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Producing Maya Hawke, West African Music, and Growing Creatively with Benjamin Lazar Davis

Metadata

title
Producing Maya Hawke, West African Music, and Growing Creatively with Benjamin Lazar Davis
description
Benjamin Lazar Davis joins the pod to discuss production, songwriting, multi-instrumentalism, cross-cultural collaboration, and the artist's journey. Be sure to stream his new single with Monica Martin "No Need To Reply" when it's released on Friday, Jan 12, 2024!
status
complete
date
2024-01-09
kind
guest
guestSlugs
  • benjamin-lazar-davis
listenUrl
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lovemusicmore/episodes/Producing-Maya-Hawke--West-African-Music--and-Growing-Creatively-with-Benjamin-Lazar-Davis-e2e752p
lmwUrl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye7QB1As9Bs
appleUrl
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/producing-maya-hawke-west-african-music-and-growing/id1567355195?i=1000641041815&uo=4
spotifyUrl
https://open.spotify.com/episode/01licUe1CnHUvECWqKEPmE
youtubeUrl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCj0nXMk1ms
topicsDiscussed
  • Creativity
  • Music production
  • Collaboration
  • Songwriting
  • Producing Maya Hawke
  • West African music influences
  • Instrumental energy
  • Bicoastal living
  • Creative growth through environment
  • Respect for instruments
  • Cuddle Magic band dynamics
  • Community in music
hostNote
**Benjamin Lazar Davis** produced Maya Hawke’s records, studied West African music, plays in Cuddle Magic, and has released music with Monica Martin: which is a range of contexts that traces back to one consistent instinct: following what the instrument is actually asking for rather than imposing a fixed idea on it. We talk about what producing for an artist like Hawke actually requires, how West African music reshaped his sense of rhythm and community in music, and the bicoastal living that keeps his frame of reference from calcifying. The "Pop Rocks in Pepsi" quote is his description of what happened when certain influences collided unexpectedly, and it captures something real about how his sessions tend to go.
selectedMoments
  • label
    Bicoastal living and its impact on creativity
    startSec
    170
    note
    Benjamin reflects on his experience living bi-coastally and how it inspires his work.
  • label
    Instruments as guides for songwriting
    startSec
    329
    note
    He discusses how the unique characteristics of instruments can shape the creative process.
  • label
    Respect for the soul of instruments
    startSec
    407
    note
    A profound conversation on the relationship artists build with their instruments.
  • label
    Working with musicians of varied backgrounds
    startSec
    2635
    note
    Benjamin talks about his experiences collaborating with musicians from different cultural traditions.
  • label
    The process of producing Maya Hawke
    startSec
    3539
    note
    Insight into the dynamic and collaborative atmosphere while working with Maya.
  • label
    The essence of loving music
    startSec
    3939
    note
    Benjamin shares a philosophical view on why he loves music.
excerptQuotes
  • text
    I think that there's a lot of value in that kind of thinking, even if people are like 'oh, whatever, this is so esoteric or whatever.' I think that there's a lot of value because you're showing these instruments respect...
    startSec
    408
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    So, I don't know, just the distinction, that's important. I mean, I guess anywhere you go, you're kind of influenced by the surroundings.
    startSec
    173
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    ...it was like putting Pop Rocks into a can of Pepsi or whatever. I kind of set this thing up that exploded in a way I could have never imagined.
    startSec
    3695
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    It's like kind of, I wish I had a better answer for you, but I guess I kind of grew up around a lot of instruments and just have stopped writing and recording songs at a very young age.
    startSec
    3944
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    ...when it's me collaborating with these different cultures, it's like immediately what I bring to the table and what they bring to the table are so different.
    startSec
    3151
    reviewed
    true
faq
  • question
    Who is Benjamin Lazar Davis?
    answer
    Benjamin Lazar Davis is an accomplished musician and producer known for his work with artists like Maya Hawke and his emphasis on cross-cultural musical collaboration.
  • question
    What influences Benjamin Lazar Davis's music?
    answer
    Benjamin draws influences from his bicoastal lifestyle, West African music traditions, and collaborations with a diverse range of musicians.
  • question
    What does Benjamin mean by instruments having a 'soul'?
    answer
    He believes instruments possess unique characteristics that influence songwriting and creativity, almost like they communicate what kind of music should be created.
transcriptPublished
false
draft
false

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