A Magazine by Highsnobiety returns with its Summer 2022 issue, featuring California based songwriter, singer, producer, and musician Steve Lacy in a new interview and cover.
In the cover story, by Chris Black with accompanying imagery shot by Tom Kneller and styled by Zoey Radford Scott, Steve Lacy takes us on a drive around LA to chat about clothes, his ever-evolving process, his upcoming album ‘Gemini Rights,’ relationships, being labeled “the weirdo guitar dude,” and the never-ending search for music that absolutely knocks you out upon first listen.
On his upcoming album :
I feel like I’ve always been working on [Gemini Rights]. But I consciously started saying I was making an album about a year and a half ago. I think I had to get over the fact that it was my first time working in a proper studio. I love The Village. I found my room there, and it felt like home. That’s my happy place, man. That’s all I want to do. But there was something about being in a professional environment, specifically to make music, that made me really take it seriously. This is the first time I’ve ever felt like I was an artist. So it’s a lot of firsts, this record.
I think this album was me letting go of a certain process. I was trying to do the same things while also trying to elevate, but I can’t do the same things if I’m trying to elevate! I was hitting walls.
-Steve Lacy
On what to look forward to:
I feel so confident, and I’ve never felt this way about anything I’ve ever made. I think people are expecting something musical and cool, but I don’t think anyone is prepared for the level that I’m bringing to everything. Production, lyrics, sequencing — I put real thought and real energy into this shit, and it can only pay off. I took my fucking time, blood, sweat, tears. And I’m not saying I have the perfect album, but it’s probably the truest shit you’ve heard all year.
The album challenged me to grow on a personal level. It was like everything had to match up energetically. It was a crazy experience, because there was a lot going on. I think it’s a really fun take on heartbreak. It has all the emotions, but it’s almost joking about it.
-Steve Lacy
On the industry:
“I had to find my confidence in being respected for how much I care about music. That’s ego-less confidence. It’s not fake confidence that I have from “success.” It’s confidence from the respect of people that I love and admire.”
“It’s an interesting time where I finally feel like there’s a place for me. Before, I felt like my shit was too weird, or I was too weird, and no one would understand. I’d just be this weirdo guitar dude. But now everything has evolved, and it’s time for me to be like, ‘There’s a space wide open… Am I ready?’”
On his fashion inspiration:
“[Outfits were] a way to create my own world. Because I grew up in Compton, and I didn’t grow up with all that. My mom sent us to better schools, so I would have these pieces and think, ‘Okay, how can I look like I live around here?’ I used clothes to say, ‘I’m supposed to be here,’ because I didn’t want to look like the house that I came from. I’ve always used clothes to speak without talking. You can portray anything or be whatever you want through your outfits. It’s such a beautiful form of creative expression.”
“I remember in quarantine, I had all these cool clothes, and I was going to Erewhon Palisades looking like a fucking alien. I had to get those ’fits off somewhere!”
On what’s to come:
“Ideally, I would love to work with a designer and just make stuff together. That’s the dream for me. I love clothes. They’re my second love, after music.”
“I’ve been having heavy moments of gratitude. I’m blessed that I get to live my life as myself and not for anyone else but myself. What more could I ask for?”
Words | Chris Black
Photographer | Tom Kneller
Styling | Zoey Radford Scott
Production | Taylor Brown and Perris Cavalier at The Morrison Group
Casting | Greg Krelenstein at GK-LD
Grooming | Alexa Hernandez at The Wall Group
Set Design | Michael Wanenmacher at Wanenmacher Studios
Lighting | Sebastian Johnson
Photography Assistants | Joey Abreu and Jade Marinade
Styling Assistant | Landon Ebeling
Production Assistant | Jaqueline Dufwa
Set Assistants | Abigail Francis, Jess Kellner, and Chris Steidle
Lighting Assistant | Madeline Spanier
Retoucher | Gregory Wikstrom
Tailor | Hasmik Kourinian
Special Thanks To | La Uva Auto Mechanic
Lead Image Fashion Credits | Top, jacket, pants, and boots ADIDAS X GUCCI Ring BULGARI Watch CARTIER