10 Questions with ... LANCO

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Arista Nashville group LANCO is comprised of lead singer Brandon Lancaster, bass player Chandler Baldwin, keyboards and auxiliary player Jared Hampton, drummer Tripp Howell, and guitar player Eric Steedly. The five guys each bring their own musical influences and unique stylings to the group, which range from a love of Marty Stuart to jamming to Hip-Hop and 90s Rock anthems. The result is the LANCO brand of Country music, which lends itself to story-songs with a strong back beat and Pop sensibilities in the hook. After a fateful meeting with Jay Joyce at a concession stand inside Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, the five friends set out to make music full-time, which eventually landed them a record deal with Sony Music Nashville. LANCO - which is short for Lancaster & Company - is currently experiencing success with their second radio single, "Greatest Love Story," which was penned solely by lead singer Brandon, who took time away from his schedule to chat with All Access Nashville about their whirlwind few years and hopes for continued future success.

1. Brandon, thank you for taking time to speak with us! I know you're from the Nashville area - just down the road in my neighboring hometown, in fact. So, was Country music always part of your life?

Yeah, I'm from just down the road in Smyrna, TN. And, I think that when you grow up in Smyrna, or just anywhere near Nashville, Country music is just a presence. It's something you are always around. Growing up, we would always take our family downtown, walk around on Broadway, go to the Wild Horse for some line dancing, and so Country music is kind of a lifeblood of this area. It was a thing that was always around - like football. It's there. Even if you don't play football or go to practices, you know that on Friday night, there's football. It's part of the culture. So, Country music was always part of the culture here - and my culture - growing up. My grandparents loved Country music, and it would be on the radio in the car. Growing up, though - especially in the 2000s - the internet was around, and iTunes was becoming more and more popular, so I was exposed to all kinds of genres. I remember in high school, Country music was a thing, but so was Rock music, or whatever else was in my iTunes library. The older I got, though, the more Country music started making sense to me. You start to understand the story and relate to the lyric. It becomes, "Oh, this song is talking about my life in Smyrna and what we used to do on Friday nights." So, around high school and going in to college was when Country music really started to impact me, because I really started relating to the stories it was telling - they were more the stories of my life.

2. Was a career in music always present in your mind, too? As you were growing up, did you know from an early age that you wanted to sing, or when did you decide to pursue music as a career?

So, I started playing piano when I was four, played guitar starting around age eight or nine, and then started learning on drums. I was in bands in high school and middle school - just various bands that I'd put together - but, when I was in my freshman year of high school, my music teacher actually would take any students who wanted extra credit down to the Bluebird Café on Monday nights or Wednesday nights to see the songwriter rounds. That was probably my first exposure to people who wrote songs for a living - my first time knowing that it could be a job - and they weren't necessarily artists, but they were singing the artists' songs that I knew. So, I knew at that point - because, up until then, I thought that if you wanted to make it in music, you had to be jumping around in a band or something. But, it was at that point that I knew there was a whole system that went in to making a lot of the music that I loved and the different components of it behind the scenes. So, I guess you could say that high school was when I started to think that it really could be a possibility for me to make a living doing something in music, but I just didn't know how I would get there. And, going to college was kind of a confusing time for me. I knew I wanted to do music, but when your parents have helped save up for college, and you've worked to save up for college, just saying, "Well, college is great, but I have this guitar here..." It was difficult. It was never a conscious decision, though; music has always just been something I have done. It was a choice to pursue it as a career, sure, but music has always been a part of my life - as much as eating or sleeping or breathing.

3. So, you went to college, despite knowing you wanted to play music. Is that because your parents own a private school? Did they push for the college education, and are they pleased that you've pursued a career in music?

Yes, my parents are supportive. My dad was actually in music for 30 years. He was in a Christian band, and then he worked for a Christian record label. So, he understood the music thing, but he definitely always encouraged me to learned to play instruments. I was in to sports, as well - like any normal high school kid, I guess - but he would say, "Basketball is great, football is great, whatever you're doing is great. But there will come a time when you will be my age and won't be able to run around on a football field. But, you'll always be able to sit down and play your guitar. You'll always be able to sit down and play the piano." He really wanted to nurture that in me and cultivate the music in me. But, when it came to making a living out of it, he and my mom both knew how hard it is and what really goes in to it. It was something where they encouraged me to follow my dreams, but they definitely - more than most families - knew the reality of making it a profession. With my dad being on both the musician side of it and the label side of it, especially. My dad has been a part of signing bands that they thought would become the biggest bands in the world, but then something wouldn't work, or something would happen. So, they wanted me to do whatever it was that made my happy, but they've certainly always had a very realistic perspective of the business. Dad would say, "If you want to do this, you can't do it because you want to be famous or because you want to be rich. You can't do it because you think it will offer this pathway to stardom. If you're going to do this, it has to be because it's everything that you are and it's your dream, and because you just can't do anything else."

4. Before we get to how you and the guys met, let's start by how you would describe each of the LANCO members as individuals. What kind of unique story, sound, and talent do each of your members bring to the dynamic of the group?

When we formed, we all definitely had different backgrounds. And, we noticed right away. But, it was in that moment - when you are going around the room saying, "So, what are you in to? What do you like? What do you listen to? What concert did you go to last?" - we started noticing that everyone, in real time, was in to a few different types of music, but we all had a common ground of Country music. We all grew up in Tennessee, Georgia, and Kentucky. We all knew Country music and liked it, and that was the common thread we had between all of us. Someone like [keyboard player] Jared [Hampton] is an aux guy. He like a lot of auxiliary instruments, because he plays banjo, mandolin, and keys. So, he's into a lot of things like Marty Stuart or things that are more left of center, instrumental, and a lot of bluegrass stuff. He brings those cool Country textures with Bluegrass and organic sounds. [Drummer] Tripp [Howell] is just pure energy. He loves Southern Rock, and he likes a lot of Hip-Hop stuff, too, because he's a drummer. He'll pull out Hip-Hop stuff, and it's all about the beat. He'll say, "Just listen to that back beat!" He's not even listening to the words or what they're saying, or even to any of the other instrumentation on the track. He's just listening to the drum sounds and the beats that are moving within the pocket of the song. [Guitar player] Eric [Steedly] is a classic guitarist. He loves a lot of 70s Rock and Fleetwood Mac, and a lot of really guitar-driven music like Stevie Ray Vaughn. [Bass guitarist] Chandler [Baldwin] is kind of in the crossroads of like Americana songwriter world and the Ryan Adams kind of stuff mixed with 90s Rock music. So, when you get all of those different angles, and you come together to make a song, it really is a very cool thing. Everyone has a different perspective they come with, and Eric has influences that Tripp never would, and vice versa. As for me, I've always loved the art of songwriting. I started writing by myself at an early age, so I love things like James Taylor and Bob Dylan, and then a lot of the 90s Country that had that classic storytelling like [Randy Travis'] "Three Wooden Crosses" and [George Strait's] "The Chair." With me and Country music, the story telling is something that really stuck with me, and it's something that other genres just didn't offer. Country music can tell a story about someone's life and make it really interesting.

5. The five of you are from three different states, so how did you meet and form LANCO?

I went to college in Cleveland, Tennessee. I was in a band there and was playing at a music festival, and Tripp was in another band that was playing at the same music festival. Our time slots were right next to each other, so we started talking and kind of hanging out, and I found out that he was moving to Nashville right about the time I was heading back to Nashville. So, we started hanging out here, and the beginning days of LANCO were really just Tripp on a drum set and me on a guitar. It was just the two of us jamming to songs I had been working on. Then, I met Eric through a songwriter friend at MTSU who had been a part of a songwriting competition, and I told this guy that I was putting together a band and asked if he knew of any guitar players. He gave me the list, and I met Eric, and we really hit it off. Eric went to school with Chandler and Jared, so he brought them in to the mix, so then the five of us were together. And, when we first started playing and practicing, it was really just us hanging out and drinking beers, and we just happened to bring our instruments along. A few years later, and here we are - still doing the same thing!

6. And, in speaking with you before, I know that there is a very unique story behind your first encounter with Jay Joyce. How did you meet Jay, and what unfolded from there to lead to your partnership?

I was working at Bridgestone Arena, because at that point, we were really just five friends playing gigs at bars. We all had jobs, because music definitely wasn't paying the bills. So, I worked at the concession stand at Bridgestone, and I approached Jay as a fan, more than anything else. It was Jay Joyce! And, I think that if you really appreciate someone, you shouldn't be afraid to tell them that you appreciate their art. So, that's kind of how it started. We just started talking about what records he was doing, and he ended up asking what I was up to. I told him I was songwriter and an artist, and I said that I was in a band, and he ended up inviting me over to play him some songs. I played him a few, and he really liked my style of writing and thought I had a cool perspective on Country songwriting. So, he wanted to hear the whole band, and about a week later, he invited the whole band over to the studio, and we played him a few songs. A few songs in, he stood up and said, "Okay. I get it. I like it; let's make a record! I have some time off, so let's get in here and start making music and see what happens." So, yeah! That was a few years ago, and ever since then, it has just been a really cool partnership. He's been kind of like a musical mentor to us, stretching our boarders and helping us expand our horizons and helping us develop the sound that we want.

7. As you started working with Jay, you produced some music to take out on the road. Later, you ended up working with Jay on your 2016 EP, correct? What went in to the making of that project? Were there songs from the first recording session with Jay that made the cut? And is there more material and a target date for a full project album release?

When we went to Jay's, we didn't have management, we didn't have a booking agency, we didn't have a record label. We literally had nothing! We were all still working at our jobs, and we had to quit our jobs in order to start working with Jay, even though we still weren't getting paid. Tripp worked at a carpet warehouse, and that was our practice spot. We'd go in there every night. He had the key, so when everyone would leave, he'd let us in, and we'd practice in that warehouse every night. And, we literally went from that warehouse - loaded up all of our stuff from there - and went to Jay Joyce's studio. And in two weeks, we recorded about ten songs, and that was it. After that, we literally burned them on a CD, slid them in a CD jacket, stamped "LANCO" on it, and started booking shows. We played throughout the southeast and finally started traveling enough that we got this RV so that we didn't have to spend money on hotels. We'd literally be traveling around playing - we'd played Nashville so much that we wanted to get out of Nashville - and we were traveling around playing everywhere but Nashville. We were selling the EPs out of the RV. After we had done that for a while, we had built up some following, and we played a show in Nashville. It was packed - I think it was sold out - at the High Watt in Nashville, which is a smaller venue, but for us, it was really packed out. It was awesome! There were a bunch of record labels there, and Sony was there. When we finished the show, we walked over to the greenroom, and Randy Goodman and Steve Hodges and Jim Catino were all there in the greenroom and offered us a record deal on the spot! So, we had already had that music recorded when they came along. Once we got with Sony, that EP was really about saying, "Okay. What songs do we want to save for the album, and what songs are an honest representation of where we are right now?" So, we went back to the studio and recorded a couple more, and that's where our first single, "Long Live Tonight," came from. So, we put that on the EP. The others that made it to the EP - and, really, the thing that has been frustrating with the EP is that for us, we have an album, and the album truly paints a full picture of our sound and what LANCO is. But, with the EP, it really is a preview. It's literally just like a movie trailer for a movie or the first three episodes of a full season on Netflix. But, because of that, there's this thing where we are just so ready to give people the full picture, because I kind of feel like we don't totally make sense yet. And, I feel like we aren't going to make sense until people see the full picture that we have painted. It does really all tie together, and it does all connect, and it's all cohesive - but with the EP, it's really just a sneak preview. It has been great that we have music that fans can attach themselves to, and we accomplished what we wanted. The EP is a great representation of our sound, but it really is just a preview. I'm really excited to get an actual album out. As for a the album release, we do have a target date, and it is this year. So, we will keep our fingers crossed that it stays on target. We've had this plan for a while, though, and it seems to be sticking to the timeline everyone has in mind.

8. You mentioned signing with Sony Music Nashville/Arista in 2015, and the entire roll out was quite unique, really. I recall getting a photo from the label of a frosted glass window pane with the group standing behind it - very mysterious. Since then, you guys have been on radio tour, released singles, and toured extensively. What made Sony Music Nashville feel like the right space for you, and what have you learned in the year and a half since signing there?

Oh, gosh, where to start. We've learned so much - and all good things, really! I think that when we first signed with them, we had been approached by multiple labels in Nashville. Honestly, I didn't have a bad experience with any of them. I have friends on literally every label in town, and they're all great. I enjoyed every time I got coffee or had drinks with any of the labels, because they were all so nice, and everyone seemed to really believe in what we were doing. But, with Sony, when they came to the greenroom and offered us a record deal, the thing that got us and made it a no-brainer was that they wanted to sign us after seeing it in person. We had really impacted them. Randy Goodman really loved our live show and told me, "What you just did to that room - you completely transformed the energy in that room - if you can do that in every room in the country, we'll worry about getting you in to those rooms and getting you out to the people if you can just keep doing that." So, it was something where we felt like they understood what we were doing, and they understood the live act. Really, we just felt like they believed in us. To this day, I still feel like they really believe in us. And, hey, we're aware that we are a little left of center! Fortunately, though, I feel like the format is in a place where people are having an open mind to things that are a little left of center and still wanting that. But, when you are a little left of center, the path is going to be a little longer, and the road is going to be a little harder. But, I think in the long run, it's really great, because you're forced to cut your own path. And, that's what Sony has wanted from us, and they've been very patient with us and with the process. They've also really helped us to develop and take the time to record these new songs while we craft our live show. We've been taking it step by step. We've also learned that this really is a process, and it takes an entire team to make this thing happen. To get your music out to radio, and to get it to the fans, and to get it on iTunes, and to get the marketing plan together to get the exposure - there are just so many little things that take place that you need help with, and we provide the music and the artistic aspect, but we know our art would still be in that carpet warehouse if it weren't for us having a team of people helping us get our music out there. They have been that team for us, but we have definitely learned how that process works and what the process is of getting music out people. We've been so thankful for this learning experience.

9. Sony saw something that a lot of your fans and other industry professionals have seen, and that is the energy of your live show. LANCO shows are certainly something to experience. How did you guys develop the live component of the group, and what do you think makes your show stand apart when you're on stage?

I think that it came from maybe a little bit of stubbornness on my end, really! We did start in Nashville playing small, small gigs at bars. Not even at the big bars down on Broadway - we weren't considered good enough to play there, because you have to be able to play four full hours of covers from every genre in the world and take requests. But, we were playing gigs south of Broadway where we could play our original material for an hour or an hour and a half. But, when you're playing those kinds of venues, you're talking about maybe 20 people being there some nights. No one was really there to see you, either, except maybe a couple of your friends. And, you'd see people walk by the bar, peek in, see you, and keep going. So, there was an aspect of the entire thing where we had to kinda say to ourselves, "You know what? If we are going to be playing original music and doing our own thing, we've got to offer something that is different than what everyone else on this street is doing. Because, we aren't playing the best of 2000s Country." And, even as a fan, I think that if you're going to be playing original music, you better be really offering something. And, early on, we decided, "Okay. If there are 15 people here, let's give them such a show that they tell 15 people about it, and then those 15 might tell 15 more people about it." We were just out there working hard to grow it organically. Then, we'd play these house shows where our friends would come out, and that was fun, because it turned in to a party! So, we really wanted to take that dynamic of playing these house shows and the small gigs with our friends where we were the live entertainment at a big party and take that to the bars. So, we took that to Indianapolis and everywhere else we were traveling. It was a special moment that we could share with people. Maybe that's the one chance that this group of people will ever have a chance to see you, so let's give them something that they can't find anywhere else and that they will remember. So, we always try to make each show special, and we appreciate just being on stage, because that wasn't always the case for us. At one point, this was just a dream. So, anytime we walk on a stage, we are so very thankful that we get just a few minutes to create this experience. It has always been about creating an experience that people will want to tell their friends about.

10. You are now on your second radio single, "Greatest Love Story." You wrote this without the help of any co-writers, so can you tell us about the process? Is this an autobiographical story, or was there outside inspiration? And, since you penned this on your own, do you feel any added sense of pressure or joy or emotion as you have this out to radio?

I think that it is a mix of being slightly autobiographical and outside influences. With songwriting, I've always heard a quote I've related to, which is, "Songwriting is observing and experiencing." For me, "Greatest Love Story" is exactly that. It's my own experience of being in a long-term relationship and being in school together. And my girlfriend at the time moved away, and we had some distance, and we decided to call it quits for a while, but in that time apart, we realized that what we were missing in each other's life was each other and that friendship. So, we came back together, and now we are engaged. So, that aspect was definitely true to my own story. But, also, growing up in Smyrna, the observation part came from the story that I saw all the time around me. A couple would start dating in high school; the girls would go off to college, and the guys would get a job at Nissan. And, they were always just hoping that they would kind of come back together. So, between my own experience and the experiences I observed growing up where I'm from, it was a pretty easy story for me to tell. I think co-writing is great. It's a great practice, and I think absolutely great art comes from co-writing. But, I also do think that with artists and especially with songwriters, the reason you start writing is because you have something to say. Hopefully you don't start writing to get a publishing deal or a record deal. No, you start writing, because you have something you want to say to the world, and you write to say it. I think that's something that artists and writers should never be afraid to do. Co-writes are incredible, and they bring great things - many perspectives that you may not have for yourself - but if you have a story to tell, it's okay just to tell it. So, this was a story that was so close to home for me, I was confident I could tell it myself - so I did! I know it is a rare thing anymore to pen a song by yourself and then have it become a single, so it's definitely very personal for me. At first, I thought of it as my story, but what has almost, in a way, taken the weight off my shoulders is being on the road and seeing how many people it has impacted. Every night, there's a line of people telling us how it's their story, or it is their friends' stories, or how - and it's not even just high school sweethearts! - it's people in the military, it's people that have a totally different story than I ever would have imagined. And, that has been the coolest and most rewarding thing for me is to see how people put themselves in this song and made it their own story. So, it has been an incredible experience, and I'm thrilled that it has been impacting people. It's special to me on many different fronts.

As a native of the area, you are what might be called a "unicorn," since there seem to be fewer and fewer people in this town who are originally from here! So, if someone were to visit you for the weekend who had never been to the Nashville area, what non-touristy, totally local places would you take them to see?

So, I live in East Nashville now, so I'm familiar with that area now. When I was really little, we lived on the outskirts of Nashville, so I've grown up knowing the area and loving it. And, now I really love East Nashville and living in this part of town. So, I would probably take visitors to get a beer at some super-dive joint place like Mickey's Tavern. I'd take them to the Five Spot, because they've got great live music there that ranges from Country to MoTown stuff. Gosh, definitely to a record store like Grimey's. Definitely. And one thing I'd do, because it's not too touristy yet - but I think when people do envision the TV show, "Nashville," they think about the Bluebird Café - so, I'd take people to something local like Whiskey Jam at Winner's and Loser's on a Monday night. Probably, we'd start with Whiskey Jam on a Monday night, and then we'd end up at some dive like Five Spot or Mickey's in East Nashville to end the night.