Winds breathing rumours of winter’s onset were not enough to stop people from attending what, for many, was their first live musical performance since Monday 23 March. The fateful day of lockdown in the UK. On Tuesday 29 September, Dalston Eastern Curve Garden hosted Lookman Adekunle Salami, or L.A. Salami. Although it wasn’t Lookman’s first performance of the year, it was his first in London since lockdown began. The gig was performed in front of a socially-distanced crowd; an open-air auditorium comprised of equally spaced chairs interspersed with flickering candlelight atop sawn-off tree stumps.
L.A., who Esquire Magazine once named as one of the ten “Most Stylish Men in Music”, matched the venue’s “Eastern” description with a singed-orange mandarin jacket and matching trousers. His new album, The Cause of Doubt & a Reason to Have Faith, came out on 17 July 2020.The Indiependent spoke to L.A. Salami about performing live again, his new album, the world in 2020, and what’s to come for the musician.
The Indiependent: How does it feel to be able to perform in front of a live audience again?
Lookman: It didn’t feel too weird to perform live again, because with the way time moves for me the last gig felt like yesterday and the gig before that felt like yesterday. It does get more comfortable to express yourself the more you do it, so if I haven’t done it for a while there is sometimes a ring of rust. It’s hard to gauge, but it felt nice. The subdued nature of the crowd, probably just because of the environment, made it difficult to judge how the crowd felt in conjunction with how much I got across.
It didn’t feel out of place, because I had wanted to stop for a while and find out where I am musically and what space I am in. Even if there wasn’t a pandemic I would have kind of appreciated the break. I would be in America right now touring, but sometimes, for me anyway, I need to be mentally geared up. So I needed a break anyway.
The Indiependent: Was it a strange environment to be performing in front of a socially-distanced crowd, with the separated seating in the front and people not being able to get up and move to the music?
Lookman: No, not really. I think my music is built for more static listening. If you are sat down, and especially that type of set you’re not really going to dance. For me, it’s like going to the cinema or to the theatre. I actually prefer it to be honest, the auditorium type of stuff. It’s just what I prefer listening to, I feel an affinity towards more the sit down and take something in in a calm way.
The Indiependent: During the gig, you didn’t play many songs off your new album, The Cause of Doubt & a Reason to Have Faith, which came out during lockdown. Why was this?
Lookman: There are only seven tracks on the new album, I was maybe only going to play three of them, but it was just timing. I think I only got to play 45 minutes in all. I was supposed to have an hour, but that was the curfew, I guess. I am not dead set on performing albums live in their full album form because that’s what albums are for. My philosophy is that when I go and see artists, I see the live experience as a unique experience. Not that I don’t appreciate it when they play the full albums live, but you can just go and listen to the album.
I like playing different versions of the songs. ‘The Talisman on the Age of Glass’ was a song on the last album before this one, and, you know, that was sort of fresh. Then, naturally by playing it, I refined the delivery and streamlined the affectations of it. It’s the same song, but you have a different experience to what’s on the record. I liked the idea of having it be a unique show. Playing songs, a couple might be on the album, a couple might not be on anything yet, but just songs that mean something to me. I have a list of songs in mind and an hour to do them. Some songs, once I have recorded them, I don’t really have a desire to play live.
The Indiependent: With the Black Lives Matter movement and the pandemic, 2020 has been a significant year for the world, but also, in many ways, the music industry. How has your creativity been impacted during this period?
Lookman: I have found it difficult because I need to move around a lot. Although I needed a break from travelling, I was also looking forward to it. Not necessarily playing music, but just moving around. When lockdown started the workload sort of doubled in a way because I had to change some ideas and get some stuff together, but I am the type of person who has to be in the space of feeling like I want to do it. It has been okay though. When I’m not touring, this is how I operate anyway – I live with, and close to, friends.
The Indiependent: I saw you had some powerful words on instagram about Black Lives Matter in the music industry. How do you think the movement can catalyse change and how much more needs to be done?
Lookman: I am not sure how confident I am giving a clarifying representation of my thoughts, because sometimes I don’t even know what my thoughts are about it because it’s so complex. One area of the issue is just quite black and white, and that’s just about how you treat people. The other area is historic and institutional, embedded in sort of systemic habit rather than hatred.
The way the underclass is treated is mixed with racial discrimination in there too. People get caught up on the race issue, which I understand, but the biggest issue really is the class issue. Once you solve the class issue, you can solve the race issue.
It is a complicated issue and I think the danger is of it being overly simplified and therefore not considered well enough. And if it is not considered enough people give into anger more, because the right conversations are not being had.
When I was dipping into social media to see the way the conversation was going I sort of didn’t want to be involved anymore. There is a power structure systemically, but ideologically as well. If an ideology can see the upper hand then they sort of close everything off to any other form of thinking, and that’s the same power symptom which starts to take it in a cruel direction.
This is kind of what created Trump and what created Brexit. Trump is just a random charismatic guy who was saying the things that were on a lot of people’s minds but couldn’t be said in the mainstream media. There was a social tax on certain subjects. I remember before Brexit if people brought up immigration on Question Time or something like that they would get shut down. The conversation got shut down because it sounded racist, but it just means the problem isn’t being discussed. People aren’t learning to talk about things.
I think it is just dangerous, because, given time, if you live in a world where you build a social contract where you can’t speak about certain things in a considered, intellectual way in a forum because you’re afraid people might get offended you’re essentially creating 1984.
If you are making a smoothie you throw all the bits of fruit in and put the lid on, then it makes a loud noise and cuts everything up. We’re like in the middle of that in slow motion, but when it’s done it’s a nice smoothie and really healthy for you.
I like and listen to all types of styles. It gives you space to express different kinds of emotions.
L.A. Salami
The Indiependent: Your music seems to have evolved from gentler sounds earlier in your career with melodic vocals to being more punchy and rap-like, such as in ‘The Cage’. Do you agree, and does this reflect any change in your outlook?
Lookman: Ever since I started music I wanted to explore all types of sounds. I like and listen to all types of styles. It gives you space to express different kinds of emotions. It’s a way of expression, and to be able to use the sounds that reflect that emotion as purely as possible on a song-by-song basis. In my head, I have always wanted to be the type of musical artist or songwriter that isn’t really chained to sounding a particular way. As long as you are authentic about it you can dip your toe into all sorts of styles if it works; I think it works for me. ‘The Cage’, for example, I couldn’t imagine putting that in any other style – the whole rap is about talking, placing yourself in front of the collective and confronting that collective.
The Indiependent: You seem to have been doing a lot more work with visual art, directing King Casio’s ‘Shadows’ for example. What’s next for L.A. Salami?
Lookman: I just want to put these albums out. I have quite a lot I want to do, to be honest, but I don’t want to say right now because I would rather do it than say it. I have a lot I have been trying to collect together during the pandemic, get the ball rolling on some things. Just watch this space, I guess.
Interview conducted by Ali Bruce
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