Q&A: Lisa Remar "Halfway to Nowhere"
☆ By SOPHIE GRAGG ☆
ALT-POP WITH A PERFECT LAYER OF DREAMY - Lisa Remar brings a whole world with her in her latest track and music video “Halfway to Nowhere”. Thanks to some hazy synths, reverb-y guitars and heavenly vocals, “Halfway to Nowhere” serves as both a terrific introduction to Remar herself and a showcase of her production talents as well. Paired with a cinematic video, the track allows the listener to temporarily escape into a scene reminiscent of a young adult coming of age film, complete with the hazy lights of Chinatown and scenes of the metro. With the intent to highlight a group fo friends living their best life in New York, “despite the lonely and broke realities of being 20-somethings in New York.”, the video only elevates the empowering feel of the track.
With an EP already written and a solid energy moving her forward, this is only the beginning for Remar. Venture into her world through “Halfway to Nowhere” and get to know more about the track, what she’s been listening to and more by reading below.
LUNA: How are ya doing lately? How’s quarantine been treating you?
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot better. Even my friends tell me that. Not that I was doing horrendously in the past but quarantine has been, to say the least, an emotional rollercoaster of sorts. Let’s just say today I’m feeling good :-)
LUNA: What led to you pursuing music as a career rather than just a hobby?
REMAR: I’d say making music and performing is still kind of a hobby for me, by that I mean, it’s the only thing that truly activates me in a way that no other craft nor pastime has come close to. I guess I'm a cliche - music has always been a part of who I am and how I’ve expressed myself. I went to Calarts for music composition and there, I sorta learned of the many ways I could make a living making music - which is probably when I considered pursuing music as a career. I don’t know, I wouldn’t recommend it.
LUNA: How do you think your cultural background has played into the feel of your work?
REMAR: I think the fact that I can speak Japanese fluently has helped me form relationships with creatives that I wouldn’t have been able to work with otherwise. During the process of making the music videos and putting the artwork together, my collaborators and I sourced a ton of visual references from east asian films such as Fallen Angels by Wong Kar-wai and Passageways by Yasujiro Ozu.
As far as the feel of my music - I’d have to say growing up in New York City plays a big part, as well as the time i’ve spent in Los Angeles. Growing up I listened to a lot of Tribe Called Quest, Mos-Def, Alicia Keys, Fiona Apple and Mariah Carey. Then when I moved to Los Angeles for University I started listening to a lot more vibeyer music like Frank Ocean and Lana Del Rey.
LUNA: The video for “Halfway To Nowhere” is really beautifully done - I just loveeee it! Can you touch a bit on the making of it all?
REMAR: Thank you! I’m not gonna lie - I love it too! The director, Nikita Merrin and I worked really closely on the video and had loads of fun making it especially because several of my good friends were a part of it! We wanted to show a group of friends celebrating themselves - living out an extravagant fantasy despite the lonely and broke realities of being 20-somethings in New York.
LUNA: How important is bringing the visual side of your music to life?
REMAR: I think the visual side is just as essential in the story-telling as the music it represents. I’ve just always been a lot more drawn to musical projects with a thought out visual.
LUNA: The track also marks your official debut into the music world using your own name - sonically, what are some elements you’d like to explore in upcoming projects?
REMAR: I’ve actually already written and recorded another EP worth of music during the past couple of months. Lyrically the tracks are more event specific and the structure of the songs are definitely a bit more unconventional. There’s a lot going on and I’m pretty pumped about it!
LUNA: What’s been inspiring you lately?
REMAR: I was recently released from being on a two month hold for this TV show I auditioned for. The show is set in the 80’s so I made a playlist of my favorite songs from the 80’s to get into the mindset of this character, in case I did get the part. Obviously, I did not, but I still listen to this playlist, so much so that I feel like it’s inspired the music I’ve been making lately.
LUNA: Though long overdue, we’re starting to finally see more conversations about representation in the music industry. What role do you hope to play in these conversations and overall movement?
REMAR: One of the albums I’ve been listening to on repeat during quarantine is Rina Sawayama’s latest SAWAYAMA. Everything about her brings me joy. Watching her perform on Jimmy Fallon was so mesmerizing - it felt like such an unprecedented moment in music history and like you said, long overdue. I hope by continuing to exist as a producer, songwriter and performer I’ll be able to help others visualize themselves achieve the same things I have despite their gender, age, sexual preference, ethnicity, disabilities, etc.
LUNA: A fun one - if you could time travel to any location and time, where would you go?
REMAR: I’m not sure if I’d want to mess with time. I’ve seen too many films where people time travel and the storyline never seems to be easy going or non-consequential. Click with was honestly traumatizing for me. Looper was so scary. I feel like Benjamin Button weirdly falls under the time traveling category - and it’s way too sad. Hot Tub Time Machine was, I’m not sure, I was not paying enough attention to that one. Midnight in Paris is the only movie that involves time traveling that makes me feel good when I watch it but Woody Allen is beyond problematic so… there you go, I won’t be time traveling. Maybe I’ll go 10 minutes into the past just to see how my body will react to it, but that’s it!
LUNA: As this weird year comes to a close, what intentions do you have for the upcoming months?
REMAR: My intention is to move forward with grace and gratitude.
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From Pavietra 🕊️ https://t.co/BXVgWlZud8 -
slowthai by Rosie Matheson 🤩 https://t.co/z7SDfFQ5iF
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RT @i_D: Ian Kenneth Bird photographs young punks on Polaroid: https://t.co/MKT0tMUqO9 https://t.co/a0tTl12ML5
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RT @AnOtherMagazine: #DreamHome – this isolated idyll in the mountains of Lanzarote 🌵 📸 via Nowness, photography by Clemence Blr 🔁 https://t.co/GUusdxD0cg
