CMA Fest 2024: Chat With LECADE

1) From making music in your basement to a record deal. You officially announced signing with Big Machine this past November. Label head Scott Borchetta loved your unique approach to songwriting and recording. Talk about that writing and recording process for you and what it looks like.

I was never really that interested in making music until I got to be like 14, but I would go on YouTube and find tracks that people made. I wouldn’t play on any of them myself, but you could find tracks on YouTube that were free for you to use and to make music on. So, I would find guitar loops and write lyrics over the top of them.

Then when I got to be 18/19, that’s when I really decided to take a stab at doing country music. Luckily enough, the first country song that I actually ever did, I posted on social media and people loved it and received it very well.

I still use that same process now, just finding stuff on YouTube and dropping lyrics on it.

2) Upon the announcement, you simultaneously released “Next Town Over.”  What about that song do you really feel provided a great showcase of who you are and what you do for those who might have been hearing you for the first time?

I felt like that song was a little different than what I was used to putting out, lyrically especially. It showed some diversity and I felt like it could attract some new sets of fans and build on top of what we already had. But it was also close enough in sound so that the OG fans would enjoy it.

3) Earlier this year, you followed-up with “Bed We Made.” As you launch into this next chapter of music, what unique flavors within that song (in particular) do you really feel helped make you stand out from other modern era contemporaries?

That was actually one of the first songs I wrote when I came to town two years ago, but a lot of it is just freestyled. That’s just how I was used to writing, so I really feel like that one shows the old process a lot. I was just throwing things at the wall with the writing on that one to see what stuck and what sounded good in the melody.

4) Just this past week, you dropped a new single called “You Get Me.” Tell us about that song. What similar characteristics does it carry in comparison to the previous releases, but also how does it stand out apart from them?

It’s very different for me. That one was more recently written, once I was here and had wrapped my head around the writing process of making things flow together better, make sense, and using the right syllables so that everything comes together tightly; making sure that the music is matching the lyrics.

“You Get Me” really represents my growth as a songwriter and how much I’ve learned about writing, and about music in general. I’m really happy with it, and it is really different for me, but it’s definitely one of my favorites that I’ve put out in the past year.  

5) Your influences run the gamut from rock to hip-hop to country, but one that we want to hear more about is your own dad’s influence. Take us into what it was like to be around him and his band growing up and into the moment when you knew music was what you wanted to do.

It impacted me a lot. I heard every country song that I know because of my dad. He played in cover bands his whole life. You know, he never came here to town to try the artist thing; just loved music. He loves the old school country and stuff.

When you have a guy in a small town that can play guitar, the whole town would have him play every kind of event and so I grew up seeing my dad play all these different events in town. I was always there watching, and it was very inspiring. Even now, my dad is 53 and is still out there doing it. Now that I live here, he’s come up here more and he actually got to play at Tootsie’s. He’s in heaven about that.

6) CMA Fest is such a wonderful time of year for the artist and fans to come together as one big thank you note to each other. What are you most excited about with being a part of it this year?

I’m really looking forward to the shows; those are obviously always so much to get to play. But honestly, I’m really looking forward to watching some other artists play. It’s really a big learning experience for me. I’m pretty new to it all, so to be able to watch these other artists who have done it hundreds of times is a really big opportunity for me to see what they do, how they act on stage.

7) We have so many aspiring songwriters and artists that read our website, so we always like to end by asking this…what is the best piece of advice you can offer?

I’m going to steal from Hardy; one of the greatest writers here. Burn the Boats!

If you’re coming here and this is a dream, but you’re not so sure of it yet…make this your plan A and make it your only plan. When you only have a plan A, then you’ll figure out how to make that plan work.

(Interview by: Jeffrey KurtisPhoto c/o Big Machine Records)

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