Q+A: LO VILLAGE

From their neo-soul melodies to their funky baselines, it’s hard to replicate what Lo Village does. The DMV-based, hip hop trio open up 2021 with a new EP Lost In America. The five-track project is a representation and a response to the civil unrest that has forced us all to take a step back and reflect on this past year. The first single off of the EP, “Terry Crews” helped build excitement around the already highly anticipated project. The track features production by frequent collaborator, Frankie Scoca, and was premiered by Zane Lowe. 

We talked to Ama, Kane, and Tyler about their different musical influences and how that helps them come together to make a sound that no other collective is putting out today.

Can we start off with an introduction?

Tyler- We group up in a small town in Montgomery Village [in Maryland]. Kane and I were in elementary school, we grew up together. Ama is Kane’s little sister. Growing up we always had a passion for music, and we decided to actually go full swing at it around 2013 and here we are. 

Growing up, did you guys listen to stuff, especially from being from the DMV area, that has an influence on what you’re creating now? 

Ama- Yeah, we all thankfully have pretty versatile influences. All of our parent’s kind of influenced us one way or another, especially our older relatives with the music they were playing in the house. That and the mainstream music that was “cool” back in the day when we were younger. 

Kane- Specific to the DMV we definitely came up on Wale. He’s from the area. Go-go music as well, which is a different type of music but is still big over here in the DMV. It hasn’t been as big over the past 10 years, but more popular when we were younger, during the middle school high school days. 

Since you all have different influences does that ever create creative clashes between the three of you? 

A- I think it is the reason why we have such a different sound. We all can pick and choose from different time periods or different eras of music. It benefits us more instead of working against us.  

Your It Takes A Village EP increased your traction within and outside of the music industry, and you worked with Frankie Scoca, an amazing producer, on all of the tracks. Going into your new project was there a different creative approach? 

K- Definitely, it was a time of uncertainty. We are in a pandemic. The world, more specifically, Americans have lost their minds. It lends itself to a lot of content, you know? We had a lot of different perspectives individually. It got us on this path to try to come up with a concept for a project rather than just making music and see how to connect the music that’s already created. 

Definitely. This year has shed a lot of light on pre-existing issues to the point where people’s silence is seen as compliance. A lot of your songs already touch on these themes, especially “NERD” for example. Were the ideas for the tape already on the backburner and 2020 enforced you guys to speak upon it?

A- I don't know necessarily that it always was the plan, but I think that with it being so prevalent in our society right now and everything going on it was like how could you not say something?

K-Yeah I feel like we’ve been talking about dropping gems about this type of content, this subject matter, the entire time. Like you pointed out in “NERD”, we’ve always been talking about it in a more micro version. The landscape of things gave us the platform to really go fully in on this type of subject matter without holding back. So just like Ama was saying, it wasn’t planned like this we just grew into it. We found our purpose as musicians. I don’t want to talk for all of us, but I feel like that is what happened. 

Do you guys have your own concepts already when you go into the studio? Do you like to bring in other collaborators at the start, or closer to when a track is finished? 

T- I think what makes the creative process so unique in our case is that we don’t really go in with a set plan. We go in more feeling the vibes of the song, the vibes of the beat, and having it just speak to us. We also like having different elements, and when I say different elements, I mean three different people, three different voices, three different sounds. It is also three different ideas. It is one of those things where we throw a bunch of stuff at the wall and whatever sticks we go with. 

Frankie has always been just an awesome producer, so we rely on him a lot. He’s always delivered. I don’t want to say we go into a track saying, “hey let’s see what Frankie thinks or let’s see what beat Frankie can produce”, but we definitely always run it by him. He’s a great producer. 

In 2020 you already have an Insecure placement and a Zane Lowe premiere under your belt. With this new EP, what do you have your sights on next? 

K- The Chip.

A- What does that mean, elaborate?

K- I don’t know what it is yet, but we will know it when we have it. We got to bring the championship home. 

A- I think we can all answer this question separately because we all have different goals individually, but what Kane was just saying what that really means is that we all want to make the DMV proud. We all want to put Maryland on the map. That is the type of thing I want for this year, especially because we can’t tour right now.

How much of a priority do you put into your visuals and social media usage to shape your artistry?

K- Initially we put a lot into our visuals and our presence through social media. However, I feel like for this project especially, we took a step back and really immersed ourselves within the music first. Then the visuals kind of presented themselves. The dots were being connected for us. They came together more naturally now whereas before we had to put a lot more intention and time into it.

Is there one specific track off of the new EP that you’re most excited for people to hear?

A- Well my favorite song on the tape is probably “Terry Crews”, but that is already out. I would say I’m excited for people to hear “Sick”, which is the first song on the tape because I really like the instrumentation. It is a good introduction to where the project is going.

T- I’m just excited for everyone to hear what we did, especially my mom because she is going to get excited. 

K- I’m excited for everyone to hear the progression. I don’t really have a specific song to isolate. I think it is the whole experience, and I think everyone will really enjoy it.

Who are you guys listening to?

T- Smino. I’ve been listening to a lot of Raphael Saadiq lately.

K- I’ve been listening to the new Cudi a lot, even though I only listen to two or three songs, I’ve been listening to him. I’ve been listening to Curren$y, that girl Tems my sister put us all onto, and Mayer Hawthorne.

A- I’ve been listening to a lot of Jazmine Sullivan.

Heaux Tales is amazing.

A- Yes, I’m obsessed with it. I’ve also been listening to Mac Ayers.