Interview: LZ7
As British Hip-Hop/Rap group LZ7 attempt to storm the UK charts with their anthem 'This Little Light', lead singer Lindz took a few moments out to talk to LTTM about the single, their schools work and the forthcoming album.
Tell us about your new single 'This Little Light'. What made you decide to put a modern spin on such an old Sunday school song?
Well when we first wrote 'this little light' we actually didn't base it on the old song at all. We wrote the song from scratch and came up with a beat and baseline a lot slower than you hear it now. It was only after some tweaking and speeding up the track we settled on the current sound. Then after listening back to it we realised the similarities to the old school song.
You've become something of an internet sensation lately, with well over a hundred thousand hits on YouTube. What do you put that down to?
Over the last few years we have been in and out of Manchester High schools performing and taking lessons and this song has gone down a storm and where is the first place young people look? YouTube... therefore we have had hundreds of thousands of hits with the majority being Manchester high school young people.
What do you hope to achieve by releasing a single to the UK charts?
The song 'this little light' is all about about inspiring a young person to let their light shine by making good fashionable again... by them shining by doing some little random acts of kindness, whether it's teaching your Gran to text or giving a copper a hi-5... so the song is the anthem to all these acts of kindness to show the world that young people can have a positive impact on the world. We want to see a whole movement of young people shining so what better place to see this happen than putting the song in the charts.
As a band you've spent a lot of time working in schools, is this something you find rewarding?
Yeah for sure. It's not the most glamorous thing getting up at 6am to get to a school assembly but it's something we wouldn't change. We love chatting to young people and instilling a positive message into them. If by what we do and teach, young people choose to make better decisions for themselves and the people around them then that's an inspiration to us!
Tell us a little bit about your new album 'Light' and what the inspiration behind it was?
LIGHT is basically a spin off from 'this little light'. The inspiration behind it is getting the best out of life... making the best decisions for you that have a positive impact in your world. It's about livin' it to the max!
What's your song writing process?
Find a topic that's close to our hearts... mind, shower some words in and around that topic and then start on the hook... the new album is full of hooks that people can sing along to.
Who are your musical influences?
David Guetta, Jay Z, Calvin Harris, Black Eyed Peas - anything uplifting.
You're stuck on an island, it's hot, you only have enough battery life left to listen to one song on your mp3 player. What track is it?
Dirt Off Ya Shoulder - Jay Z, Alisha Keys - calmer.
What does the next year hold for LZ7?
Takin' over the world baby!. Nah, we just wanna be the best that we can be at what we do and take as many people along for the ride giving out positive vibes and making people smile and come alive!
Find out more at www.lz7.co.uk or www.shineyourlight.com
