Lion Goodwin Releases Debut Album ‘Beautiful Catastrophe’
This is an interview by By Quentin Clearly, which took place before I rebranded my blog from Divvy Mag back to That’s Random Kate.
Blending pop hooks with an alternative R&B and electronic sonic palette, Lion Goodwin is Los Angeles’ new kid on the block. Spreading peace and love was all part of the mission when it came to releasing his debut effort Beautiful Catastrophe. We caught up with Lion to discuss the new record and more.
What were some of your earliest musical influences growing up?
A couple of my biggest influences growing up would definitely be Michael Jackson, Steven Tyler, Jon Bellion, Pharrell, Kanye West, Chris Brown and Logic. Many of my other big influences don’t even relate to the same genre that I perform but in some shape or form, they still helped me shape my sound.
Tell us about the first song you ever wrote and recorded.
I can’t even remember the first one to be honest haha. The first few songs I’ve ever made we’re never finished or used. However one of my most recent songs “Deja Vu” is a record I wrote roughly around 9 years ago. It’s a guitar melody I played/wrote back when I was first teaching myself how to play.
You’re a self-taught musician… what process did you go through to teach yourself to play and perform?
It was tough. I always had others criticize me in the process. It all started with guitar hero to be honest. I became really good at the game and wanted to teach myself how to play the real guitar, but I had others discourage me saying how it’s not the same. But that only gave me more of a drive, because it was around the time I fell in love with the guitar and was determined to learn. After I picked up the guitar, I went to the keyboard, then to producing and so forth.
Is there a particular production partner you enjoy collaborating with?
I have a few people that I consistently collaborate with like Linko, Supersick, Donnell Taurus, and Elan. The first two artists are producers but they produce some of the most incredible vibes you can think of. Donnell and Elan are both hip hop artist that have a very unique lyrical flow.
What is the Northern Virginia music scene like these days? Any notable artists coming out of there we should check out?
To be honest, there really isn’t much of a Northern Virginia music scene. It’s very small town which is why it’s very hard to break out from the area that I’m from. But there is a couple of dope artists in Virginia such as Donnell Taurus, ANNA MVZE, and Alexander Mack.
Best restaurant in your neighborhood? Why?
This place called Beeps in Van Nuys California hands down. It’s Iconic, has like a retro feel, and they serve almost anything you can think of. They serve American, Mexican, breakfast food and they have tons of different shakes. If you’re not a vegetarian, I highly recommend their Bacon Melt with their fries but be prepared for the aftermath lol.
How would you describe your personal fashion style and vibe?
Although I rock a lot of black and gold, I pretty much like anything that stands out with color. I feel like my music is very colorful, so I try to keep the vibe balanced. I’m not huge on designer, I basically buy whatever I like regardless of price tag.
How did this EP Beautiful Catastrophe come about?
It’s kind of a small story relating to my last relationship and living situations. The last relationship I had was toxic to the point that I was verbally abused regularly, and I had lost my job during the same time period. So I left Virginia to pursue my music career in LA.
What was it like shooting the music video for “Beautiful Love” in Los Angeles?
It was definitely a dope experience. The Ronin Media, a group of videographers in Northern Virginia flew out to LA and shot the video for me. It was the first music video that I’ve shot being here in Los Angeles and it couldn’t have came out better than what I wanted. I wanted to have a positive/ wholesome vibe that everyone could jam to, and that’s exactly what turned out from it.
Any upcoming touring or release plans for late 2019 or early 2020?
I have a few shows here on the West Coast coming up this October and I am flying to the east coast for a few shows in November this year. I do not have the official dates or times, but will posting them on my website so stay tuned!
LionGoodwin.com | Spotify | Instagram
