Interview: LoVel Talks Creative Process, Audio Engineering, Music Placements In TV, Working In The TV/Film Industry, Working With Fetty Wap, & More.

Harlem-based artist LoVel talks his creative process, influence, new challenges in the studio, Audio engineering, working with Fetty Wap, music placements in television, working in the TV/Film industry, and more!

Interview by: Alex Henein

AH: Where are you from and where are you currently living?

 LoVel: I’m from Harlem, NY. Born and raised, hah. And I’m still out here now.

 AH: What’s your creative process?

 LoVel: Man I just sit and create. Wish I had a more profound answer, hah. I like to keep things as organic as possible. If a producer sends me tracks to work on, I record ideas I have for those tracks on my first listen. More times than none, that reflexive reaction is the best one.

AH: Who influenced your style? How do you separate yourself from other artists?

LoVel: I came from a gospel focused mom and a jazz loving dad, hah. Crazy blend. But I guess you can say off rip my taste had to be kind of eclectic.  So I was getting my fix of Coltrane during the week and then getting Kirk Franklin and Michael Speaks every Sunday.

 I feel like the separation thing comes just from being an individual organically. We’re all naturally born different but we choose to conform. If you embrace your individuality, you’ll always separate yourself.

AH: Do you prefer a particular art form – emceeing or engineering?

LoVel: It’s all about balance. Sometimes I’m in the mood to write, sometimes I want to produce, and sometimes I’ll spend a day mixing. They’re all different art forms in their own right.

AH: What are new challenges when you step in the studio?

LoVel: I think the challenge is always inspiration. During these times, we’re living amongst a lot of distraction. With Covid, shutdowns, and quarantining, it’s easy to lose sight of our true inspiration. We got to do our best to separate ourselves from negativity and let it all fuel us. Inspire us.

AH: Top three music influencers?

LoVel: Michael Jackson hands down number one. Musiq Soulchild was someone I looked up to at a young age so he’s up there. And I’ll throw Drake up there too. Got to respect his impact and consistency.

AH: Tell us about your single “Juicy” –  What was the inspiration behind the song? Expectations are always high when remaking legendary records.

LoVel: Honestly speaking, the Biggie reference wasn’t on purpose. It just came to me. When I finished the record, I sent it to my guy, 87rich. He listened and off rip said “Oh nah! You gotta drop that on BIG’s birthday.” I was like “say less”, hah.

AH: When did you first get into audio engineering and how long did it take until you were comfortable with the craft?

LoVel: So when I was a kid, maybe like 13 or 14, my mom took me to a studio for a couple hours to record a song I wrote. Once I stepped in, I was like a kid in a candy store. At the end of the session she goes, “I can only afford this this one time. But now you know what you need to learn.” She wanted to make sure I knew every side of the creative process so that I’d have no roadblocks or obstacles. You know? I didn’t realize the value of that perspective then, but I appreciate it so much now.

 So after that, I did anything I could to just figure it out. Got a job, bought the gear I needed, and just started recording. First myself then anyone who had something to lay down, hah. I got good enough to actually make it a business by the time I was in college.

AH: Tell us about the time you worked with Fetty Wap. How was it being in that environment and seeing his success early in his career?

LoVel: We linked up early in his career. Right when Trap Queen took off. He’s talented. That whole squad is actually. Him, Monty, M80, all real good people. But yea, he threw a verse on one of my records, The Move. I remember he was singing harmonies outside of the booth when we were listening back and when heard I looked over. He was like, “Should I add those?”. Off rip I said “Hell yea!”, hah. Good vibes.

AH: In March 2017 we posted your record “Somebody” on the YouTube channel – in 2019, It was featured in “How High 2.” How did the opportunity come up?

LoVel: First of all, appreciate y’all for posting it back then. Most people don’t know that I started my career tv and film, engineering and writing for movies and tv shows. So I’m always doing tv work here and there. It felt good to blend that world with my artist world. They always ran parallel until that placement.

AH: Since having your song “Somebody” featured in “How High 2”, what new opportunities have you gained since? 

LoVel: That record actually ended up getting placed in another movie over in the Netherlands. So I’ve been getting some love out that way. It’s also just opened the door for me to place more personal records in a mainstream world. Big blessing.

AH: How did you get into the TV/film industry and when did you start?

LoVel: I started out interning for a music house when I was maybe 18 or 19. After about 3 months, I got an opportunity to run session for one of our clients. Somebody else messed up apparently, hah. Then they started contracting me for work more and more. Small work at first but they ultimately decided to give me an office and have me start writing for/working with bigger clients.

AH: How does the process work of artists having their songs placed in TV/Movies?

LoVel: It’s all about network. Meet people in the field, leave a lasting impression and stay ready for opportunities.

AH: With COVID-19 precautions, what have you had to do differently to continue your career and your creative process?

LoVel: Like I said earlier, just stay inspired. These are rough times for a lot of people. But we also have to acknowledge how much time we’ve been given back. Time to reflect and gain perspective. Time to appreciate our loved ones. And time to find inspiration in the little things.

AH: What should we expect next?

LoVel: I definitely have some new music on the way before the summer hits. And I’m wrapping the next project up. Real excited about that, hah.

Listen to LoVel’s latest single “High Rated” below!