Exclusive Interview with LC & THE CHAINGANG

This album’s diversity encompasses every genre the artist has ever played. There are influences from traditional North American folk music, roots music, folk, country, and blues. The lyrics are a thought-provoking chapter. This album is more about handling everyday problems than his previous one, which was more about partying, having fun, and getting over hangovers. From loneliness to climate change to the need to remember to give your mother a call every now and then. Check out the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

LC & THE CHAINGANG: Well, LC & The Chaingang is an on going project starting up in 2018 as I was offered a contract with Bentley Records situated in New York city. They wanted me to make a country album, since they had heard some of my YouTube stuff. I live in Denmark, and found it quite funny, that an American company wanted a Dane to compose music out of their own roots. But of course I jumped into it, and signed the contract. Using the Avid collaboration tool in Pro Tools,I joined up with canadian producer and engineer Walter Riggi, and because of his contacts to world class sessionmusicians, I was able to release “Road To Redneck County”. Two albums later, actually this spring of ‘23, I went to Canada where Walter and I mixed and mastered the album at hand – “One Of A Kind”. But on this album I teamed up with members of my band, and two of my associates in the Covidproject Online Jamband. A conglumerate of 35 Danish musicians who, during the Covid shutdowns, were making songs and videos online, to publish on a Facebooksite. Especially Frank “Franzz” Jakobsen, an experienced guitarplayer, and former tourmember of Charlie McCoy’s European setup, has made a huge impact on the album. But also Morten Vejs Villert, an incarnate bluesman, plays a big role with his lapsteel and dobro. So…..LC &TCG is a dynamic mass of musicians, driven by the passion for blues, folk, country and songwriter stuff. And I am the bull leading the flock:-)

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

LC & THE CHAINGANG: Oh yes, in my younger years I had two lessons of bassplaying, and during my teacher education I had one lesson of reading music. Waste of time, cos I felt it made me too analytical in my playing- so to speak. So I quit. Later on I returned to musical theori, and learned a bit….

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘LC & THE CHAINGANG’?

LC & THE CHAINGANG: I heard my first Beatles record in 1965. Later on I was fascinated by bands like Jethro Tull, Deep Purple and Pink Floyd. In my twenties I fooled around with jazz/rock, and was inspired by Weather Report, Jukka Tolonen and Swedish ABBA guitar player Janne Schaffer. But when I turned to blues around 1986, I discovered Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top and Allman Brothers. From that point and forward I’ve been drawn towards all kind of music coming from the southern parts of USA. The name LC&TCG was inspired by the song of Otis Redding (Chain Gang). You know, convicts beating the rocks chained up in steel. Being a melting pot of all these very different musicians, I imagined that this fellowship should have a strong hand, leading them through the projects as a – chaingang.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

LC & THE CHAINGANG: The key elements in the music is the love and affection to original american music. The flow and the warmth of the music coming out of these southern territories, is a universal force. I mean, all rhythmic music has the base in these areas. The blues coming out of jazz – talking bout New Orleans, Memphis, Clarksdale, Chicago. The country coming out of Leadbelly, Guthrie, mixing with the music of the immigrants – leading on to the bluegrass of Kentucky, the outlaw country of Texas to be commercialized in Nashville. I mean, this legacy is so obvious, but in this age of popmusic, we have to insist in keeping this heartland of music alive. For me making music, I try to go so analogue as possible. From choosing the right musicians (with the right attitude, and the right gear), over to using vintage hardware – and hoping one day to able to afford releasing vinylalbums. But of course it would be silly not to take advantage of the good sides of digital development. The goal is to keep the warmth of the music. And using vintage gear on digital platforms surely is possible!

5. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

LC & THE CHAINGANG:

Dealing with the music business! The transformation from musician into DIY artist has been, and still is, the most difficult task for me. In my youth the music business was the promised land, almost unattainable. True happiness had to be to land a record contract with a major label. It actually happened for one of my bands, but we got screwed, and lost not only a huge amount of money, but also the dream of the breakthrough. We lost our illusions, and since back then I’ve had nothing to do with the music industry. So when the internet and the technology made it possible to do the stuff on your own – from the beginning to the end – I jumped off the train, and made my own way. And I’m still learning!

6. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as Country?

LC & THE CHAINGANG: Yeah, as I mentioned earlier I’ve been around many genres. And I have been composing since I learned my first three chords. I’m out of the early ‘70s, where music was evolving. Carrying the enormous influence of the ‘60s we all believed we could keep on creating new styles and genres. But as I grew older this urge became more and more complicated. And I lost my innovative touch when the disco broke through in the mid-70s. In my ears it was nothing but Motown run through better technologies. A bassdrum on the 4ths – and everybody went crazy. It was a great disappointment for me when disco outperformed rockn’roll as the preferred music of young people. The music became mechanical, and money became king (Tom Petty). My flirt with jazz/rock was the last convulsions of trying to find a new way. But luckily I was saved by a blues/rock band looking for a bassplayer. Here I found the complexed simplicity, and began exploring the history of blues and southern rock. And there was no way I could avoid bumping into country music. And so I began composing, and slowly I found my own style. The record deal with Bentley Records made me refine my songs. It became “LarsMusic”!

7. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

LC & THE CHAINGANG: It is no coincidence that the first single, and opening song on the album, is a climate song. “Pay Your Dues” was written up to a gig I had on an Environment festival. And making a blues being the frame of a protest song in 2022 was probably the first time it’s happened. Music is a force, that works through many layers. I could be philosophical now, but I’ll spare the readers. I will say this: “Music actually makes you weak in a manner that actually makes you stronger”. Think about that…. Talking about expressing myself, I’ve found out that the coolness and toughness of the blues/country/songwriter genres opens up my emotionel gates. I get a flow when composing in that universe – the songs actually mak themselves. Though I always try to avoid the cliches of the genres I navigate in. Giving the songs their credits of tradition, is of course inevitably, but in that sense, I’m only the messenger . Finding my own path of expression is of course important, but as a performing artist you are also bound to relate to your audience. If you don’t include your audience in your considerations, it becomes self-satisfaction, and then the music loses its social significance. Music is more than merely entertainment. It’s a way to gain a bigger insight of yourself, your relations, your society, your present time and many more dimensions.

8. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

LC & THE CHAINGANG: I’ve been a musician for nearly 50 years. I’m 64. And I must say that the hard work, the endless road, the many weekends off the family – has given a lot of fun. But the world changes, and the music industry changes. And it’s not always for the best. On the other hand, the influence of the digital revolution has given folks like me the opportunity to make music recording and publishing much easier than in the past. But if you have ambition, and I still haven’t written my best song, you are always willing to give it another shot -this fame and fortune thing. It’s still hard work. You know, I’ve spend the last 6 months promoting this album. 6 months! And before that I spent 7 months composing, recording, mixing and mastering. And the money – phew! – don’t mention the war! (John Cleese). But again. I’m 64. I have the time, the experience and the will. So now I go all in! And with a little help from people like you, I can look at myself in the mirror knowing that I did my best!

9. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

LC & THE CHAINGANG: First of all I’ve had the joy of making an large number of people happy during my career. Making people forget about themselves, and just being in the music, has been the everlasting goal for my efforts carried out on all kinds of stages. Secondly, the long lasting friendships with my bands during these many years, has made me into the person that I am. I am deeply grateful to old and new fellow musicians in 3 kontinents. But of course, the present album is without doubt my best production so far. I am proud to say, that I have being going “all in” in every part of the proces. No compromises, no regrets – just doing the best I am able to do. And opening up to new friends in this proces – Franzz on guitars, and Morten on lapsteel and dobro – has made the countless hours of hard work worth it. Without their valuable contributions, the album wouldn’t have had half the quality that it has gained. A peak on this journey is my travelling to Walter in Ontario to mix and master the album. It was an adventure, and during that week we shared deep friendship and magig moments. I really hope that the music lovers using the streaming services discover this fine blend of the original roots. One Of A Kind deserves it!

10. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?

LC & THE CHAINGANG: SoMe is a two headed monster. One of the heads are furious, and the other is the way out into world. I try not to clinch with the naywriters, and my posts should always be entertaining, positive or at least informing. During the promoting period of this album I have used Facebook and Instagram – that’s where my audience is – but it’s an uphill climb because we’re so many competing about the attention. I don’t know – if this album doesn’t get many listeners, I well stil compose, produce and publish, but I won’t spend as much time and money as I did with “One Of A Kind”.

11. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

LC & THE CHAINGANG: Concerning my age and energy, I will probably put more efforts into studiowork. I’ve seen all the scenes and venues during my career, and it’s getting more and more difficult for an old timer like me to get well payed gigs. I think I’ll leave the space for younger artists. Today 95% of all music is electronic pop, and that’s not my kind of music.

12. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

LC & THE CHAINGANG: Once I have published and promoted my songs, it’s up to the listeners to interpret them. There’s no more I can do, but if someone asks about the meaning of a song I’ll give them my version and the background for the lyrics and instrumentation. But you can bet there is a meaning of each word and each note.