A true musician has all genres of music running around inside their brains. A great example is Joe Lengson, former bass player of metalcore band MyChildren MyBride. Lengson left the metal behind last year and is now writing and recording an indie folk project called The Woodsman’s Babe. We were able to get a first listen of his newest track “Red Or White”. It is quite a change but also quite good. Enjoy it below:
We had a chance to chat with Joe and convinced him to share his thoughts on his musical change and standing out in the exotic LA music scene. Here are his words:
It’s strange being in a major city as a new artist. It’s definitely not strange being in the city of Los Angeles, because I’m originally from here, but doing anything musically here, is just weird to me. When I was out with MyChildren MyBride and we would come through LA, the shows would always be huge and awesome, but it would be really weird for people in LA to come to our shows, and be really in to our set, but not know that I was actually from here. That was always weird for me because I am a local, but they still saw me as a band member from another part of the country. So now, being a solo artist under a new name, I try to emphasize that fact that I am from Los Angeles. Not because L.A. is a cool city that a lot of people want to live in, but because I want people to know I’m from here and that I am a real person. I love L.A. and everything here, so that makes it relatable to the people here.
My first show as a solo artist was at the House of Blues in West Hollywood. The crowd that attended were either there because they were Hollywood locals that simply enjoyed going out to a nice venue for any genre of live music, or people that knew me because of my involvement with MyChildren MyBride and I tweeted about it or something. No one went particularly for my music. It was weird; singing and playing and no one knowing my material. I have gone from spending the last five years being in a high energy group where every kid knew all the lyrics and moshed their hearts out, to this, but I guess that goes with the territory… for now at least.
Standing out in LA? Not even transgendered punk rock senior citizens on roller blades stand out in LA. But I guess, I’d say persistence. Just keep playing and doing it DIY until someone with other resources sees or hears you and wants to work with you and maybe help you get bigger as an artist. L.A. is big and there are a lot of artists here, but there is someone out there that will like your music, so just keep on truckin’.
About The Woodsman’s Babe:
Joe Lengson cut his teeth in this business by playing bass in the Tooth & Nail/Solid State metal band, MyChildren MyBride, a band that toured the world, appeared on numerous music television shows and landed on the Billboard top 200. In addition, Lengson penned and published his own novel Sleeping in Parking Lots while simultaneously touring the globe. After turning down an offer to host his own MTVu music video program, Lengson set his sights on developing what would become the music of The Woodsman’s Babe. The tunes ended up being a great source of catharsis for the artist who found a new freedom in being able to create the music he felt he was suppressing while being enveloped in the metal world. Lengson currently resides in Los Angeles working as a photographer and filmmaker while studying English and making music.
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