Neil MacLeod on his latest EP ‘We Have Known Lost Days’

Wellington based artist and producer Neil MacLeod’s cinematic indie-electronica brings you into a wondrous sonic space that you will have never known existed. With expertly manipulated vocals and the heavy use of distortion amongst moments of fragility, his fresh and deeply emotive sound in his latest EP ‘We Have Known Lost Days’ makes this one of our favourite projects released this year.

Hey Neil, thanks so much for taking the time to chat to us! First of all, we'd love to know about your musical journey from when you first started singing and making music?

Thank you for having me! I suppose everything started with singing. I sang all throughout my childhood, both alone and in choirs. I was eventually introduced to music production in high school, which changed everything for me. I've basically just been learning as much as I can since then - trying to develop a deeper understanding of both songwriting and music production. I'm totally obsessed with bringing the sounds in my head out into the world.

Congratulations on your new absolutely mind-blowing EP ''We Have Known Lost Days"! How did you land on the name of it and what were your main artistic influences going into this project?

Thank you so much! The name was actually suggested by my manager, and it was an immediate winner. The title draws from lyrics in the closing track ’Once in Love’ - it just felt, and feels so relevant. Covid had settled in and a lot was changing for us on an individual level, too. Now - two and a bit years later - I think many of us feel that we've known some lost some days there. As far as artistic influences, I was listening to a lot of heavy-hitting electronic stuff and heaps of modern classical stuff at the time.

'Openly' is one of our favourite tracks of yours and the song that first introduced us to your music! Can you tell us about the concept of 'Openly' and what inspired you to write it?

‘Openly’ is an interesting song to talk about in terms of the inspiration behind it; because on an external level, there was none. I was driving home in heavy traffic when a rush of melodies and production ideas started flooding in. I pulled out my phone and recorded myself singing and talking through the ideas as they arose (which ended up being heavily sampled in the final version). After that, I had to work backwards; chopping up that phone recording - trying to decode the words, the meaning and the direction of the song. Months later, after many iterations and contributions from my co-producer and the session pianist, ‘Openly’ was finished.

That’s incredible! And another electrifying track of yours that we love is 'Downwards' which starts off the EP, and again showcases your captivating vocals and soul-hitting production style. What was the writing and production process for this track?

'Downwards' started with an electronic piece of mine that featured a massive bass section. I sent that section to Devin (the co-producer) and he sent back a version with synths and drums. From there we went back and forth until eventually the entire beat/instrumental had come together. Interestingly the vocals/lyrics were the last piece of the puzzle to solve … but I enjoyed that - because it allowed for the sonics and production to influence my decision making.

Absolutely! This EP not only takes us into your mesmerising sonic universe, but you've got a full visual EP on the way to compliment this stunning body of work which we are so excited for! What was the inspiration behind creating visuals for this?

For this EP we wanted to show people that the music could be played live. Live electronic music has the capacity to really cut through emotionally, and my band and I wanted to showcase that. We then reached out to Oscar Keys (the director of the visual EP) who (alongside an incredible team of audio/visual experts) helped us capture our live show in a way that would provide people with a fresh and exciting alternative way to experience the EP.

What were your main highlights working on the album?

For me, the highlight is the satisfaction that comes with releasing something that required risk and sacrifice. I've poured so much into this body of work and I feel that I took some creative risks, which I'm very proud of. It's nice to know that you can push yourself and learn from doing what you love.

100%! Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now and are there any songs in particular that you especially love?

There are many amazing artists in NZ right now. One artist I've been listening to a lot recently is Vayne. Her songs 'waitwait!' & 'Brand New Baguettes' are in heavy rotation. Also, I can't miss the opportunity to shout out my good friends 2XM who've just put out two new singles 'Hear My Call' and 'Jesper'! I was lucky enough to mix their new LP and I can't wait for the world to hear it.

Yes, we love both those artists too! What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt in your career so far, and what advice do you have for other artists out there?

I've learnt so much and have so much yet to learn, so it feels strange to offer advice. I do believe that when it comes to making art you need to fill the well. If you want to do this as a job, then you need to look after yourself. I'm learning more and more just how vital my overall health and wellbeing is for a sustainable creative practice. It's not the most glamorous perspective, but I believe it to be true. Making art is a struggle, and self nourishment to sustain that creation is important.

We totally agree that you need to invest in yourself and fill your cup before you can create to your best ability. Lastly, we end every interview with this question - if you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?

Never stop learning.

Thanks so much Neil! Make sure you keep up with him on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify or Apple Music.