Name: Rebecca Lappa
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Nationality: Canadian
Current release: Rebecca Lappa's new EP Tales of a Taurus is out via Tonic.
Recommendations: I would recommend reading through the play MacBeth by William Shakespeare and one of the collections of the Child Ballads by James Child.These pieces of literature give the reader an appreciation for where music and stories have come from and the depth of personal expression that came from our forefathers.

If you enjoyed this Rebecca Lappa interview and would like to know more about her music, visit her official website. She is also on Instagram, Facebook, twitter, and Soundcloud.



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?  

When I listen to music I imagine the story unfolding in the song or think about an experience I have had which is similar.

I tend to listen to music with my eyes closed.

What were your very first steps in music like - and how do you rate gains made through experience versus the naiveté of those first steps?

My first steps in music were singing in choirs, writing my own songs and taking piano lessons.

I have become a better writer over time through personal experience, mentoring opportunities like song circles and recording my music.

According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music meant to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

During that time, I really learned to appreciate the art of story telling because I was listening to a lot of folk artists such as Anais Mitchel, Mumford and Sons, Regina Spektor, Loreena McKennitt, and Taylor Swift.

Since then I have grown to appreciate other styles of music that put more emphasis on melody and other instrumentation besides the lyrics. This would include artists like Halestorm, Jade Bird, Zella Day, Fletcher, Diamante, Ed Sheeran, Machine Gun Kelly and Julia Michaels.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools and how have they shaped your perspective on music?

My most important instruments have been my voice and my important tool has been lyric writing. They shape everything about the song for me, all other instrumentation is secondary to me.

When I first began writing, I accompanied myself on piano. Once I picked up the guitar the songs I was writing became more personal because you can hold the guitar in your hands and feel the music and you can take it with you to write down your deepest thoughts in private.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and what motivates you to create?

I’m motivated to create music when I have had a profound personal experience or have a story I would like to tell. What is most important for me is that the instrumentation and melody support the emotions and details behind the story of the song.

For me without the story there is no reason to create music.

Paul Simon said “the way that I listen to my own records is not for the chords or the lyrics - my first impression is of the overall sound.” What's your own take on that and how would you define your personal sound?

Over the years my sound has changed based on the stories I am trying to tell.

Currently I define my sound as emotional vocals and driving guitars and delicately crafted synths placed around the weight of the story I am trying to tell.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds? In how far would you describe them as “musical”?

I find that the sound of the ocean to be very powerful, the waves crashing against the shore is calming and rhythmic and I could listen to it all day. It would be very easy to compose a song around the steady rhythm of the waves.

In 2014, I went on a whale watching tour in Victoria, BC and seeing the whales and hearing their calls was very profound.

From very deep/high/loud/quiet sounds to very long/short/simple/complex compositions - are there extremes in music you feel drawn to and what response do they elicit?

I am drawn to powerful vocals. They bring out a primal need to be part of the experience and draw me into the story they are telling.

From symphonies and traditional verse/chorus-songs to linear techno tracks and free jazz, there are myriads ways to structure a piece of music. Which approaches work best for you – and why?

Over my years of mentorship with local singer songwriters who tended to use traditional formats, I found those structures to work best with the stories I am trying to write.

During my early twenties, I took a jazz music diploma program at a university and it was interesting to stretch myself and learn about other formats, but the traditional singer songwriter approach works best for me.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of one of your pieces, live performances or albums that's particularly dear to you, please?

I co-wrote “Lolita” with my producer Louise Burns. We felt that the album was missing a song with an anthemic chorus. She started with a chord progression and I wrote the hook overtop of it. Then we discussed the book behind the name Lolita and I did some research about the author and plot.

I took those ideas home with me and finished writing the song. I gave the original story a bit of a twist and broadened it to discuss issues that come from being a young woman in today’s society.

Sometimes, science and art converge in unexpected ways. Do you conduct “experiments” or make use of scientific insights when you're making music?
 
I create music organically. It comes from the heart.

After I’ve fleshed out my idea for the song, I’m then able to think of synths and technological sounds that can be added to support the melody and words that I have written. This is the point where I turn to experts in the field who have a lot of knowledge of the sounds to help me pick the right sounds to support my vision.

How does the way you make music reflect the way you live your life? Can we learn lessons about life by understanding music on a deeper level?

I live my life open to new experiences and I tend to write my music with the same openness. I don’t have anything to hide and I use music as a way to work through things that have happened to me or stories that have impacted me.

This process allows me to arrive at a new understanding of myself and a more positive outlook.

Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee?  

I feel that they are different. As much as making a cup of coffee can bring satisfaction of a job well done, music works below the cognitive level of your brain. It taps into deeper emotions and parts of yourself that thinking and completing a task cannot touch.

What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I feel that music is cathartic and it allows one to express deep emotions that aren’t available in a mundane task.

Every time I listen to "Albedo 0.39" by Vangelis, I choke up. But the lyrics are made up of nothing but numbers and values. Do you, too, have a song or piece of music that affects you in a way that you can't explain?

I have an experience like that with the song “Little Did I Know” by Julia Michaels.



If you could make a wish for the future – what are developments in music you would like to see and hear?

I would wish for more blending of genres so that people can continue to express themselves in a way that is authentic to them without having to stay within specific genre boundaries.