Based on trap beats, pop production, and film orchestral music, the self-produced song "Down Down" is Black Lyon's debut single. The song is a window into what is like to be in a relationship that's about to go 'down' because both parties are blinded by their own side. It’s a relatable record because many people can find themselves on a sinking ship in their relationship and be unsure if it has any future or hold any more strength to carry on. The energy for the whole song has that cinematic approach but delivered in a subtle way with delicate yet expressive melancholic emotions that can help connect with listeners. “Down Down” delves mainly into the dark side of human sentiments, sticking to the whole overall artistry of the artist Black Lyon. They explore the subject of misconnections and lack of love you and another person sometimes can for one another. The song is also highly dream-like as i found myself daydreaming into the music and vividly painting images that matched the intellectual and metaphorical lyricism. “Down Down” is a unique hit that served relatable lyrics alongside an eerie but interesting mix of sounds.
Be sure to check out "Down Down", and get to know the band a little better through their exclusive interview below!
Why did you guys decide to call yourselves Black Lyon?
Barbara: Lyon for its connection with the history of cinema and for it being the capital of lights. We wanted to capture light and darkness in a powerful and dramatic way, so those words went together perfectly.
Alex: It was a symbolic way of showing even a place such as the capital of the lights has a dark side. A good metaphor to display how everybody has a degree of darkness within, and that’s alright. We just have to accept it, it’s there for a reason. That’s what Black Lyon stands for.
What bands have influenced your music style?
Alex: Several bands and artists have influenced what we do. We could start mentioning Sia’s powerful hooks, she is such a good songwriter. Also, the way Lana del Rey and Clean Bandit mix strings with pop is very astonishing and is something we truly like, but we go more towards a cinematic sound when it comes to string writing. Artist such as Lykke Li and Billie Eilish have also influenced a bit the way in which we capture a dark sound in our music. Also, trap beats and the contemporary urban sound does influence our creative process a lot. But personally, there’s also a lot of Soda Stereo and Gustavo Cerati when I write guitar lines and the sound I get.
Barbara: There’s influence coming from all over the place from our different backgrounds and cultures, but I feel there’s a mixture of pop and rock going on – I listen to a lot of Rival Sons, Arcade Fire, Portugal. The Man, old-time bands and artists like Fleetwood Mac, Supertramp and Deep Purple, David Bowie and so on. Then there’s the film score aspect of it that also plays a big part in our influences coming from composers like Max Steiner, John Williams, and Alexandre Desplat.
How challenging was it to jump start your career?
Ece: It is all about how much you want to give, how passionate and patient you are.
Barbara: Quite challenging but not in a way that took away the joy of the ride. Moving from a different country and going through different waves of learning experiences one by one made time go by so quickly – but I guess that is key: going through everything one step at a time and believing in the process while surrounding yourself with great people.
Did you have any challenges in the creation process of 'Down Down"?
Barbara: Hell yeah! Producing a song is a big investment of money and time. We got a lot of talented people that helped us out in the process and we’re truly grateful. We also tried to record my vocals through a Darth Vader mask that had vocal effects and everything. Big challenge. Didn’t work out very well.
Alex: It was our first song together so we had to learn how each one of us reacted to a sound, to a word, to an instrument. There was a basic idea of where we wanted to go, we had several demos (some of them terrible, some were better), but we were not fully sure of how to get there. We knew we wanted the dramatic sound of strings over trap beats, and that was going to be a challenge. Luckily enough we are four producers in a band and 3 of us also write music for films for a living. We put a lot of time into the production of the beat and the string arrangement. That was a good starting point. After that, the rest came naturally. There was a lot of people helping us since the beginning and we are truly thankful to them too.
Who does the songwriting? Or do you all contribute?
Alex: We all work together. Sometimes one of us could have an idea for a song and then we all start developing that idea. Last Thursday we had a jam in my living room and we started working on a song, the main ideas came from Barbara but we will all work on it together. We even created a shared Google folder in which we would ideally share voice notes, but we realized Whatsapp was more effective and faster for everybody to reply and make comments. At the end of the day, regardless of who has the main idea for a song, it will be Black Lyon’s song.
Keep up to date with Black Lyon through the bands website!