By Frankey
Lakshane returns after an incubating hiatus to show Melbourne and the world he’s coming alive.
Published exclusively for The Urban Scrapbook
Follow @lakshane.x
Lakshane – ‘Come Alive’ EP Launch Party
Friday, 29 November 2019
Lux Melbourne
Interviewing Melbourne
My sound is ominous and ambient, and I like to storytell
If Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow has taught us anything, it’s how competitively ruthless the music industry can be. It lifts you up when the momentum’s on point, but has the potential to push you down into the depths of uncertainty, blowing your ego in the in-betweens. In order to push through, you’ve got to believe in yourself, trust in your talent, and communicate your ability through your music. This is where Lakshane comes alive.
My first exposure to Lakshane was through his exceptional tracks “Groupie” and “Hypnotise“, saturated with melting vibes and addictive hooks. After the privilege of speaking with him, it’s clear there’s a lot more to his craft. A self-proclaimed “storyteller” Lakshane is the kind of R&B artist with a “foot in the door of hip hop”. “My sound is ominous and ambient, and I like to storytell,” he says. Getting to know him makes listening to his music even more rewarding. He’s an artist making us all proud to be Melbournian.
Lakshane grew up on a diet of pop music on the radio. Like many, he discovered the musical genius of Kanye through MTV at the ripe age of 13. “Heartless” and “Homecoming” were the tracks that really turned it around, pulling him towards his passion for R&B.
Much of Lakshane’s polish is a result of keeping his ear to the ground across the music industry, regardless of where he is in the world. Born in Sri Lanka, he spent his formative years living back and forth between his birth country and Australia, due to his father’s work. “I did a majority of primary schooling here, and a majority of high school in Sri Lanka.” As to the music scene in Sri Lanka? “Everyone’s still doing covers and milking that,” he says, citing the lack of originality in the English music scene. “I would say they’re still 10 years behind with getting around the new stuff commercially. But there’s a bloom of underground electronic producers who are reaching international levels. [And] the live performances are really good by musicians there.” These days, his audience stretches globe, with a particular following in Phoenix, and Los Angeles, and London.
To achieve the silky tracks available across his discography, Lakshane’s creative process is particularly structured. “[I] usually come up with a beat/instrumental, inspired by something me and my producer like. And then I write my melodies, usually most of the time the first melody I come up with becomes the hook. Then I write the verses around it. I like to come up with a story or concept before I write the lyrics.”
In spite of the structure, the ultimate goal of Lakshane’s music is really all about connection. He wants listeners to “connect” to his music, “whether it’s emotionally or when they’re out partying.” It’s important to “build a fan base who love my music.”
Come Alive describes my will to succeed despite the anxiety and obstacles I face.
To this end, there’s much more to Lakshane’s upcoming Come Alive EP than you might think. “Come Alive was my revival into music after a few months of being down and not sure which direction to go. The single, Come Alive, describes my will to succeed despite the anxiety and obstacles I face. And I thought the narrative of that song was strong and decided to call my EP the same name.”
For all his success, Lakshane is adamant the R&B scene in Melbourne is highly underrated. “It’s really good, people are sleeping on the R&B artists in Australia. They’re actually doing way better than rappers but just don’t get talked about as much due to their nature. It’s competitive, for sure.”
As to what’s next? “Not sure, bro. We’ll see after [the EP],” he laughs. “Right now [I’ve got] tunnel vision on the EP and the release party. Everything else will fall into place.”
Feature images courtesy of Lakshane
Lakshane – ‘Come Alive’ EP Launch Party
Friday, 29 November 2019
Lux Melbourne
The Urban Scrapbook 