Mit über 1,8 Millionen Followern auf Instagram und einer stetig wachsenden Fangemeinde hat sich Livingston als einer der spannendsten Newcomer der aktuellen Musikszene etabliert. Seine Musik vereint emotionale Tiefe mit kraftvollen Arrangements und erzählt Geschichten über das Erwachsenwerden, Selbstfindung und die Magie des Alltags. Nach dem großen Erfolg seines Albums „A Hometown Odyssey“ veröffentlicht Livingston nun eine Deluxe-Version, die noch größere Emotionen einfängt. Im Interview mit uns dem Frontstage Magazine spricht er über die musikalische und thematische Weiterentwicklung, seine persönlichen Erfahrungen auf Tour und darüber, welche Botschaft er seinen Hörer:innen mit auf den Weg geben möchte.
Frontstage Magazine: What inspired you to release a deluxe version of A Hometown Odyssey?
Livingston: I just wanted to capture bigger emotions. More of the wonder, awe, nostalgia of growing up and finding love for the first time. All of the things I wanted to get out of my system before moving on from this album, which is really a letter from my childhood to my older self.
Frontstage Magazine: How does the deluxe edition differ from the original album—both musically and thematically?
Livingston: Musically, it’s more opulent production wise. The arrangements are bolder and more ambitious, and I also feel like each song has a more distinct “color”. There’s less sameness between the songs and a lot of new things I haven’t tried before. Thematically, it continues building on the childlike innocence of A Hometown Odyssey but from the perspective of having entered the real world as an adult for the first time. It’s overwhelming and amazing and very different than being in my bedroom in Texas.
Frontstage Magazine: How did your creative process evolve while working on the expanded edition?
Livingston: I really have become aware of the importance of specificity. There’s no rules to music, but there are rules to things having a shape and a form and a function. A chair is a chair. A table is a table. A sad song is a sad song, a powerful song is a powerful song. Now there are obviously abstractions and room for ambiguity and interpretation, but I really challenged myself and my collaborators to get to the beating heart of each idea. What was each song truly trying to say? What was the purpose for it? What was the destiny of the song? I think they feel so much more bold and complete because of this. Making sure the final version of the song is respectful to the wild idea it started with.
Frontstage Magazine: Were there specific experiences or realizations that led you to further develop the album?
Livingston: Growing up and seeing the world outside of my bedroom. Touring 70 cities in one year and meeting more people in the span of 6 months than I’ve ever met in my life.
Frontstage Magazine: What new aspects of your music or songwriting are highlighted on the deluxe version?
Livingston: More self awareness and more confidence. It’s less of an internal exploration of my own feelings, and a lot more about grounded experiences in the real world and exploring the hearts and minds of people I’ve encountered.
Frontstage Magazine: What was the biggest challenge in expanding an album that already tells such a personal story?
Livingston: Being comfortable exploring the emotions, stories, and lives of other people. Getting out of my head and into the world.
Frontstage Magazine: What do you hope listeners will take away from this version of A Hometown Odyssey?
Livingston: Absolutely anything is possible. The simple things are what make life worth living, and you can choose to live life and see magic and wonder and be curious or to be cynical and see the darkness. It’s a brutally difficult decision but one that is entirely yours. I want to create things that help you choose the former.
Fotocredit: Universal Music International
