A Chat With Lacy Katherine Strong: Austin Composer Talks Film Scores, Synths and Her Debut EP Uncommon Objects

In this Lacy Katherine Strong interview, the Austin-based composer and sound designer talks film scoring, modular synths and the winding road to her debut EP Uncommon Objects. Raised in Texas on disco, pop and classical, she studied in Paris, spent time in Berlin and New York, and came home to Austin to score indie films and build a solo career. Find out about her analogue-heavy studio, why she's sceptical of AI music, the Austin scene, and the reality of making a living as an independent artist.

Austin musician, composer and producer Lacy Katherine Strong (Photo by Cicilie Falbo)

Hi Lacy. Congratulations on your debut Uncommon Objects debut EP - you're off to a great start. Tell me a bit about yourself - who are you, where have you been and what are you doing?

Thank you! I’m a musician who grew up in Texas. I’ve been all over the place. After

finishing university, I moved to Paris, France, to teach English while also studying for

my master’s degree in Arts and Cultural Management. I stayed in Paris for five years, then moved to Berlin, where I lived for six months. After that, I lived in New York City for four years, and I’ve now moved my base back to Austin, Texas.

I stretch myself a lot as a musician and work a variety of jobs. I’ve been working

primarily in film, composing scores and doing sound design. I’m currently

composing the music for a short film. I also DJ and play synth in a shoegaze band.

Apart from that, I work a few day jobs to keep the lights on.

Give me a rundown on how you first got into music, then slipped into making music for film and visual-media, and how you finally progressed to releasing it?

I grew up in a family that loved music. My parents met in a singing group in college,

and my mom also played piano and performed locally as a singer. I started taking

piano lessons at the age of five from an elderly woman who played the organ at a

local church. Music was always playing in our house, mostly disco, pop, and

classical, and my mom was constantly singing along.

Piano was my main instrument, but I also taught myself guitar. I started playing in

church bands as a teenager, but then I began noticing that whenever I watched a

movie, I would pay attention to the music. I realized how much the music elevated the experience. From that moment, I knew I wanted to compose for film one day.

It took me a while to move from playing piano to composing music. Once I got to

know myself better and felt a stronger connection to music, I started writing. During

the pandemic, I moved back to Austin from New York and found a room in a house

with a bunch of actors who connected me with filmmakers. Soon, my friends started

hiring me to make music for their projects, and then word of mouth took over. It all

happened very organically.

During that time, I was learning so much about synthesizers, composition, and music

production. It took about five years, but eventually, I reached a point where I felt

ready to release what I had learned and created over the years. And then, Uncommon Objects was born.

I was instantly hooked by your Uncommon Objects release. Where do you find your creative inspiration, and what else is cooking?

Thank you! I find inspiration through artists I like, mostly those who stretch the

boundaries of traditional rules, like John Cage and Brian Eno, as well as movements

like musique concrète and surrealism. I also let other forms of art and culture inspire

me, including books, movies, and visual art.

I also like to draw inspiration from life. It could be everyday reality or a particular life event. I find that when you’re observant of your surroundings, music just starts

flowing.

Can you fill me in on your gear and studio set-up, and how the magic happens?

I have a mix of analogue gear and virtual synths. Some of the gear I have includes a

few modular synths from Make Noise, a Korg Volca Keys, a MicroKorg, and a

Behringer UB-Xa. I also use a lot of tools in Ableton.

I usually start creating by designing a synth patch or looking through sounds.

Whatever clicks in that moment is what I start building on. I love analogue gear, but

my budget is pretty low at the moment, so I get a little experimental with sampling

and building synths virtually. I’m hoping to collect more gear over time though.

Lacy Katherine Strong in her home studio (Photo by Cicilie Falbo)

I couldn't see any gigs listed, but noticed an IG photo that suggested you were playing a concert. Do you play any gigs, or have any plans, or dreams, on developing a live show?

I just started playing gigs earlier this year! I’ve played four shows so far, and I’d love

to book more. Right now, I’ve been writing and rehearsing with my band, so that will

probably be my next show. Once we get that going, I’ll start focusing on playing live

solo and hopefully touring.

Lacy Kathering Strong playing live (Photo by Kyle Osburn)

Most music is rich with influences. Who are your inspirations, and have they found their way into your music? Who’s on your turntable at the moment?

I have lots of inspirations, like Brian Eno, Aphex Twin and Kara-Lis Coverdale, and

film composers like Ennio Moriconne and Vangelis as well as classical composers

like Debussy and Ravel. I like artists who stretch the idea of what music can be, and

that’s very inspiring to me. I also find inspiration in songwriters such as Broadcast

and Stereolab who bring together pop, experimental sounds and a surreal

atmospheres.

AI music has been running wild the last couple of years. How do you feel about

prompt-generated music, and using AI tools in the creative process?

I’m honestly not a big fan of it. My experience learning and making music was always very personal - just me and the instruments. It’s what I use to express myself, so using AI feels unnatural and unlike myself. I prefer the old-fashioned way.

There’s a lot of noise about streaming remuneration, any thoughts on the various services, and today’s other music gods like Bandcamp, iTunes, Subvert, and let’s not forget good old-fashioned record shops. How do you prefer to listen to music?

It does feel like many streaming services don’t fairly compensate artists for their

work. I like Bandcamp the most because it seems to be more artist-friendly, with

things like Bandcamp Fridays, and gives artists more opportunities to generate

revenue.

I think streaming services have really changed the way we listen to music in a lot of

ways. They’ve also affected how people engage with music nowadays. People are

drawn to short-form content and often listen to individual songs or even small parts

of a song. I think this takes away from the art of listening to a full album, which you

might be more inclined to do when browsing in a record shop. I think albums tell

stories and allow you to get to know an artist on a deeper level.

Is it even possible to make a career from music these days and if so how are you going to do it? How are you paying the bills at the moment?

I honestly don’t know if it’s possible these days, but I’m optimistic! I do see being an

artist as a career though. In my case, I really couldn’t see myself doing anything else

to make a living. I would love to see a world where making a living as an artist is as

possible as it is in any other career, but in reality, it’s pretty hard. I think if you treat

your music career as a business, it’s possible, and that’s how I’m approaching it at

the moment.

In the meantime, I work a few day jobs to make ends meet. I work part-time as a

server in a wine bar and part-time as a social media manager in interior design. It’s

overwhelming at times, but I know it’s allowing me to support myself while getting

me closer to where I really want to be with music.

Are you going it alone, or are you having thoughts about building a team or hooking up with a label, and sharing the spoils to help you along the way?

Currently, I’m going it alone! I would love some help though, and my next step is

finding the right people to work with. I love being independent, but it is a lot of work. I don’t ask for help very often, but given the amount of work I’ve been doing, I think it’s necessary at this point.

How does a new artist go about building a fanbase these days? Are you getting PR help, operating a mailing list or newsletter, on every social media channel going, handing out flyers or busking?

I think PR is one of the best ways to go. Being active on social media can also be a

good way to build a fanbase, but it’s not really my cup of tea. PR involves a lot of

outreach, which is what I’ve been focusing on at the moment.

So what’s your local music scene like? Are there opportunities to go to gigs and hang out with the local musicians and producers? Is there a grassroots scene, or is it just people hanging in home studios and going to bigger shows?

My base is in Austin, TX, which is known as “the Live Music Capital of the World,

” and it’s a really fun place to be as a musician. There are shows happening every

night, and we have a lot of music festivals throughout the year, such as ACL and

SXSW.

As a musician, it’s really easy to connect with the local scene here. Everyone is so

welcoming, and it’s easy to meet people. Collaborating with other musicians and

getting shows is very doable if you make an effort to get out, go to shows and talk to people.

I’d like some local tips please. Is there anyone I should be watching out for? You get extra brownie points if they’re not your friend and get less than 500 monthly listeners on Spotify.

I love the Austin duo Felt Out! They blend experimental pop, electronic music, and

ambient textures, with dreamy vocals and some Indian classical influences that add

another dimension to their sound. They’re really fun to see live and have under 500

listeners on Spotify!

If you enjoyed this read, you should check out what Danish singer and alternative musician, composer and producer Cisser Mæhl has to say.