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Interview with Goldroom

October 4, 2013
Jon Berrien
Latest posts by Jon Berrien (see all)

 Featuring tropical textures with soulful rhythms, LA based Goldroom has been producing refreshing tunes, that are a breathe of fresh air. Now with the release of a 6 song EP and a full band the progression and growth is better than ever, Goldroom grinds! GroundSounds recently caught up with Goldroom aka Josh Legg for an exclusive interview, check it out below. 

You are currently in the middle of a tour, what has it been like on the road? What cities have you enjoyed most, and what should fans expect at your upcoming show in LA (Troubadour Oct. 5)? 

 The road is amazing. I love being in motion, so in a lot of ways the road feels like home. As far as cities that I’ve enjoyed the most? Every city has been crazy, but I think playing in my hometown (Boston) for the first time was especially memorable. The Troubadour is going to be amazing, for sure. I’ve seen some amazing shows and the venue definitely holds a special energy for me. I’m probably looking forward to this show more than any other on the tour.

Can you tell us about the transitional process of turning Goldroom into a full band? 

 I’ve played in bands my whole life, so conceptualizing this project into a live band was something I was really excited and ready for. Finding the people to be in the band was a bit of a challenge, but once we pulled it together it was a really creative and exciting process. Every show we play we get better at things, which is what live music is all about. Its been incredibly rewarding musically for me. One nice thing is that having the live thing has enabled me to open up my DJ sets a bit more to whatever I’d like to play. 

What has it been like working with Mereki and Nick?

 So great! They’re both amazing people, so even just the process of becoming friends with them has been just as cool as working with them on stage. They both bring super unique talents to the table, and seeing how they change what Goldroom is has been very exciting to me.

When remixing songs, what inspires you to choose the songs you work with and what do you ultimately set out to accomplish?

 Well, I’m a song guy, so I’m always trying to get to the bottom of what makes a song great. When I’m picking a song for remix, I’m really just looking for a vocal that inspires me and makes me want to get to the bottom of why its a great song in the first place. I look at my job as to re-contextualize and re-imagine the song in a new way. I love the idea of turning a melancholy song into a hopeful one, or a happy one into a nostalgic one. 

Can you tell us a little bit about the current state of your record label Binary Records? Who are some of the latest DJ/Producers that everyone should be looking out for?

 Well, Binary’s been a little bit dormant over the past year, but we’re actually working towards a re-launch in early 2014. We’ve started signing some talent and on the whole its all very exciting! I wish I could talk a bit more about it, but I probably cant for a couple months.

What music are you currently listening to?

 Well, right now I’m listening to Outkast’s Aquemini.

Who has been a big influence in your life? 

 Rick Rubin. He can work in any genre because he understands that everything comes down to the song. The production is just windowdressing. Its important, but you have nothing without a great  song at the core.

Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration and creative process behind your latest single “Embrace”?
 
 Embrace came together over like 4 years. I wrote at least 3 vocal toplines over the instrumental, but what ended up in the final version wasn’t written until a handful of months ago. Australian singer George Maple came to the studio and we gave the song a go and wrote it in about an hour. Definitely a special day! We were very enamored with the idea of the range of emotions that you experience when running into an old love unexpectedly. You can have such a history with someone that completely disappears, and then floods you again.
What do you feel while creating music?

 Music is a pretty escapist and almost cinematic thing for me… so I’m always looking for those spine tingle moments that usually come from big emotional moments. Those are the moments I love in music and so when I’m making it, its just a race to feel that same way all over again.

What can you divulge about the current Goldroom album that is in the works? What should fans expect? Is there a rough release date?

 Well, I’m ALWAYS working on ‘an album’. I just released a 6 song EP, so I have a ways to go to put together the next bunch of songs. I’m always writing, and I’ve really enjoyed putting singles out. I don’t see that process changing in the near future. As long as I’m self releasing my music, I’ll be a bit hampered. 
 
 As for what I’m planning musically, I’m just excited to keep writing more songs. Stylistically, we’ll just have to see what happens! I still believe in trying to bring honest songwriting and live instrumentation to groovy dance music, and I’m definitely going to continue to follow that ethos.
 
What do you think about the current state of DJ-ing and technology? Do you think it is becoming a lost art, or do you welcome the use of iPads and other technological advances?

 No way! I DJ using CDJs, so I’m not a ‘laptop DJ’, but I also don’t think that technology has hurt DJing at all. 90% of DJing is about the songs you pick. Personally if I’m at a club, I could care less what the DJ is actually doing, as long as the music that hits my ears sounds good! If that means a musical prodigy can start DJing even though he doesn’t have the money to get access to turn tables or CDJs, then thats better for everyone.
 
After you get off the road what’s next for Goldroom?

Writing songs. Writing more songs. And DJing more!

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