Lonnie Gunn
Words by Antonella Madrid Photographs by Willow Shields
It’s not every day that you get transported into another sonic dimension that leaves your head spinning and makes you question if it was all a dream. The music of Lonnie Gunn will undoubtedly have that effect on those that indulge in the wistful vocals on ‘Stranger Baby’ and the gritty guitars in ‘Hammerhead’. Raised in New Jersey, Lonnie Gunn is a London-based artist who works alongside her producer, Niko May, to create heart-aching melodies complimented by an array of instrumentation on each track.
The process of writing a song and coming up with production ideas differs for every artist. “As soon as I top line a song, I can hear the arrangement as well. Usually in my head it’s some massive retro ballad with a live orchestra. I really go for it. I imagine a whole ass music video too before I’ve even finished writing the verse. Once I bring it to my producer, I explain, ineloquently, my 50 thousand production ideas and he’ll make sense of them and modernize them. Usually I’ll say something like, ‘I want a theremin and a carousel sample and a string quartet but we’re on the moon’ and he’ll do his best to make that make sense”, she explains.
The pressure to constantly be creative is a pressing issue for many artists. When asked if she goes through this, Lonnie answers, “absolutely yes, to the extent that I have no clue how to relax. I can’t just watch a movie or take a walk without considering it ‘inspiration seeking’. Then, ironically, I often find inspiration the moment I forget to look for it, like when I’m about to fall asleep or while I’m waiting for water to boil. I literally no idea what to do about the pressure so I just function alongside it and hope for the best.”
One of Lonnie Gunn’s released songs is ‘Sydney’, which features a haunting string melody throughout. She says “I actually wrote Sydney when I was 19 or so. At the time, I didn’t know anything about producing or arranging a song. In fact, we would’ve released it without strings but then I met this violinist named Miranda. She’s this incredible, magnetic fairy who plays beautifully. The producer and I agreed we should put her on the track. She nailed it; I love her,”
The cover art for Lonnie Gunn’s released singles are visually striking, the cover art for ‘Sydney’ being a perfect example. “Making the cover art is genuinely my favorite part. I want each song to feel like it’s own miniature universe. When brainstorming the cover art for ‘Sydney’, I wanted to create a sapphic Juno Calypso-inspired scene, something hypnotic and feminine. The art hopefully enriches the listener’s experience.” When asked about the best moment so far in her musical career, Lonnie Gunn describes her latest gig at Paper Dress Vintage in Hackney. “[It] was an insane rush. It was packed in there, and I was brutally nervous. But, about halfway through, there was a sense of ‘fuck it’ and I just let myself give into everything I was performing. These songs represent little fragments of lives I’ve lived and being able to vomit those fragments back out on stage is the most cathartic experience. It’s all a big blur of dopamine and lights and an unmistakable sense of presentness. Plus, that night, someone’s dad told me my music was cool.”
And the best music advice Lonnie has received so far in her career? “Stop making disclaimers before playing a song. People don’t need to know that you have a cold and you haven’t practiced enough. Just play the song.” Gunn has some music-related goals she’s set her heart on to complete by the end of 2022. “I recently wrote a song called ‘Limoncello’. I want to get together a string quartet, and some sparkly BVs, and tape it live, somewhere dreamy. Ideally, with all womxn/queer instrumentalists.” When asked what she considers her weaknesses as a musician and how to combat them, Lonnie responds, “Self-doubt gets in the way. I’m just starting out, in the grand scheme of things, and I think the early days are the most defeating. I am lucky to be so ambitious and optimistic about what can be achieved with enough persistence and passion, but optimism can be completely exhausting. Believing in yourself is something that takes practice. I’m privileged to have an incredible support system of other artists and friends.” I ask Lonnie if her experiences performing live have allowed her to see improvements in her musicianship. “Oh my god yes. Huge yes. Particularly with live performances, I’ve finally got to the point where I laugh and move comfortably on stage. Every day there’s another learning experience and I’m excited to see how the project evolves in the future,” she states.
I ask Lonnie if she could make a super- musician that was a hybrid of three other musicians, who would they be? Her answer: “I think I’d love to hear Her’s smashed with Matt Maltese and maybe Mort Garson. Something strange, beautiful, and heart- breaking with theremin and lush guitars and retro background vocals. Probably a really pretentious answer. Zoinks.” What does Lonnie Gunn look for in a live show? “Audience engagement and enthusiasm”, she says with complete conviction. And what does Lonnie Gunn want you, the audience, to take away from her shows? Lonnie says, “I want them to experience catharsis, a release of tension; to indulge in dreamy romantic escapism.”
