[Interview] Exclusive interview with Egor Lappo

Dear readers, we are pleased to offer you in this article an interview with a Russian multi-instrumentalist, composer and singer who offers modern Progressive Rock/Metal sounds. We welcome Egor Lappo.

Hi, how are you?

“I’m doing relatively well 🙂“

You are a multi-instrumentalist, composer, singer what made you approach music?

“As it is probably with every musician – hearing that one song at a very young age, somehow magically resonating with it emotionally and at some point thinking “Hm, i guess I wanna do THAT”. Cool thing about this moment is that it feels like the song understands you better than your friends, parents or even yourself.“

You are a young artist offering Progressive Rock and Metal sounds, how did your passion for these sounds come about?

“29 years old is still young, yay! When I was a kid I was a huge fan of Deep Purple (still am) and I really loved unison keys+guitar sections (still do), like “Highway Star,” “Burn,” “Mandrake Root.” Blackmore/Lord duo is unmatchable. Later I heard Rainbow and they also did it in “A Light In the Black,” “Spotlight Kid.” So, that’s definitely my favorite element of Prog. Rush opened a whole new world of music for me with different time-signatures, majestic chord progressions (don’t get me started on this one) and non-standard song structures.“

Your new album “Reasonable Nonsense” was released on August 16., 2024, how would you describe this work?

“It’s in the prog/pop style that I enjoy doing the most now. I think it has a darker and more eerie vibe than the previous albums.“

You took care of both the music and the vocals, what themes do the lyrics deal with?

“Mostly self-reflection, emotions, things that surround us and the world in general. On “Reasonable Nonsense” it’s about existentialism and nihilism, freewill and fatalism. Some of the songs are about personal topics, such as jealousy, grief,
overcoming your anxieties, and accepting defeat. The exceptions in my catalog are probably “Way Without Light” and “Trancevoicer.” WWL is my first album and I had plenty of topics to choose from, it also has very abstract lyrics sometimes. Trancevoicer is a concept album with a plot but I sneaked some real-life and romantic themed lyrics here and there.“

You play all the instruments and sing on this album, how does the creative process of your music take place?

“Usually it starts with one idea that I feel very strongly about. It can be a drum beat, synth melody, vocal melody, a lyric line. Then I try to build something around it and then I try to understand what I subconsciously try to achieve. And then it’s all about not losing that initial idea or vibe and trying to pursue it.“

Being a solo artist, will there be a chance to hear your music live or is this a studio-only project?

“I’ll respond with a meme about me ever playing live: (X) Doubt Though I sing my own songs at karaoke sometimes! Backing band sounds very cool there.“

This is your sixth studio album, how has your sound evolved over time?

“I don’t think about it as “evolvement”, it’s more like a natural flow of my artistic journey that is characterized by:
a) what’s going on in my life and who I am as a person.
b) my skill in songwriting and mixing.
At this point I tend to write simpler songs, so each one has a coherent statement. Maybe it has something to do with me as a person, I don’t have much energy now to listen to a 30-minute prog track (unless it’s “World Without End” by Neal Morse) or to have a long conversation about nothing, it’s very tiring now. Though I may devolve one day, who knows.“

What difficulties does a young artist face in emerging in the modern music market proposing a more sophisticated genre such as Prog?

“Prog is no different from other genres in terms of how difficult it is to.. well, get famous! If you’re doing less sophisticated stuff like pop/pop-rock/reggaeton – the market is much more oversaturated, hence it’s maybe even more difficult to be heard. But you gotta remember that creating music in any genre just for the sake of being famous won’t guarantee success, but will surely result in losing time and effort if you don’t achieve it – which will (surprise!) lead to disappointment. And even if you will achieve some success – you’ll have to maintain that style and persona.“

What advice would you give to young artists approaching music in a genre like yours?

“If young artists means “aspiring” then:
Almost all of the iconic prog-bands have their distinct elements that create their trademark sound, it’s ok to rip them off, but you gotta feel when it’s too much. Rip off several bands at once! And here you may find something that only you can create with such magic and authenticity. Listening to different genres would really help, not just 79 djent/prog bands.“

Do you have any other activities or artistic passions outside music?

“As every Tinder bio says “Laughing, traveling, tasty food!”, but besides that I also enjoy 8-Ball Pool, chess, reading (mostly autobiographies) and hanging out somewhere in a field at midnight watching a moonrise. I lied about traveling.“

I thank Egor for the interview, wishing him all the best for the release of his new album and the continuation of his artistic career.

Egor Lappo |Bandcamp|Facebook Page|Twitter|Instagram|Spotify|YouTube Channel|