa Calypso and stuff. So I'd always like yeah had music around me. And then she signed me up to do keyboard piano lessons when I was six, six years old, but like I really enjoyed it it, but I never was like, oh, I want to be a musician. I guess, like at the time I think I wanted to be a footballer.

Speaker 2:

At one point I was really into football and then I loved wrestling. I was like, lol, don't want to be a wrestler, I mean also, no, it was possible, but I was like you know, um, so it was more like maybe a footballer kind of thing and it was only to me. I was really when I like did bad on my gcses and I was like, okay, well, what do I do now? Like I got a b in my. I got a b in music, which was fine, but it was more sort of like classical-ish, more traditional type thing, um, which I didn't massively enjoy, to be honest. But I didn't know anything about a DAW or any of that. So I learned from fresh when I was 16. And yeah, that was sort of more when I started listening to electronic music as well. So, yeah, I don't know sort of more when I started listening to electronic music as well.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, I don't know, it's kind of it was only really until maybe a couple years into college, I think, when I was like I don't know, you kind of just think it's impossible, you like you kind of go in knowing that having a music degree is pointless, right, like it doesn't really get you anywhere, like, yeah, when I, when I finished uni, like had to be degree and it doesn't, like I worked at the o2 for a bit, I took greg's for a bit, like it doesn't really. But I think when I started to go to more gigs and like um had we had a module in uni about we have we had to do a show in london and I was like okay, and I was like how on earth would I ever like play this live? Because I've never. I don't really see, I don't know.

Speaker 2:

So I think I found some like four tech tutorial something and I thought I was like okay, so I got a little launch pad, innovation launchpad thing that I still use to this day, and I was like, okay, cool. And then, yeah, I just started going to like a lot of electronic musician shows, like yeah, shigeto or other people and then I sort of like, okay, yeah, I was like really into the idea of of like doing something with it, but yeah, you just know, it's like kind of impossible kind of thing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah but you feel like you know, because it's not saying about, like you've known it's impossible but you feel like feeling that has meant that you've been maybe less afraid to kind of cross like sonic boundaries. You know, because I know like your influences range from, like you mentioned about calypso, and you know, like it's quite known that you know you're a bit of a deftones fan in the past and you know, I mean, do you feel like like because I, you know, like it's quite known that you know you're a bit of a deftones fan in the past and you know, I mean, do you feel like like because I, you know, maybe you have this feeling, um, that it's meant that you've been a bit more free with how you've been able to approach music?

Speaker 2:

yeah, I think so. I think, like, even when I was at college, I think my stuff was quite different from everyone. Like, in a way, it was sort of because I was trying to incorporate let's play like you'd play at the midi guitar sounds which sound really bad, so I'd incorporate that in, like these these poorly done, glitchy sort of tracks I was making when I was like 17 and it just was not working. So it was a lot of figuring it out, but that was what I was trying to make and I was like, okay, I need to ditch these midi guitar, they're just not a second.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, definitely like trying to figure out my sounds and stuff definitely was. Yeah, it took a few years, for sure, uh, but I think it was, yeah, quite a funny, fun time to just try and shove everything I was inspired by, like, yeah, the first couple of years, uh, yeah, that's great but yeah, but yeah, it's allowed me to sort of circle back around to that now even and like incorporate it differently or ask someone to play a guitar or something. Yeah, 16 year old me and 29 year old me is quite different, so there's still like a free kind of approach with things, but I guess I'm I'm better in know what I'm doing, kind of thing.

Speaker 1:

So right, yeah, and I've. I mean, and I guess, another way of like I'm not enough way of looking at it, but like on a sort of related but different um, when it's like, because it is like.

Speaker 2:

You know, I think the first EP came out in 2015 yeah, I had some like band stuff that I took down when people started.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, oh yeah, I mean um. I was speaking with um the the guest slick back. It was my guest because a few weeks ago he was still saying how he sometimes sneaks up in the middle of the night, takes down band camp tunes like, retweaks them a little bit and puts them back up, you know oh, okay, I've never I like, I like that, but I also like just like what it was is what it was like.

Speaker 2:

I think two years ago I I went back into like an old usb and put up some tracks from 2014 to 2016, um, so yeah, very early years of Loraine producing and I don't think some of them as bad as I remembered, but yeah, they're definitely like their own thing. But I'm also like here it was, here it is, like you know, I think. I think it's nice to look back and you know what, what you do and stuff, but yeah, that's quite jokes.

Speaker 1:

I think it's also, like I think you know, compared to like three digital internet days like we, um, where I feel like now we, we have this thing where that I don't think there's such a preciousness about like each album being like the most defining statement or each release being the most defining statement, you can put things up a bit more now that are just like yeah, I'm not trying to say this is like the defining version of the artist that I am, it's just, this is something I did, so it's going online now, you know yeah public archive.

Speaker 2:

You know yeah, yeah, yeah, like, definitely like. Um, yeah, like that's where the band camp side of me is like very important, because, yeah, I started out on band camp pretty much and like so I like to make you know three tracks in a day and I'll just upload it. I just made this in a few hours, guys, not that deep, it's not about my life, it's just this, you know. And then sometimes I go back to them like, oh, that drum beat, I mean it's actually really sick. I might actually use it for, you know, a proper thing. But, um, I don't know, when I'm like really really relaxed like that, sometimes I yeah make stuff that sometimes even prefer than I did on an actual project, you know, because I'm just like really like this is no pressure, no stakes, kind of thing. But yeah, I really like it being sort of like a public archive as well of the stuff that I felt or did at that moment as well. So, yeah, the band camp side of it is very important.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah. And I guess what is your relationship with how you feel about like acclaim Because you know you've had such you become like really prominent voice and does that feel? I mean, I feel like anyone that is an artist has a very sort of complicated relationship with like you know, how the external world like receives their stuff and like things like you know, I think sometimes like a claim can be as weird to deal with as like bad reviews you know, um, but I mean, how does it relate for you?

Speaker 2:

You know everyone probably say try not to like, think about it, you know. But obviously you do a bit. I mean like with for you and I like my first proper release. I wasn't expecting anything like I'm making this record that I don't know. I was working out of school like let me just get with my day, kind of thing, and then it was number one in the wire. I was like oh, okay, cool, not the why the choir, sorry um, and I was like, okay, cool. And then I did reflection, not also really thinking about reviews, and then that did really well. I was like, oh shit, okay cool, like you know, and yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 2:

They're definitely like you think about it. Like with gentle competition, I definitely was thinking about it a bit. I was like, I think with that record I definitely felt most proud. I think I was like, yeah, I'm really like poor and my life out here doesn't mean it shouldn't wait to attend. No, I definitely not. But I also kind of never thought of my stuff, my work, in that way, in a sense of actually, I think this is pretty decent, like you know, like I'm not yeah, I think I don't usually big myself up too much. I was like, actually I think this is good. Um, so, yeah, I definitely, I don't know, I really yeah, I I think we, I don't know it's annoying because it doesn't even matter at the end of the day, or sometimes it does, I don't know it's, it's uh, I try and keep it there.

Speaker 2:

When I'm making music, I do manage to keep it over there. It's obviously like in the campaign or whatever. Then you're like, oh, what's pitchfork gonna say, leave it at four, you know, but I mean it doesn't matter. But you, yeah, when, when it comes to being being out, you I do care a bit for sure. Like I, I look, yeah, no, I do look, yeah, even like, even, um, like the fans or just people that like you know, uh, what's that site? Like rate your music and stuff, like I check I.

Speaker 1:

I'd check a lot, you know.

Speaker 2:

But but also, like, I'm just more curious, like, um, like I saw someone say about for you and I about, uh, the order, the sequencing of glitch, bitch I think, and london ting, like they don't make sense together. And I was thinking, I know they don't make sense together. It's kind of like I put them together on purpose to sort of like just, oh, I feel random today. Let me just you know, so it's interesting because, um, but yeah, I think it's good to always, I think it's good to read good critique and bad critique. You know you can't, you can't always hear good, you can't always hear bad either, but I'm always interested in what people say, um, especially, especially not necessarily reviewers, to be as more just like regular shmegular people, you know, yeah, yeah I think that's a really healthy thing to do, because it's not, you know, putting work out means that it's it's not in a vacuum.

Speaker 1:

Once it's out there, you know, and it's just like interesting to you know, like, whether we take anything away from it or not, it's good to just like it's out there, you know, and it's just like interesting to you know, like, whether we take anything away from it or not, it's good to just like. It's like having some kind of conversation with something that we've done, I think is it's kind of a healthy thing, you know.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I remember when I put my book out, um, the first review that came in was terrible. Like, the other reviews were fine, but the first review was just like I really like.

Speaker 1:

You know those sort of feelings where you can't really eat afterwards, like it's just like the whole day I was like almost getting run over because I wasn't looking where I was going, crossing the road, and then, like a day later it was like okay, come on, paul, it's just like one guy, you know. It's like yeah, really doesn't matter. But for a day I was just like, oh no, this is what everyone thinks, but it was just like one guy it's always that one out of like 20 isn't.

Speaker 2:

It is that one yeah it's so, it's not. Yeah, I don't know why we're built to think like that, that one name always outweighs everything.

Speaker 1:

But that's how that. That's how that person gets heard, isn't it? Like there's 20 people? That's how that one person gets heard by. Yeah, and just just and just finally, like I was gonna ask you, like, how do you, I mean, if you could go back and speak to the young lorraine, um, who's just about to start, like, um, a first piece of music, what would you say? You know, what advice would you give the young?

Speaker 2:

What would I say? I would say don't be too hard on yourself. I would say I think I'd say, I don't know, be in touch with your emotions and be like less stiff and just more open. Generally I think I was much more closed off. I don't know. Be in touch with your emotions and be like less stiff and just more open generally. I think I was much more closed off with it back then and I think, yeah, loosen up. I would say just loosen up.

Speaker 1:

yeah, Good answer, Lorraine. Thank you so much for talking with me. I've really appreciated it.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, no, thank you, I really enjoyed it. Okay, so that was much for talking with me. I've really appreciated it.

Speaker 1:

Thank you. No, thank you, I really enjoyed it. Okay, so that was me, Paul Hanford, talking with Loraine James for Lost Sound, and we had that conversation on Wednesday, the 26th of February 2025. Thank you so so much, lorraine, for your time and thoughts there. And Whatever, the Weather 2 is out now on Ghostly International.

Speaker 1:

If you like the show and you haven't already, please do give it a subscribe. Give the show a rating and a review on the platform of your choice, whether that's apple, amazon, wherever. Please, please do. Massively grateful for any, any of that.

Speaker 1:

Um, you can also, if you like my work and you want to check out more stuff that I do, you can go and listen to my radio documentary the man who sm Smuggled Punk Rock Across the Berlin Wall, by heading on over to the BBC Sounds app or on the BBC World Service homepage. And Lost in Sound is sponsored by Audio-Technica, the global but family-run company that make headphones, turntables, cartridges, microphones, studio quality yet affordable products, because they believe that high quality audio should be accessible to all. So, wherever you are in the world, head on over to audiotechnicacom to check out all of their range of stuff. So yes, tom giddens, does the music that you hear at the beginning, at the end of every episode of lost and sound hyperlink, as always in the podcast description, if you want to go and check out more of his stuff and so yeah, that's it. Thank you so so much for listening today. Um, I whatever you're doing, you're having a really beautiful one and I'll chat to you soon, thank you.