John MacLane

Photo Credit: Michael Cully

John MacLane’s only got four songs out, but has set up a masterfully intricate design between them, something I first noticed when looking at the album cover. Each cover has the same underlying design: a scenic background with a shaded silhouette of MacLane’s side profile. And yet, each background is a different season. The Atlanta native first released “I Don’t Want to Change You,” his debut single, this year, its cover donning a winter background. Next came “You Won’t” (spring), followed by “Leaves” (fall), and, most recently, “This Feels Fun” (summer), released October 1st. A beautiful mix of static, smooth vocals, steady drums, and digitized instrumentation, all four of MacLane’s songs take on this common style, delving based on the “season.” His winter hit starts out slightly slower and more gloomy, while summer starts out more upbeat. Towards the end of the song, however, all four delve into the shared style. Whether this is intentional or not, I can’t say, of course, but it sure seems brilliant. We recently spoke with John MacLane about all things songwriting, who’s shaped his sound, and more!

How did you get started making music?

I have an identical twin brother who’s also a musician, and we both started music lessons when we were 5. We both played in tons of different bands throughout elementary school/high school. In college, we formed a band with some other University of Georgia students and were lucky enough to tour while in school. When I wasn't playing with the band or busy with school, I was learning music production and writing my own music on the side. I picked up FL Studio after hearing Porter Robinson’s album Worlds. I soon switched over to Ableton, where I do all of my production currently. 

What made 2020 the year to start releasing your songs?

I had constantly been working on music that I was too shy to release, but I was thankfully pushed by my incredibly supportive family and friends to start releasing songs this year.

Your music is unique in the sense every one of your releases has covered a different part of the "indie-pop" genre. From the more rock-based sound of "You Won't" to the more experiential "I Don't Want To Change You", what has led you to take these different approaches in your music?

It seems like everyday I’m inspired by a different sound or style. I never want to be pigeonholed in a particular genre. I feel like getting out of my comfort zone with writing and production also helps me to learn different skills and techniques that I can incorporate into a more unifying theme under this project.

Let's talk about your songwriting process. How does the typical John MacLane song come to be?

Typically, I start writing by playing the piano and singing. I write and record simultaneously so that I can try to capture  good emotion. Melody is always a priority of mine, although I’m starting to focus more currently on bringing written words to music. Once I have a lead vocal track and some sort of harmony from the piano, I try to produce the track out as much as possible in one session. 

Is there a certain go-to location that you go to when its time to write?

I feel pretty comfortable writing wherever and don’t really have a go-to spot beyond the bedroom where my gear is set up at the moment. My writing is definitely a product of my environment though. I’ve been alone for all of the writing that I’ve done for this project. Being alone allows me to take some risks that I wouldn’t otherwise, but I’m also looking forward to collaborating more in the future. 

"Leaves" is yet another example of your fluidity as an artist. What was the inspiration for the track?

“Leaves” was one of the first songs that I wrote when I left the band that I formerly played in. To me, it feels like an acknowledgement of the beauty in the changing seasons that I neglected when I was touring. I was also spending more time in school and that meant lots of Lofi Hip Hop was in rotation hahaha.

Which artists to credit for shaping your sound?

The 1975, Brakence, Jeremy Zucker, Porter Robinson, Macseal, nothing, nowhere. 

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

I’d love to be able to control time. Would be nice to slow things down a bit. 

What's next for John MacLane?

EP coming soon!