{"id":41,"date":"2020-04-23T07:22:33","date_gmt":"2020-04-23T06:22:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lboro.ac.uk\/limit\/?p=41"},"modified":"2020-05-27T14:17:22","modified_gmt":"2020-05-27T13:17:22","slug":"loughboroughs-musical-landscape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lboro.ac.uk\/limit\/2020\/04\/23\/loughboroughs-musical-landscape\/","title":{"rendered":"An Insight into Loughborough\u2019s Musical Landscape"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Conversations with \u2018Your Sound\u2019 committee member Rugile and Singer-Songwriter Lyco<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Lyco<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My involvement with \u2018Your Sound\u2019 society resulted in the formation of friendships and exposure to musical tastes that I wouldn\u2019t have otherwise found. I owe a great deal of this to the committee members who have worked to bring everyone together; with the ethos of giving everyone the opportunity to showcase their talents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had the pleasure of catching up with Rugile, a leading committee member at the society, discussing the motivation driving her passion for music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following interviews have been edited for clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What made you decide to become a Your Sound committee member?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the whole of first year I was pretty involved with Your Sound, as my good friend who was also my flatmate was already a committee member and other good friend was actually the founder of the society. Naturally, I went to all of the jam sessions and got to know everybody, so it wasn\u2019t unusual for me to help with events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Becoming an actual committee member wasn\u2019t something that I had to think about, it was just a natural step for me to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are some of your favourite genres of music to listen to?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really can listen and vibe to anything, but my favourite genres have to be Afrobeats and UK Rap. I used to be a fan of Bashment but I need to be in the mood for it, and in the last couple years I\u2019ve become a bigger fan of American sub-genres of Rap, such as Trap music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What genre of music do you think is currently under-appreciated?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think this greatly depends where you are in the world and what music you relate to the most, but for me right now I actually think Latin music is not appreciated as much as it should be especially considering its influence, but that could also be because I\u2019m a big fan. I\u2019d also say that UK garage is a vibe that often goes unspoken about most of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there any musicians at Loughborough who don\u2019t get the attention they deserve?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes of course, there are so many people that have talent. What often happens is that people don\u2019t showcase their talent enough, either through singing, spoken word, or playing an instrument – so it\u2019s hard to give that recognition. Even as something as small as coming along to a jam session and just feeling the vibe and playing something, as well as seeing how other instruments can fit together, is a good opportunity to display your talent and craft for others to enjoy and appreciate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are some of the best things about being a \u2018Your Sound\u2019 committee member?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve really enjoyed meeting people as the society really welcomes anyone. It doesn\u2019t even matter if you aren\u2019t the most talented when it comes to instruments or performing, just sharing the appreciation for different music with other people is always honestly really fun. Being a committee member also means you have the freedom and opportunity to host various events, and it\u2019s just a great feeling seeing things come together. I think watching musicians over the year grow in confidence and skill is also really motivating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How has Coronavirus impacted the future of \u2018Your Sound\u2019?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s definitely made me miss being around everyone, I think it\u2019s a time of uncertainty for a lot of things, but I have hope that we will come back better than ever. This is a good opportunity for planning and practicing, but practically I think that starting to prepare for a new set of committee members will help a smooth transaction once we\u2019re all back at Uni, but it\u2019s definitely a very confusing period for the society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have any uplifting song recommendations for students who might be bored and lonely during this time?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think something upbeat is good during these times, some of my favourites are: Mura Masa- Move me ft. Octavian, Skepta & Wizkid- Energy (Stay Far Away), Drake – Toosie slide, Skip Marley & H.E.R- slow down. Also, anything by Pop Smoke never fails to uplift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After speaking with Rugile, I caught up with Lyco as we discussed the impact of COVID-19 on his new single, his development as an artist and his future aspirations over a phone call. In addition to having his second-year studies cut short, the Afrobeats inspired artist  was preparing for the release of his new single \u2018Midlands\u2019 as part of the duo \u2018Lyc0 x Wxyne\u2019 when the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in nationwide lockdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked to describe his new song, Lyco responded saying that \u201cIt\u2019s a fun song, it\u2019s just a song to encompass all the antics you get up to as a Uni student. The excitement around SFE dropping, how easy it is to splash your money on silly things, because we\u2019re young & we\u2019re a bit silly right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This brought back memories of university life, reminding me of the inter-connectedness fuelling a student lifestyle I was already beginning to miss. As an avid consumer of music, I know the important role music can play in uplifting spirits during uncertain times such as these. I was eager to learn more about Lyco\u2019s new single and also what drives him as an artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua: Can you give me three of the most impactful artists of your life, and why they\u2019re so significant to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lyco: First of all, Lotto Boyz. Since my family are involved in some of their management, they\u2019ve been close to me so I can really see how they grew and that inspired me to do the same as well. Secondly, I\u2019d say Young Bane; his style of singing back in 2016 really inspired me to start and inspired some of my early songs stylistically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s got to be really helpful for you as well, not many artists can say that they\u2019ve observed and learned from the habits of a successful artist like that. How has Covid-19 affected the release of your new single?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been messing up things badly, like we were supposed to record the video on Friday. Obviously we couldn\u2019t, but we\u2019re going to have to just do it next week. If we can\u2019t get a video done then we won\u2019t feel comfortable releasing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well luckily with a video you don\u2019t have to be close up; you can experiment by using  wide shots.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exactly, we\u2019re going to have to do different things. We\u2019re still going to achieve the fun video we want but within some restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s so unlucky, but I guess it\u2019s a double-edged sword because you know you have a great single on your hands. Although it\u2019ll be harder to make the video, you know that there\u2019ll be so much more attention on your track because people are stuck on social media right now with nothing to do. How has the musical landscape at Loughborough impacted your development as an artist?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve met a lot of interesting people, for example the musicians at Your Sound as well as the guys at Rap Society. I\u2019d go over to Keenan\u2019s (Rap Soc founding member), go to a couple sessions and record. I met some good people, like Vongai (Your Sound Committee Member), she taught me a bit of piano which was helpful. But mainly it\u2019s just been nice to meet other artists, learn things, share music and get feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have any song recommendations for students who might need uplifting during this time?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Off the top of my head, I\u2019d say Summertime by myself and Wayne because that\u2019s a bit of a cheery, summery song. I\u2019d also include +44 by Lotto Boyz and Repeat by J Hus and Koffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I see myself comfortable within the industry. I see having made a name, establishing Lyc0 x Wxyne as a brand, and being one of the most prominent groups in Birmingham, if not the UK. They\u2019re some serious dreams, but it\u2019s about working now to make it a reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well you\u2019ve clearly been working so far and you\u2019re seeing results already, so if you continue on this path, which I have no doubt you will, you\u2019ll definitely get there. I\u2019ll definitely be listening to the BBC Radio 1 podcast later; I\u2019m looking forward to it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If everything runs smoothly, the single will be available on all streaming platforms at the time of this article\u2019s release (under Lyc0 x Wxyne). It\u2019ll go straight into my quarantine playlist, a multi-genre medley of songs with the aim of uplifting one another\u2019s spirits during the social isolation period. It was put together from song suggestions generated by students at Loughborough:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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