Lex Audrey is a Vienna-based trio made up of Niklas Pichler (vocals), Patrick Pillichshammer (drums and samples), and Lukas Staudinger (synth and bass) They will be sharing their first single, “Winter II” on the 1st of February 2019, taken from their upcoming debut album, “No Intention Of Changing The World” which will be released on the 8th of February via Las Vegas Records.
The trio met in high school and after studying music for five years, Lex Audrey was born. Fusing elements of indie, rock, and electronica, their playful experimental sound exudes the best aspect of each genre.
We caught up with them to chat gear, recording and side projects.
Set the tone for us. Why the arts?
All of us started playing instruments very early in our lives. So we always had an affinity to making music and expressing ourselves.
Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?
Our creative process starts with an idea most of the time. Niklas comes up with something he wants to say through his lyrics and when the theme is set and parts of the lyrics are written he starts to work on the musical idea. In the best cases both the musical and the lyrical message interfere with each other and create something special!
Does your material feature any collaborations?
We write, record, produce and mix our music on our own, but we did collaborate with the english producer Julian Simmons on the lyrics to “Winter II”.
What’s on your current playlist?
This is a very hard question for us to answer because the things we listen to basically change day by day. All of us formerly worked with classical music by studying classical guitar, singing in a choir or playing in an orchestra. We also really enjoy modern jazz artists a lot, as well as experimental pop or rock projects. So there is a large variety of musical styles we like to listen to and get inspired by. But there is a playlist we created on Spotify where you can check out the latest tunes we dig.
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
We love our fans and try to connect with them whether it’s on stage or through social media.
What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?
It’s very interesting to play with various pieces of technology, both analogue and digital. It doesn’t really matter what it is unless it sparks your interest and makes you go places you wouldn’t go without them. We really enjoy working with our tape machine or some synths for example, but sometimes it’s just as easy as sending a random signal through some crazy guitar pedals.
Take us through a day in the recording studio.
We haven’t really been to a “real” recording studio for this album. We rented a proper room and recorded the album by ourselves. Mostly we started with a phone recording of Niklas singing a new song, accompanying himself on the guitar. After going through how we wanted the song to sound like we started with the drums and sketch by sketch and instrument by instrument we came closer to how the songs sound today.
Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?
(Niklas)Yes, I think this moment was when I was about 9 years old and got my first guitar.
What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?
Let’s not romanticize things so much: towels for the sweat, drinks for the fun 😉
What gets your creative juices flowing?
The answer is kind of boring, but it is how it is: time. When I’ve got time to think I very often end up with having something to say.
Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression.
The most important ones are just my guitar and a laptop. Every other piece of gear can make the recording more special, but doesn’t help the song per se.
Any side projects you’re working on?
Niklas has got his own label, Rainbow Papaya Music, where he produces some of the musicians that are on the label like INNER or Jonny Shredder. Patrick also plays with Naked Cameo and SCHMACK.
How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?
It’s hard to point out specific things that have gotten better. I think if you keep on working and practicing you’ll automatically get better and maybe catch a glimpse of how the industry behind the music works so you can adjust your workflow and the things you focus on.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?
A new album full of variety, a lot of club and festival shows, new music videos and a lot of fun and entertainment 😉
Follow Lex Audrey:
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Instagram – Youtube – Spotify
