Q&A: Lyrics Born On Greatest Hits, Independent Music, And The End

Posted on by Ben and Siya

In celebration of his ninth album, Now Look What You’ve Done, Lyrics Born! Greatest Hits, Lyrics Born took the time to speak with us about greatest hits albums, independent music, and what’s next.

This interview took place on April 15, 2016. Portions of this interview have been edited for clarity, space, and Siya rambling. 

Ben: Let’s get going, man. How you doing today?

Lyrics Born (LB): I’m doing well, man. Thank you. Today my album came out so it’s been a little hectic.

Ben: So with 25 years in the industry… What made now the right time for that greatest hits?

LB: You know…  It was just time, man. There was just so much music and so much time had gone by that I just felt like with, [this being] the 9th album, it was time. To be honest with you, I probably could have done one a little earlier and I probably should have. But it was just felt like the right time. I felt like I had done so many different kinds of albums too that it would just make more sense to a do a greatest hits album at this point.

Ben: Well that’s something I actually wanted to ask you about, because, going through your discography, each album has a very distinct sound. You play with multiple genres, jumping from funk and Motown influence to even some southwestern in there. What did you learn about your own music when you started listening and recollecting all these tracks for a greatest hits?

LB: I think that’s a really great question. For myself, it’s kind of a trip putting this all together because I’m always just so focused on tomorrow – what’s the next gig, what’s the album going to sound like, what’s the next song going to be about – and it wasn’t until I sat down and was actually forced to actually go through all these songs and forced to comb through my past, which I’m just not in the habit of doing, that I realized it was really dope man. It was really cool to see. I think one of the moments that made it so special was when I announced that I was going to do this, the flood of social media response of what songs should be on the track list, from the fans. That was really amazing. That was touching. And also admittedly, we picked from their suggestions…

Ben: Oh really, you took that social media response into account?

LB: Oh yeah! I mean, the fans basically put this track listing together.

Siya: No lie?!

LB: Yeah, which to me it should be that way…

Siya: After all, it’s a greatest hits. It’s a fan thing. Not what you think?

LB: Right, exactly! I mean, I right the songs, I record them, I put them out. But honestly it’s the fans that make them quote, unquote “hits”. You know what I mean? Once I put them out I have no control over who likes it, who hears it, who doesn’t. The fans are the ones who actually turn them into hits. So basically, whatever fans unanimously saying this song should be on there that song should be on there, that’s what we ended up putting on the album. And it was kind of difficult. It got a little heated! Continue reading Q&A: Lyrics Born On Greatest Hits, Independent Music, And The End