SEVEN LIONS DECIBEL
Live phot o by Tyle r Hill
SHORT LIST
HEAR HIM ROAR
First band gig: I think it was a high school talent
show.
Name of band: Bullet to the Moon
First DJ gig: Illegal party out in the woods in
California. There were maybe like 30 people and I
was incredibly nervous.
My favorite collaboration thus far: Kerli, she was
really easy to work with and really creative. Some
vocalists take a few times to get it right, but she’s
always nailed it.
Favorite city you’ve played in besides Seattle: San
Diego
One festival you want to play in: Everyone talks
about Coachella and that it’s really awesome.
It wasn’t really on my radar before but now I’m
interested and some international stuff. I just really
want to travel internationally because it’s always
fun going to a different country going to the bar to
hang out and meeting people.
One thing you did in Seattle other than play: Last
time we were there we went to Pyramid Brewing
and Tap house.
Coming up in the future: We are doing a remix EP
that will be announced later this year.
Interview by Charity Mainville Photo by Dove Shore
Your music career started with a metal punk band, but
you branched out on your own and transition into EDM
production, why EDM instead of composing metal and
rock music?
SEVEN LIONS: Basically because when you are in a
band you have to rely on other people. In high school
people aren’t really into music, but I just wanted to be
all by myself and spend more time on it. I remember a
lot of times when I was the drummer in a band, I would
be waiting for the bass guitarist, lead guitarist and
singer to show up and thought, “Wow, I wish I could
do this myself.” EDM was close enough to making full
pieces of music the way I wanted them without having
to rely on anyone else.
produce a wide variety of music. I think I even go a little
further than that which makes it kind of hard but also
interesting. Sometimes it’s like a balance of pleasing
both sides and being like I don’t really care and just
doing whatever I want. I like all kinds of music so I like
making all different kinds of music.
Is there a specific genre that influences the beat?
SL: It’s like trance – that’s what really got me into it.
I have a lot of trance elements, earlier stuff like the
2000’s trance and songs that aren’t [trance] at all.
I read Seven Lions came from a book you had read,
Latro In the Mist, what made you choose it?
SL: There was a ton of cool characters in that book
and that time I was really into Gene Wolf. I wanted
something different, saw that name and thought it was
really just really cool so decided to make it that.
EDM has multiple sub-genres, a lot of music producers
focus only on a beat verses incorporating lyrics – what
impact or difference do you feel lyrics make being
apart of a track?
SL: I think the vocals make them really memorable. In
ten years it will still be something people will want to
listen to. There’s some more beat driven stuff like that
but for me I’ve always been about good song writing
and timeless music.
You have worked and supported by multiple renowned
DJs, what is it about your production style that draws
different EDM genres to you? What do you think makes
you stand out?
SL: I think most of the newer producers today generally
Your tracks have some powerful lyrics along with your
produced beats; do assist in the lyric writing?
SL: I just do the instrumental part. When I work with
someone I kind of give them a guideline of what I think.
I want to stay away from anything that has to do with
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modern times and dance party music like “put your
hands up” stuff. Other than that I let them have free
range. Then they will send it back to me and we will go
from there. I’m not a lyricist at all – not even a little bit.
Your latest album, The Throes Of Winter, gives an
underlying message of a relationship ending and
emotions that tie in with it; is it related to a personal
experience?
SL: I think it was the tone of the songs that took the
writing more in that direction. They are melancholy
songs with the instrumentals by themselves. So I think
it was the vocalists picking up on that and going from
there because they are really sad songs except than
“Lose Myself.”
You were recently in Seattle for the Lucky Festival,
how was the experience or the response from the fans
different from playing in other cities?
SL: Lucky was my favorite festival this year. It was
absolutely insane. At some festivals people are really
freaking out, but Seattle was like 110% maxed out. I
played at the Gorge last year so that was also really
epic. But Seattle has always been really good; I love
playing there.
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