What makes “Fishing for Promises” different from your past releases?
This song is rawer and more vulnerable than any of my other songs. It is more of an exposure of my insides. I actually re-recorded the vocals after our studio session because I wanted it to sound more fragile, and in the studio, I was trying to sing too pretty. This version of the song felt like it took more courage to share. It is the kind of song that needs to be sat with.
Can you describe the concept behind the track?
It is a song about feeling misunderstood. I wrote it at a time when I was trying to figure out how to ask someone if we could try again, without making them feel like I was heaping expectations on things. While still being honest that I was hopeful it would work out. It felt like an impossible thing to communicate, and the song explores what I would honestly say if I had the courage to lay it all out there and not scare them off. Sad thing is, I never got the chance to say any of it.
How would you describe your artistic evolution throughout your career?
Wow, that is a tough one to answer! I think I have always prided myself on being uncategorizable, unpredictable. And betting on myself to succeed at something I have never done before. Many of my most fulfilling moments have come from taking a sharp left turn when my career was going a certain way. I love to tell emotional stories and connect to people but I have learned there are many ways I want to do that. Whether it is switching from Shakespeare to musical theatre, to then focusing on TV and Film, or now focusing on songwriting with the release of this album, I thrive on change. As soon as something feels too familiar that is when it is time to shake it up. And surprising I, and others, is one of the most satisfying feelings.
What has been the biggest change in your life over the past year?
I think I would have to say my sense of self. It has been a really big year on many levels. Some career triumphs but also some deep personal struggles. All of it has taught me how to home in on who I really am. The thing that exists underneath all the ego, the fear, the anxiety, and whatever other people want to tell me to be. But what is left when I tune out all that noise. It has been a vital thing for my creativity, and it has taught me a lot about what really matters and what does not, what is worth my energy and what is not.
What song by another artist do you wish you had written?
I love this question. The sign of a genuinely great song is one you wish you had written. I think right now I would have to say “Jealous” by Labrinth. But I am sure the answer would change depending on when you ask me. “Bad Religion” by Frank Ocean is another one.
How did you first start making music?
I used to only play music for myself. Covering songs that spoke to me. But I was pretty private about it. At most I would play around campfires or in my room for a friend. I would dabble in writing my own songs, but never share them. It was not until I did a production of Once, and was playing in a band every night, and also telling a story about a guy who finds the courage to share his own music, that I decided to put myself out there and record a single. That first studio session was a game changer, and even though it took me 6 years to get back into a studio and record more, that experience really paved the way
What would you consider your top contemporary influences?
Glen Hansard is a big one, and Damien rice. They started it all for me. Over the years bands like Wilco, Bon Iver, and Arcade Fire have influenced me a lot, and other folk artist like Ray Lamontagne, or the Civil Wars. But lately I have really been getting a lot of inspiration from pop artists like James Blake, Frank Ocean, Dijon, Adele. Even if my music does not end up sounding like theirs it still influences the way I write and the way I sing, and I love how it creates a kind of genre bending sound in the songs I make.
Is there a story behind why you started playing?
I always loved to sing. When I was in high school, I was in a band but did not play anything. And then when I was twenty, Damien Rice’s first album ‘O’ came out. I cannot remember being so affected by a record before that. His songs were so deeply emotional and cathartic, it made me wish I could play guitar, just so I could sing his songs. Then I was asked if I wanted a guitar for my 21st birthday and I realized the best way to learn guitar was to own one!! So that was the beginning of my guitar playing. Piano came much later though. Actually, I more or less taught myself how to play during the first lockdown, by writing the songs that became my upcoming album. All the free time and isolation during the pandemic made me just sit at my keyboard and work new songs over and over. Mainly because I was not good enough to play other people’s songs. It is surprising to me that most of my songs now are piano songs, when I have been a guitar player for most of my life.
And finally, where can readers keep up with what you are doing?
You can find most info on my website at ianlake.com. There’s links there to my socials and news about upcoming shows and where to find my music. I have also got a show in Toronto on April 22nd at the Dakota Tavern, to celebrate the release of my album, so be sure to check it out if you are in the area!
