Photo Credit: choob (@choob.cc)
By Alissa Arunarsirakul // December 8, 2020
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Colby Lafayette quite yet, all you need to know about him is that he’s a musical genius. Working from his home studio, Lafayette prides himself on treating us to experimental anti-pop fit for the gods. To prove this to you, we invite you to spin Lafayette’s stellar new EP, SO BAD.
On SO BAD, Colby Lafayette reflected,
“‘SO BAD’ out everywhere now. By far my favorite idea that we brought to life. choob and I locked in to make the record almost entirely in May. ‘SO BAD SO WHAT’ was the last track, which ended up being made three days before we had to turn it in for release. That’s how the title came to be.”
To celebrate the release of his new music, we recently chatted with Colby Lafayette about home studios, quarantine, and of course, SO BAD.
HH: Rumor has it you got your start in a makeshift basement studio. Did you ever expect your career to become what it is now?
CL: It’s a little hard to answer because the vision changed as time went on. I always believed I would be successful in music and have fans that love what I do, but I achieved that in many ways earlier than expected. I still do everything in my home studio, when I was younger I envisioned being in a real studio. I was unaware of the quality that could be achieved from anywhere you want if you work at it. Plus I’m more comfortable here, maybe because I did so much from home when I first started.
HH: What’s it like to have such a great artistic partner like choob?
CL: In many ways, he’s the entire reason I am where I am now. In high school, he must’ve seen that I had untapped potential and kind of steered me into producing. He even helped me discover my voice. We work really close on all of the music start to finish, but it’s honestly only recently that we have really found our stride when working together. We spent probably close to three or four years trying to figure it out and now it seems like it was always meant to be this way. He’s got the eyes and ears that were necessary to get us to the next step. That’s my brother.
HH: With six eclectic tracks, SO BAD is an absolute masterpiece. What challenges did you face while creating this record?
CL: When the lockdown happened, I had an EP almost ready to go that we decided to shelf for the time being. SO BAD started on May 2nd and was essentially finished the first week of June. It was a super creative time during quarantine, but it obviously was surrounded with uncertainty and anxiety of being shut into the house for months. With almost anything that we make, the hardest part is usually making every song as good as the one before and after. Getting the last song, which was “SO BAD SO WHAT,” took the longest time because the rest of the project was so solid. It was like a puzzle.
HH: “SO BAD SO WHAT” was created just a few days before the deadline. Is there anything you’d change about the track if you had more time?
CL: I love the song. I don’t think there’s anything I would change creatively. If we had more time to sit on the mix and master, I think that would be it.
HH: Which song on the EP resonates with you the most?
CL: In honesty, it changes with the times. Usually my newest song is what feels the best; once the dust settles a little more, I’m able to find some hidden love or qualms with the music. Right now I think I can say that “BUMPIN 16’S” is the best song. As far as my vocal performance, the lyrics and the overall flow of it. choob has been on a “BETTER” kick.
HH: SO BAD is all about reflection and nostalgia. What’s been your best and worst memory of 2020?
CL: It’s been a wild year. There have been enough ups and downs for a lifetime. The year has been honestly one of the best of my life for personal growth. I wish I could give something more specific, but it has been more about the sections of time rather than individual moments.
HH: If you could collaborate with anyone in the music industry, who would it be?
CL: Frank Ocean or Kanye. I would love to be included in one of their projects. I feel as if they both can facilitate amazing collaborations and work with artists that make sense. It makes the songs sound really natural.
HH: What are your hidden hits?
CL: “OutOfTheBlu” by Dave Coresh
“Dayjob” by Daniel Price
“If I Die” by City James
“Easy” by Devin Tracy
These are also the homies.
The Hidden Hits 