Lanie Lane brings sassy, smokey and sultry sound of the bygone era back to the surface with her rich jazz vocals and earthy grace and charm. After winning a slot in the Triple J Unearthed competition, she gained attention as the voice accompanying Mr. Tim Rogers on You Am I’s single ‘Trigger Finger’. She has performed to sold out shows at Sydney Festival and Adelaide Fringe, collaborated with Clare Bowditch and signed onto Ivy League Records. Now she is bound for Big Sound…
How would you sum up Lanie Lane in three words?
Sing. Song. Sung
You’re about to fly up to Brisbane to play a showcase at the Big Sound Conference. In what ways will the MusicNSW Quick Response funding support you in getting there?
If you don’t apply for the funding, then you have no chance of receiving it, so what have you got to lose? It’s great to be given some assistance wherever possible from people or organisations who believe in what you do. No one can succeed without the help of others!
You’re musical influences are obviously rooted in blues, jazz, folk and soul. How do you go about taking classic sounds of the 30s, 40s and 50s and making them your own?
It’s important for me not to just ‘replicate’ a sound that’s been done before. I like making things sound like me and my band and the way we play together as a unit means that no-one else will sound just like us! Of course I adore the old-time music but I have to stay true to my own style and voice.
You are obviously influenced by female jazz icons like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone. Are there any Sydney female artists that inspire you?
I have always been the biggest fan of the incredible Elana Stone. Vocally, she always does it for me. It’s one of the most versatile voices I’ve ever heard. Powerful, strong and gritty, yet subtle and soft. I have been watching and learning from her since I was about 17. Any chance I’ve got, I’ve always gone to her gigs and have even had a few lessons off her (one of the very few people I’ve let give me vocal lesson!).
What is your favourite venue in Sydney to play in and why?
For small venues I love playing at The Vanguard and before it closed, Raval was a very important place to play for me. It’s a wonderful experience to take to the stage at The Enmore or watch a band there.
Sydney’s music venue ‘crisis’ is seemingly the talk of the town, reasserted by Tone’s recent announcement of closure. As an Artist regularly playing around Sydney, how has your band been affected by the venue ‘crisis’? Would you describe it as a crisis or rather simply a temporary transition between the demise of old venues and the rise of a new generation of performance spaces?
It’s always sad to see another venue close down. I don’t think generalising the situation by calling it a crisis is valid, as there are plenty of places for acts to play. Maybe people just need to book further in advance in the meantime. I believe that things always run in cycles and maybe this will inspire a new approach and outlook on the way people start up and run venues in Sydney. I myself have luckily not had any gigs cancelled by the recent closures in venues, but have been sad to hear of venues such as Raval shutting earlier this year as this was one of the most beautiful intimate venues around town. There does seem to be a lack of venues of certain capacities for example 500-750 and I hope to see more of these sized capacity venues open in Sydney.
Last year you performed at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, toured with UK’s Eliza Doolittle and you’ve recently won a spot on the 2011 Big Day Out line-up, thanks to Triple J Unearthed. Are there any other new projects or tours are on the horizon?
A lot has happened in the last year, it’s hard to fathom! All I want now is to release my album, I’ve waited a long time and it’s all about to happen on October 14th. It’s titled ‘To The Horses’ and I’m so happy and proud to show it to the world! My first headline tour will take place in October and Nov and I’ll be taking my band along to play the music from the album. I have also just released a 7” single produced by Jack White in his Nashville studio. The A side is called ‘Ain’t Hungry’ and The B side is ‘My Man’. These singles are only available on Vinyl and through iTunes which makes it very special. I’m so honoured to be the only Aussie to have put out one of these releases through his label Third Man Records and be produced by him.