LOUIS BAKER: Plays Well With Others, Now
An interview by Tim Gruar.
On June 21, 2019 critically acclaimed singer-songwriter and modern soul prodigy, Louis Baker finally released his debut album, Open, which sees him dive into new emotional depths, weaving themes of self-acceptance and human connection into an expansive body of work. Tim Gruar caught up to have a chat with Louis about the experience…
Still a bit groggy from a return flight from London, and on the eve of his release of debut neo- Soul singer Louis Baker talked to me about finally releasing his debut album, Open. “It’s been a long time coming – over two and a half years and in that time I think I’ve changed a lot, from travel, meeting people, getting out of my room at my Mum’s and into the wider world. All change for the good.”
“The title track is where it all stems from,” Baker says, “I’m often too over critical of my own ideas. So, I wrote a song hoping to re-connect with my creativity again.” Often feeling jaded and lacking inspiration after many years of writing in isolation. Baker had, up to that point mostly written and produced his own material. As a teenager (Louis is now in his 20’s), maturing as a performer and songwriter was a journey he had to make. “I was almost over it… so when I needed it, well, the song Open just fell out of me”. He says the experience of working in more professional surroundings with new ideas and new people willing to collaborate had a profound experience. “I guess when you’re just starting out, you want to make your own mark. You don’t always want to share because you are only just starting to for up your own material in your own way. But doing a lot of writing with other people. I originally wrote and produced and recorded at my mum’s, in isolation – and now I’m in LA and London, working with producers and songwriters. That alone opens you up.”
Baker has just returned from the UK having sold out shows in Dalston, and meeting record execs in anticipation of the release of Open. It was well attended by music industry people, which created optimism for his career prospects.
Open was created “around the world”, Baker says. “For example: (Grammy nominated producer) Steve Rusch produced Solo, Black Crow, Alive and Heart on Fire. I met him in Sydney at Globe Studios And then we took the demos back to his studio in LA to finish them. He works with people like Kendrick Lamar, Solange and Raphael Saadiq, who is big in the Neo Soul world. And he’s lovely dude.”
Another collaborator was Brad Ellis (Jorja Smith, James Arthur, Wilkinson) “I’ve worked with many times before. He helped make The People. And Figure 8s. In London I worked with FEMME (Laura Bettinson), who works with Radiohead. Jordan Rakei (Tom Misch, Disclosure) co-produced the title track with me. And Heart On Fire also has Melodownz. He totally brought the track.”
“The People has a video clip made in Newtown, where I grew up . I wanted to kind of portray the place where I grew up, through my eyes. The diversity of the place. My dad and friends are in it. The video represents all walks of life.: The track is also a tautoko of the community Baker grew up in (Wellington’s inner city suburb of Newtown) and the everyday faces who give the place life. “The song is very much a shining light on the dialogue of the inequalities that people are exposed to every day, spread the messages of peace, love, unity. That’s a ‘place’ where a lot of my music comes from.”
With that in mind, I ask him how he felt being in London, in March, looking back at the tragic events that unfolded in Christchurch. “It really shook me up. Just seeing so many people affected – not just in the Muslim Community in Christchurch but the ripple effect it had across the world. With a place like Newtown, that multi-cultural, ethnic mix, and that blatant attack – well, it seems like an attack on your very soul. Who’s knows what really drove that action but music is a real force for positive change. So, anything I can do, how little, or small, we try.”
Black Crow, he tells me was put ‘together’ at Grove Studios, in Sydney. The studio was set up by members of INX and, according to Baker, has the positive buzz of that band. The song, which was nominated for a Silver Scroll, “continues the mental health conversation. I’d seen people affected by depression, in my family, my friends, and even I might have the odd blue day. I can empathize. I wanted to reach out, and with out being cheesy, let them know that they are not alone. I wanted to keep the conversation alive, keep people exploring ways to help and be aware. Looking at solutions, spending time with people.”
Just a memory was written in London with FEMME, about seeing someone significant from your past. “Time moves so quickly. Sometimes you see someone after a long time and take up where you left off. And other times it’s completely foreign, complete strangers. I’ve experienced that.”
I’m interested in the track Addict and asked if it’s about drugs, love or money. He laughs, “An ‘Addict’ of someone’s love”. Aha, that old chestnut. Yes, he says. It was a collaboration between Baker and three others at Roundhead Studios in Auckland, then reconfigured a few times after. Baker is particularly prod of this one because it’s his first foray stepping out of the pure solo writing space and into working collaboratively. It’s part of the journey that defines the main theme on Open, in the song and the album.
Throughout the album he says, all the songs are about being vulnerable and brave enough to let others in. He says that the writing and producing process is like a commercial project or business venture. “You have to create a confident product that you are happy to release on the world.” Then you have to raise the funds to record it and complete it. He says this is the hardest bit because in order to do that you have to let others in on your dream and Baker talks about hushing ‘your inner critic’ sometimes because “sometimes we are so harsh on ourselves the ideas and projects we do never see the light of day. We have to let stuff go sometimes and invite others in, to help, critique, collaborate. We’re so good at crushing our own ideas before they can become anything.” He says that at the end of the day, it’s about being open – to opportunity, creativity, ideas, and working with others.
Open is available now on all good streaming sources with physical copies (12″ Vinyl) available from Bandcamp. Louis will be hitting the road for a few album release shows across NZ and Australia, for more info including how to buy tickets you can check out his website here.
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