---
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
---