Atlas in Motion

Atlas in Motion first wows you with his vocals, followed by his orchestrations, then his lyrics, and then virtually everything else. At only 20 years old, the Atlanta-based artist has already been at it for five years; and, in this time, he’s certainly found his groove. The songwriter/producer seamlessly transitions between genres, awing you with the indie and pop rock influences of “well known” (with brakence and 50landing), then switching to the dreamlike LoFi sound heard in “Burgundy”. With over a million streams on Spotify and an impressive full-length debut album, Perpetually, Atlas in Motion’s already had his fair share of success. But, he’s not stopping; the rising star just released his EP, light leaks, in June. We recently spoke with the up and coming artist about his music production process, the method behind his lyricism, and more! 

How did you get started making music?

I've been playing and producing music for all of my life, but I think the moment I really started to take it seriously is when I realized that I could do it all myself. I don't need a band or a big studio, I could use my hand me down laptop to do what I wanted to do. I had full creative control, and the internet was there for any questions or problems that I had.

Where’s your go-to location when it’s time to write?

Well, nearly all of my songs are written and produced in my bedroom. But when I'm having some trouble writing, I've found that going outside with a notebook and a pen usually helps. When I sit in my room trying to write, it ends up being a staring contest between me and the pixels on my phone or computer, so it can be refreshing to go outside and hear the ambience or see the things that are happening in the world around me.

It’s collab time: who are you choosing to make a song with?

Evan Stephens Hall [of Pinegrove], for sure! The way he turns his ideas into words/lyrics is crazy, and his voice is amazing. I'd love to see a song of his come together from the very start of it, just to have some sort of insight to how he approaches songwriting.

Speaking of collabs, you’ve done such with artists like Brakence, 50Landing, Aldonico. What was the best part of the collaborative process? 

I think working on songs with other people ends up challenging you to be more creative, in a way. Not that creativity only comes when you're working collaboratively, but it brings out creativity that otherwise wouldn't be present. I mean, for example, when I initially sent the demo for "iso" to my friend Atlantic, it was completely different than the way it is now. He took what was originally a melancholy ballad and created this dark, distorted song that felt so unique and conveyed the lyrics of the song so much better. I love writing and producing my own songs, but when I bring something to other people and they add their own ideas and views and visions to it, you sometimes end up thinking to yourself, "Damn, why didn't I think of that?"

What was the inspiration behind your song "well known"?

A lot of the time when I come up with a lyric that I like, I'll jot it down in my phone's notes, and every now and then I'll scroll through them when I'm having trouble writing. One of those ideas I had written down was the first lyric of the song: "I don't wanna be well known, just wanna be known well." I sat on that lyric for well over a year before I came up with the right way to use it. Something clicked one day and ended up writing the rest of my lyrics in probably less than 15 minutes. I think it ended up being about a lot of things that we [brakence, 50landing, and myself] had been thinking over. Growing up, becoming more genuine and up front about ourselves. Lines like "truth be told I lie too much," "thought I'd die young," & "there's probably a lot that I should've done differently" aren't necessarily the most poetic lyrics, but I think they are some of the most honest lyrics in my music.

What does Atlas in Motion do outside of the studio?

Aside from finishing up school, not a ton! I spend a bit of time trying to branch out and find new artists and music. I've also recently been getting back into The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Such a solid game…

Any future projects for fans to get excited about?

Always! I am working on a project that will (hopefully) see the light of day before the end of 2020.