Lontalius Swim Interview

Lontalius Shares New Single Swim

Enigmatic NZ electronic artist Lontalius, also known as Eddie Johnston, has today announced his glowing new single Swim, a comforting, honest track about accepting the ups and downs of life, out now. Swim is also accompanied by a stunning clip, made in collaboration with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou (Pacific Heights, Whim, Weird Together). The prolific young artist has also announced his new album, All I Have, set for release on October 4. Lontalius will be joining Japanese Wallpaper on the road for his first ever Australian shows in October and November this year, kicking off at Melbourne's Corner Hotel on October 25, then moving through Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and wrapping up in Brisbane at The Brightside on November 9.

Swim is an endearing track, seemingly buoyed by pessimism and optimism at the same time. Reminiscent of indie pop giants The 1975 and Troye Sivan, Swim is driven by a pounding beat and intricate guitar lines (not to mention a killer solo towards the end) while Lontalius' idiosyncratic vocal floats above it all. Speaking on the inspiration behind the track, Lontalius says, "Swim is about the acceptance that with all the heartbreak, anxiety and stress of being young, the universe is still leading you on the right path. You can have everything seemingly perfectly lined up in front of you, but sometimes it just won't work out… it's a song that i'm really proud of. It hit a lot of marks I had been trying to hit for the past few years. It's energetic and it has a pace to it that I haven't done before, all the while still living in the 'lontalius' world, I think."

The clip for Swim zooms in on the self-reflection in the song in a figurative and literal sense. Lontalius sings alone, in the gorgeous Wellington wilderness, looking deep into a mirror suspended in mid-air. The clip is beautiful, dreamy; an appropriate visual representation of Swim, as Lontalius explains, "The video follows me singing the song into a mirror, walking along various locations in my home Wellington, NZ. With the song mostly being a dialogue with my own brain - a moment of self reflection, it made sense for me to sing it back to myself. This clip was a culmination of a few ideas we'd had in our minds for a while. The picturesque NZ landscape never fails to contrast the emotion in my music…I made it with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. They've done all of my videos as well as a number of other NZ artists. We tend to have similar ideas around what will work, I'm not sure if I could work with anyone else."

If Lontalius' debut LP I'll Forget 17 was a snapshot of his life as a teenager, All I Have documents the period in life when he was exiting adolescence and entering adulthood. Outgrowing one era but not yet ready, perhaps, for another. With a characteristic melancholic, yet beautiful temperment, paired with wistful synthesisers and soft, gentle guitar, All I Have is a superb collection of songs from this impressive artist. Working in LA alongside Grammy award winning producer Om'Mas Keith (Frank Ocean, John Legend, Jay Z), Jim Fairchild (Grandaddy, Modest Mouse), Roy Blair (Kevin Abstract) and Mr Hudson (Kanye West), Lontalius dove deep into a varied array of infuences for this second album, drawing inspiration from the artists he grew up listening to, such as U2 (circa Joshua Tree), REM, and Coldplay, alongside modern pop auters Kacey Musgraves and Lorde. Reflecting on the album, Lontalius enthuses, "The main themes on All I Have are love, youth and anxiety. I started writing it at 18 so it basically follows my own experiences with love, being away from home, new pressures and pleasures, as well as that general feeling of 'coming of age'. Just trying to make sense of it all… It was my intention to add a little more energy and life into my music than I had done before. I had built up energy and I wanted to let it out! It was also important to me that it didn't end up being a bloated, 20 song thing. I wanted to be able to grab it all with one hand."

Lontalius will be playing his first Australian shows ever in October and November this year supporting Japanese Wallpaper on his Glow national tour. Thrilled to be hitting the road for what is set to be a beautiful, immersive experience for audiences, Lontalius says, "I'm really happy I'm finally making it to Australia! I'm doing solo sets, playing new and older music from even my soundcloud days. Trying to create a sound that people can get lost in for 30 minutes or so."
Swim is out now. All I Have is set for release on October 4.

Lontalius National Tour (Supporting Japanese Wallpaper)
FRI OCT 25 | CORNER HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC| 18+
SAT OCT 26 | SEWING ROOM, PERTH WA | 18+
FRI NOV 1 | LION ARTS FACTORY, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
FRI NOV 8 | OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY NSW| 18+
SAT NOV 9 | THE BRIGHTSIDE, BRISBANE QLD | 18+

Interview with Lontalius (Eddie Johnston)

Question: What inspired the track Swim?

Eddie Johnston: Lyrically it was inspired by a feeling of acceptance, that even when good things are all lined up for you, you might not be able to take advantage of them.


Question: Can you tell us about filming the video for Swim?

Eddie Johnston: It was a pretty simple idea that we came up with over text messages. We filmed it over a weekend, with me just following a mirror through public spaces. It was a little embarrassing. I kept stopping singing when people would stare at me. There are some funny shots of people looking into the mirror, though.


Question: What can we expect from All I Have?

Eddie Johnston: An exploration through the things that went on in my brain, growing out of my teen years and into adulthood, living away from home...

Musically it's a sort of upgrade from my first album. A lot of ideas were expanded on, further than I thought I'd be able to.


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Eddie Johnston: Feelings! It's always feelings first. Most of the time that's a certain emotion, but sometimes it's just me wanting to get something out.


Question: What should we expect from your upcoming tour?

Eddie Johnston: New songs and some old... I've been trying to build a little world that you can escape into for 30 minutes or so...


Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Eddie Johnston: So far it's been Make My Dreams Come True or Swim, the newest singles. They have a really natural energy that I've never had in my music before.

Question: If you could have anyone, in the world, attend a show, who would it be?

Eddie Johnston: Probably Elton John? I think I'd die for Elton John to hear my music. Or Chris Martin, but I might be paralysed by fear if I knew.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Eddie Johnston: I love recording and all the challenges that arise, but there is something about playing a great show to a great audience that can never be matched.


Question: What is the story behind the name, Lontalius?

Eddie Johnston: Honestly I just clicked 'random article' on Wikipedia until it came up with something unique. I wanted something that was meaningless to most people, so I could fit myself into the name. I think it's a type of butterfly.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Eddie Johnston: I can't get enough of Big Thief. They're amazing. I've been rediscovering some of my favourites, too. Tiny Ruins, The National, Young Thug...


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?
Eddie Johnston: I always loved music. My Dad was a big music fan and he had instruments around the house. The more music I made and shows I played...I couldn't get enough. Even if I didn't make music I'd probably try to be a sound engineer or something.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Eddie Johnston: I mentioned Elton John already so let me say that... even if he is retiring, can't I play one guitar chord somewhere? What a dream.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Eddie Johnston: I wake up and try to calm my brain down from thinking about music and the world. Then there's singing and lots of coffee, sometimes wine.


Question: Can you share your socials?

Eddie Johnston: @lontalius
@lontalius/
https://www.facebook.com/Lontalius/


Interview by Brooke Hunter