We Say…
Lloyd’s House is in his own words, “the emotional, lo-fi pop journey” of Glagow-based songwriter Lloyd Ledingham. Somewhat unusually for a solo-artist, Lloyd’s primary instrument is the bass, adding his own spin on the classic bedroom-pop sound. Lloyd first emerged October last year with the debut single, This House, which was followed up at the end of January with his debut EP, We Could Be Friends, released through Corkscrew Records, home to the likes of Maeve Aickin and Lydia Deetz.
Whether enforced by the current climate or not, We Could Be Friends is a record that is epitome of intimate; recorded by Lloyd in his bedroom direct to 8-track mixer from the early noughties, with only the drums added later, recorded with two microphones in a local practice space. The result is a record that encourages the listener to come in close, to strain to make out Lloyd’s words atop the fuzzy layers of bass and distant cymbal heavy drums. Discussing the inspiration behind the record, Lloyd has suggested it’s about personal subjects, tackling themes of sexuality and coping with mental illness, favouring a brand of straight-talking honesty that fans of Elliott Smith or Phoebe Bridgers are bound to admire. While it might be a somewhat low-key affair, We Could Be Friends is not a record to be ignored, it feels like the start of something exciting and marks Lloyd’s House out as an artist well worth keeping an ear out for in the years to come.
They Say…
FTR: For those who don’t know who is Lloyd’s House?
My name is Lloyd and I make very DIY alt-pop music using mostly bass guitar. I’m a politics student living in Glasgow, which is supposed to be my main focus right now – although most of the time I’m thinking more about music. I record everything in my bedroom on a 2005 8-track mixer I bought, apart from the drums, which I use a not-very-sound-proofed rehearsal room for.
I’m super inspired by lo-fi and slowcore bands like Bedhead and Duster, huge fan of Steve Hartlett from Ovlov and Stove – I really admire the melodies he finds and the really fuzzy, warm sound on all of his songs. I play bass for a couple of bands too (The Kundalini Genie, Supercloud), but it was only around August/September last year I sort of realised I could work on my solo stuff in a more meaningful way. Currently, I have a single out called ‘This House’ which was very Duster-inspired. Now I feel like I’m going in more of a pop direction, my friend Loup described my music as ‘Pheobe Bridgers on crack,’ which I’d be very happy to adopt.
‘We Could Be Friends’ is my debut EP and releases on the 29th of January 2021 via Corkscrew Records. Pretty much all of it was recorded late at night in my bedroom, sitting at a little desk with my mixer and laptop open. The title track of the EP was the song I recorded first and is what inspired me to actually set out producing a full EP in the first place. It felt so good to just record/write with very little planning and expectation and I feel like the EP is really authentic because of that, it comes from a place closer to my heart than anything I’ve ever worked on.
A lot of my songwriting focuses on the issues I’ve had with mental illness and sexuality, so it definitely feels like a big jump to release a full project like this, but I’m super proud of it and really happy with how people have reacted to it so far! Massive thanks to Tanvi from Corkscrew Records for helping me with the release too, she’s been so supportive and kind throughout the whole process, it’s been such a nice experience.
FTR: What can you remember about your first show?
I’ve actually never played a show for my solo stuff at the moment since the pandemic made that a bit harder to realise. I should definitely give some props to Daniel Mutch from 432 Presents though, he’s been super helpful in booking shows for my music, even if it’s hard to know whether they’ll actually happen or not. Hopefully, this year will see some gigs again, so excited to play songs from the EP live and loud.
FTR: Why do you make music? Why not another art form?
While I do enjoy drawing, writing, dancing, poetry etc, I grew up listening to incredible music because of my parents. My mum has always been into soul & funk, Sister Sledge and Chic were a huge part of my childhood – probably why I decided to pick up the bass as well. I got into Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones from them too. I haven’t been songwriting for too long, but when Loup and I first started playing together back in 2018 I remember feeling this sort of spark, feeling completely free and getting lost in whatever weird stuff we were trying out. It’s moments like those that I like to search for, whether it be through recording, playing with other people or just playing my own songs in my room. At the end of the day, I feel like no one really chooses their art form, to me, it’s more of a growing process where you find out what your creative abilities are as much as you find out about yourself. Music has helped me find out a lot about myself.
FTR: What can people expect from the Lloyd’s House live show?
Bass. A lot of bass. Two to be exact. I’ll hopefully be recruiting some of my friends from other bands to help out with live shows, with a drummer and two bass players singing as well. The limitations of having no standard guitar means it’s a bit harder to get as clear a sound you’d get with a conventional sort of band set-up, but I’m hoping with the chords I’m playing it should sound pretty warm and powerful. I’ve been really enjoying playing some heavier stuff recently, so you can definitely expect a big sound for live shows!
FTR: What’s next for Lloyd’s House?
Currently, I’m in the midst of writing a lot more songs for a potential album. I’ve been listening to a lot of Beck and Ty Segall, and I reckon things might get a bit more experimental in the coming months. I really want to experiment with different recording methods too – just trying new things. You can definitely expect some different instrumentation, some more synths, some distortion, some more elaborate percussion. As much as I plan things out, I never really know where my music will end up. That’s the beauty of it though, it’s like listening back to a piece of personal history. I just want whatever I release to be as honest as possible.
They Listen To…
Duster – Heading For The Door
Bedhead – Bedside Table
Alex G – Kicker
Yo La Tengo – The Whole of The Law
Loup Havenith – HYPERSANE
We Could Be Friends is out now via Corkscrew Records. Click HERE for more information on Lloyd’s House.
For The Rabbits 