Barcelona-based, it takes a lot for Loverboy to get location envy – but Jessy Lanza just came through. While we’re melting in 30ºC+ heat, she’s curled up “in a kids’ treehouse in a little Californian suburban bubble just south of Silicon Valley.”  Que envidia me das, Jessy!

Today sees the release of her third excellent album, All The Time. A producer, song-writer and vocalist, Jessy pulls together influences from electronica, house & alterna-RnB to create an album with so many sonic layers to it that you hear more with every listen. We call Jessy to discuss the new album, Spinal Tap and the art of wood-burning.

First up, Jessy, you have Jean-Luc Picard as your What’s App profile image?!
I do! I forgot that I had him there! I was into the new Picard show! It’s not the best Picard but I’ll take it. Am I a Star Trek fan? I never got into Deep Space Nine or Voyager but definitely TNG, the films…yes, I’m a fan.

And is Picard your favourite character?
Actually no. I’m a big Deanna Troi fan.

I always had a huge crush on Riker and they ended up together so that works for me.
That confident swagger! The actor said he was bringing the spirit of John Wayne to the character and that he’d always straddle his chair like John Wayne was straddling a horse.

I can see it! Ok so, how are you feeling about the release of your new album?
Well, it got pushed back from the beginning of June to the end of July because of everything that was going on so now I am just really excited for people to hear it and spend time with it.

The album is called All The Time and I have come up with a wild theory I am praying is true! In 2016 you told Pitchfork that your life motto was, to quote Spinal Tap, ‘Have a good time, all the time.’ Please tell me I am right and this is the connection.
What?? What Spinal Tap quote did I reference? I love that movie but I don’t remember!!

Damn, and I was so sure I was right. Fake news!
Haha..no, it just came from this idea that I felt really exhausted after touring Oh No. I was also having problems in my relationship….the same problems I had had in every other relationship and I really just wanted to stop being creative. But I didn’t want to give up and kept thinking, ‘You have to keep working on yourself all the time – never stop being curious!’ I’m sounding like a self-help book now but all that stuff really helps!

It does and that definitely sounds about as far from a scene from Spinal Tap as is humanly possible! Do you have a favourite song on the album?
I listened to ‘Badly’ in my van quite a few times and was thinking, ‘This sounds really good driving’ and that made me happy. I think that other than in your house, driving in your car is probably the next place you are most likely to be listening to music.

‘Lick in Heaven’ was the first single. Um, can you explain that title to me?
It’s a bit silly. It was one of those project files that started out differently. I honestly have no idea why I named it that.

You’ve also said that in writing music you have accidentally written musical variations of ‘Love Come Down’ several times. This is no bad thing!
Yes, and I definitely think ‘Lick In Heaven’ is part of that journey – always trying to write that perfect RnB song.

It’s true, it works! ’Lick in Heaven….oooh you make me wanna lick in heaven…’
Totally! I’m just trying to fit that phrasing in!

Before Corona struck, you were set to tour with Yaeji which I was totally psyched about.
Yes! I was actually playing a show in London and it was announced that the US was going to close its borders, so we went home but I think the tour will be rescheduled.

That’s what I was wanting to hear. Amazing. What’s it like on tour? Do your fans bring you anything cool?!
I played Philadelphia a few years ago and this really sweet guy brought me one of those posable wooden mannequin hands. He’d done like a wood-burned portrait of me, in the hand. I was like, ‘Holy shit!’ I’m not sure why he chose that style, it was a really beautiful portrait though. I wasn’t familiar with the world of wood-burning until then! I was really touched that he had taken the time to do it. 

Finally, we are named after the biggest selling single of 2001. So we always ask everyone, what is your favourite Mariah song?
I would have to say ‘Dreamlover.’ I remember borrowing the Musicbox cassette from the library and photocopying the lyrics. I had a little Mariah Carey binder and would sit and sing along to all the songs. That was such a huge part of my childhood. It made me want to be a musician.

Amazing. And while we’re on the topic, I also know you are a huge Yellow Magic Orchestra fan and wondered if you knew about Mariah’s history with the band?
No!

Well, buckle up! When writing the song ‘Loverboy’, she wanted to sample Yellow Magic Orchestra’s ‘Firecracker’ but before she could license it, her ex-husband/head of Sony, nabbed it and had it used on his new protégé, Jennifer Lopez’s ‘I’m Real’ to sabotage Mariah’s career. In the end she went with Cameo’s ‘Candy.’ You can even hear fans’ mixes of how it should sound on YouTube.
Wow…I had no idea there was that overlap. That’s incredible. As soon as we finish I’m going to go explore.

Jessy’s new album, All The Time, is out now.
www.jessylanza.com