Linus Hablot rolled up to Medium Sized Backyard with a crew of tall guys, a visiting dad from Singapore, and a handful of songs he's been quietly sitting on for the better part of three years. In this Medicine Box Backyard conversation, the indie pop songwriter opens up about the nerve-wracking leap from a stripped guitar demo to a fully produced record - and why falling in love with a song too early might be the scariest part of making music.
On the Set and Playing With a Band for the First Time
Medicine Box: You played us a few tunes today. I kind of want you to just talk about it.
Linus Hablot: We started off with "Say Yes," which is the last single I dropped. It's so cool playing that in a band setting - all of these songs, it's the first time I've played them with a band. I just recently played a solo show, just by myself, guitar and piano. Going into the band setting is just so exciting. All the pressure is off you, but you're still so stoked on everything. It's been really fantastic. And then "Start Over Again" I did with Mikey, who's playing guitar and singing backups. And then this new one, "From the Inside," which we played third, is going to be on the next project I'm dropping.
On What Excites and Scares Him About New Music
Medicine Box: What excites you, and what might scare you a little about releasing new music?
Linus Hablot: This next project is a lot of the stuff I've been sitting on for the last two to three years while I've been developing my solo project. I write a lot of the stuff just on guitar and piano first. Sometimes the scary part is taking that, then getting in with a producer and taking it to the finished place - when I've already fallen in love with it in its stripped version. But that's why playing with the band live has really helped. Rehearsing these songs has shown me the possibilities for how to finish this music, and you get a real-time look at whether it's working or not. That's been really helpful.
Medicine Box: Once this next project is out, could there be touring on the horizon?
Linus Hablot: I would love to open up for somebody, or even do my own headline thing. The idea is attaching this project to some sort of touring.
On Dream Tours and Musical Inspirations
Medicine Box: On the topic of potentially opening for someone - is there a dream artist you'd love to be on the road with?
Linus Hablot: I just got put on to the Lemon Twigs. My friend showed me two of their songs and I was like, these guys are awesome.
Medicine Box: It only takes two Lemon Twigs songs to get locked in.
Linus Hablot: Their live stuff is amazing. I'm really inspired by Journey, Chicago, all of these really epic bands. I heard a lot of the inspirations I want to bring to my project in the Lemon Twigs' stuff, and I was really excited by that.
On Genre and What He's Actually Going For
Medicine Box: If someone were to ask you - sonically, where would you put yourself genre-wise?
Linus Hablot: I hope just pop. I just want to make great pop music. As a definition - popular music. My favorite part is the songwriting, and I just hope I can write stuff that a lot of people can feel and relate to. If anything, that would be the genre.
On Songs He Wishes He'd Written
Medicine Box: Is there a song that exists in the world that you wish you wrote?
Linus Hablot: Recently I was listening to "The Road" by Danny O'Keefe. I don't listen to a ton of contemporary music, but that song specifically - the writing was just, yeah. Check it out. "The Road" by Danny O'Keefe.
On Family, Support, and His Dad Flying in From Singapore
Medicine Box: You brought your dad here today to watch you play - he's visiting from Singapore, which is super exciting. How does it feel having your family watch you and enter this career?
Linus Hablot: He's the best roadie anyone could ask for. Afterwards he just gives me a hug and starts packing up gear. He just wants to be really helpful. The last stuff he saw of mine was at least four or five years ago, so it was really special having him at this last solo show I played as well. It's really cool - it's the kind of energy I want to bring to shows. Having that support group with you really means a lot. I can get really hard on myself after shows, so just having someone who can keep you out of that headspace really helps too.
