(Photo property of Jess Baumung & courtesy of All the Best Media)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
It is a pleasure to welcome to Canadian singer-songwriter Lucas DiPasquale to Jake’s Take.
Since he started playing the guitar at 8-years-old, Lucas began his follow his passion and recorded videos of cover songs and posted them on his Facebook and YouTube channels, while he pursued his studies at Ryerson University’s Radio and Television Arts program. Lucas’ life changed when he posted a mash-up of Jamaican artist Popcaan went viral. The dance hall singer took him under his wing and the duo recorded the hit track: “No Talking.”
As he began to collaborate with other dance hall artists such as Stylo G, Kardinal Offishall, Konshens, and Assassin, Lucas’ music videos amassed over 1.5 million views on his YouTube channel and his music was streamed over 1.6 million times on Spotify and was named one of the music streaming service’s spotlight artists. In addition to his achievements, Lucas’ music has gained the attention of major media sites including BuzzFeed, The FADER, The Guardian, and PopWrapped. Lucas also performed at major music festivals such as the United Kingdom’s Notting Hill Carnival, Toronto’s Reggae Fest and the South by Southwest Official Showcase.
In this edition of The Five Question Challenge, Lucas talked about his songwriting process and shared his latest single: “Pager.”
Jacob Elyachar: When did you get interested in music? How did that passion evolve into a desire to having a career in the music industry?
Lucas DiPasquale: I have been heavily invested in music since LimeWire. I was probably 7 when I started downloading music and forming opinions on which was the best. I started covering songs I listened to at the beginning of high school because I had a guitar that I did not know how to play – it was a good way to learn chords and continue my progress. Also, girls liked it. My friend, Kelly, and I started a YouTube channel (thelitewerk) where we would upload duet covers. Doing that increased my desire to have original music because of the volume of covers on YouTube, and I ended up getting some offers into the industry off the back of a Popcaan cover I did. I have always wanted to write my music and put it out, but I had to get to a point where that seemed plausible to start the process. I should have started when I started learning how to play and sing!
JE: Could you describe your songwriting process to my readers?
LDP: I am not the authority on this one. Usually, I will start with a riff on the guitar, writing lyrics over top of whatever hits me the most. Song ideas often come from whatever I am experiencing in my life at the time. A riff with some bars will either evolve into a full song or just sit in my notes until I find somewhere to use it. I am playing a lot of catch-up now regarding writing, but I am starting to see progress. Most writers I aspire to be like are either rappers or acoustic singer-songwriters, and since I see myself sort of in the middle, my process draws from both. A few songs have started with random vocal hooks that I make up at a random point in my life, and I think those are the best ones. Songwriting is a weird and fragile process for me, so it is very exciting when I am completely confident about even the most minuscule parts of a song.
JE: Let’s talk about your latest single: “Pager.” What is the story behind the song?
LDP: I started writing that song in first-year university. It is a reflection of the kinds of people you begin to meet when you leave high school and branch out into a bigger world. I was delighted to meet some individuals who made me want to be better, and stay focused on the cultivating parts of my life – my family, my friends, and my craft. I also met people who embodied the exact opposite vibe. When I began travelling to Jamaica, I got the same feelings from the island – “mannas an respect”. I met a lot of really cool people who gave me not only the inspiration for the message (and the patois) but the confidence in myself to put forward my opinion on how to live.
JE: Which singers, songwriters, and producers are on your “dream collaborators” list? How do you think these people will help you grow as an artist?
LDP: In no particular order, Andre 3000, Justin Vernon, Pusha T, James Blake, Chance The Rapper, Anderson Paak, Ben Howard, Charles Bradley, Damian Marley, Ben Gibbard, Dallas Green, Young Jeezy, K-OS, Kendrick Lamar, Loyle Carner, Childish Gambino, Dr. Dre and Kanye West. I could go on for a while in all three categories. I do not even necessarily know what I would want to make with some of them, but I am a fan of all of them.
JE: If you had the chance to meet with aspiring singer-songwriters who want to have a career in the music industry, what advice would you share with them?
LDP: Start writing right now. Do not wait until someone else tells you that you can write because you can. Every song you write that you hate is a step towards a song that you like. You need to develop a sound before you get into the industry because the best thing you can hope to be is sure of yourself once you are in. If you are confident and you know what kind of music you want to make, the process will be a hundred times smoother. Do not shape yourself in the likeness of other artists you think are cool, the best kind of cool is a confident you!
For more information about Lucas, visit his website!
To connect with Lucas on social media, visit his Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube channels.
