Arrange - Sound In The Signals Interview

I recently had the chance to interview Malcom Lacey the mastermind behind Arrange. If you haven't heard of Arrange yet you should definitley check out the music: HERE. Click READ MORE to read my interview with Malcom!

You have been making music for a while, but last years Plantation really put your music on a lot people's radar. What was the writing process like for that album and how does it feel to know a lot of people regard that album as a modern day classic?

Malcom: It's really flattering to know that some people have a very deep connection to this record. It means so much to me that people can listen to my music and feel something.
The writing process was very relaxed. I generally work at a very fast pace. So in all the material was written, recorded in a span of 3 months. I'd write a track's instrumental with a lyrical idea, then write lyrics around that idea/sound.

Absolutepunk seemed to play a large part in a lot of people knowing Plantation, not just because it was posted about by staff but also users were familiar with you as you post there. How big of an impact do you think Absolutepunk has had on the music scene over the last 7-8 years and how big of an impact do you think it has had on Arrange?

The support I've received from AP has been absolutely amazing. I've been posting there for a couple years now and they were the first ones to hear my music. I'm not sure how much of an impact AP has had on the music scene, because I just personally don't feel very involved in it, but they're great people and the community as a whole is very generous.

The music is different but I hear a lot of people compare Plantation to Bright Eyes, I guess in terms of the intimacy and overall feel of the album. What do you think of the comparisons? Who are actually some influences on your music?
I'm heavily influenced by mainly ambient and classical artists like Jefre Cantu Ledesme, Sylvain Chauvea, and most of the Type Records roster. Besides ambient, I grew up surrounded by R&B and Hip-Hop. A lot of TLC, Aaliyah, Destiny's Child, Juvenile, Kieth Sweat, etc. So there's definitely an influence there.

This year already you've been really busy with the release of your new EP Five Years With Sun coming up and then after that New Memory will be out. Five Years has some different sounds that fans of Plantation may not expect. How far apart was this newer released material written from Plantation? What would you like people to take away from these new releases?
I'm not sure I can really say what I want people to take away from any of my releases. I don't really think about it in terms of how people might look at it or take it. If it has reached your ears I feel accomplished. Five Years With The Sun was a very interesting record for me. And as far as how it functions in my catalog it's definitely a segue between the very tough emotional themes on Plantation and the themes I've explored on New Memory.

You recently started a Kickstarter for your new EP. Why did you decide to go with Kickstarter and what is your ultimate goal for the EP in terms of funds you can raise?
I love the platform crowd funding sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo offer. I've lost so much money on the vinyl release of Plantation that I'll never be able to make that money back. I was careless about it and threw money at it like it was nothing, but now I've moved across the country and fallen in love and everything I want to do costs money. So I figured the best way to get this funded was to go through a platform like Kickstarter where I can keep the fans involved and offer them cool incentives they might not otherwise be able to get from me. My ultimate goal is $2,500. I hope we can make it.

Most reviews for Plantation want to point out that the album was self-made and is a “bedroom recording.” What all did you use to record that album? Do you think the recording style had a huge impact on the overall vibe and sound of the album?
Plantation was very much a bedroom production. I made it mostly during late nights on my bed with an electronic Yamaha Piano as my Midi controller and a couple instruments from this really old and cheap piano I bought for $800 to my drumset I used on "In Old Theaters" and "Turnpike".

The sound was definitely as hi-fi as I was able to make it at the time. I wasn't taking music very seriously at all and hadn't really even looked for an audience at that point. It was all experimentation and I finally feel like I know what I'm doing when I go to record songs now.

Plantation and Five Years With The Sun have been pressed on vinyl. What is it about vinyl you like? I noticed that Five Years was pressed on colored vinyl, but I also read somewhere you dislike colored vinyl was there any truth to that statement or just internet rumor?
I love everything about vinyl. The enlarged artwork, the grooves in the plastic, everything. It's such a beautiful format and I'm really lucking to have been able to get my releases pressed to that form.

As far as purchasing records, I'm not a big fan of buying colored vinyl. But the colored vinyl on Five Years With The Sun is absolutely amazing. Just gorgeous and I love it so much.

I guess that about wraps it up. Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Do you have any closing comments you'd like to make?
Not really. I guess just thanks so much for the opportunity!