GET TO KNOW : Lincoln Jesser

You might not have heard the name ‘Lincoln Jesser’ before, but you probably should.
Though he was raised on a diet of rock and roll, his recent output is a million miles away and his latest single ‘In My Place’ has just dropped down under via the mighty Ministry Of Sound.
We’re heading offshore for the latest in our ‘Get To Know’ series… to the sunny shores of LA where we ask our eleven pressing questions to find out more about Lincoln Jesser.

01. Name : Lincoln Jesser.

02. Where are you based? Los Angeles, California.

03. How did you get your start in music? I remember being entranced by my dad playing guitar to me even as a tiny kid, and I would run around with a stick pretending to be a conductor on the playground, like Mickey Mouse in Fantasia, but I didn’t start really writing songs until I was about 13, around the same time as I started messing with a guitar. What started out as poetry turned into songwriting, and from there I started forming bands and gradually experimenting outward, eventually realizing the true potential of electronic music.

04. Tell us a little bit about your sound and how it developed. The Strokes were definitely like the older brothers I never had as a young teen, when I was first starting to feel the world really intensely and connect with music on a more mature level. That whole garage revival (The Killers, Interpol) was huge for me. So my bands were mainly trying to emulate that at first, while also bringing in my bandmates’ funk/indie/hip hop influences (which I also loved). We started experimenting with a little MicroKorg in the later stuff, and at practices I would always find myself wanting to be able to make different cool sounds. Started recording demos around the same time, which coincided with falling in love with Daft Punk and Justice. And boom, dance music was being made. Shit is very much still developing. I hope it will develop for as long as I’m around.

05. Who have been your musical influences? The Strokes, The Killers, Daft Punk, Justice…Marvin Gaye, Crystal Castles, 80s stuff like The Cure and Billy Idol…Onra, Aphex Twin…Empire of the Sun, Jai Paul…it’s never-ending

06. What are your favourite songs of all time? You’d get different answers different days, but off top…Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On, Daft Punk – Digital Love, Breakbot – Baby, I’m Yours , The Killers – Mr. Brightside, The Strokes – Someday, Bag Raiders – Shooting Stars

07. Give us a little fun fact about yourself that people might not know. I scored a 2360 on my SAT…I’ve definitely lost brain cells since high school. What you gonna do?

08. What’s the best advice you’ve been given in your career? To follow your own path, and to always prioritize quality over hype

09. Tell us about your latest release. In My Place!! Out now on Astrx / Ministry of Sound, which was a huge honor for me. It’s definitely a step into a deeper, dancier realm for me, whereas some of my earlier stuff has had a bit more of a synth-pop/new wave edge. It felt good to access a little more of my dark side :) And I’m extremely proud of the music video, on which I worked with director Jakob Owens and incredible dancer Franchesca Bass. I’ll let that piece speak for itself.

10. What do your future plans involve? I have some collaborations with some big names in the works in a bunch of different roles, but I can’t say too much yet…and more of my own stuff for everyone to dance to in the finishing stages as well. You can basically plan on seeing me involved with a lot of great songs, be it in the driver’s seat or as a contributor. When I see an opportunity to help make something great, I take it. Aside from new music, I hope to travel the world to perform it for everyone asap!

11. Where can our audience catch you live? Thus far I’ve only made it across the US and Canada, but keep an eye out for more dates soon.