While his last name may immediately catch attention, Canadian producer Ryan Hemsworth, armed with his ethereal fusion of R&B and electronica, should do so for reasons other than a shared last name with a pair of well-known Austrialian actors. In the past few years, his Last Words EP has fueled generous spotlights from music industry connoisseurs like Pitchfork and the FADER, as well as a remix from LA producer Shlohmo. The 22-year-old’s trademark use of slow-motion warp will continue to sculpt the distinctly warm yet groggy New Age atmosphere of his much-anticipated new album, Guilt Trips.
The Varsity: Being in school, did you find it difficult to make time for production?
Ryan Hemsworth: I probably should have but I always made time, whether by not doing schoolwork or skipping class. I’ve always been into music. I started playing guitar in the 7th grade. I treated it like a reward. It was like, “I’m finished class? Great, now I can do music.”
TV: Were there ever any doubts when you started out? What pushed you past them?
RH: There were endless doubts. I would doubt myself every day. I still do, but that’s what keeps me going. I distinctly remember thinking I would never be featured on Pitchfork or anything like that, then one day in class I was on my laptop and I had Fader as my homepage; I opened up my browser, and one of my songs had been posted. I couldn’t believe it. It was like: “Holy shit, this is a thing. I can actually do this.”
TV: What’s the best advice you could give to someone who’s tackling the industry today?
RH: You’ve got to be versatile, and you’ve got to be accessible. There are people today who can produce and play live shows and make a million albums, then go on to mix and master stuff for other people, too. It’s a real struggle to attract listeners, but you need that moment of breaking through. That’s all about what people want. If you’re making something a little different, pray it picks up. Once it does, it doesn’t stop, as long as you’re pushing yourself.
TV: What are your insights on this experience you’ve had in the industry so far?
RH: You’ve got to treat people’s expectations, but challenge them and do weirder stuff through your selection. That’s not easy when the creative process is strained by travel. You try to pace yourself, but it’s hard. The tour I’m on right now is 6 weeks in total, and I’ve been in a different city pretty much every day. You want to make every night special and do the whole after-party, but finding a balance for everything is kind of impossible.
TV: I read your interview with Pitchfork from January and noticed that you’d said you weren’t using any live instruments. Has that changed since?
RH: I haven’t quite broken into playing live instruments. I used to play guitar and sing live, but it always made me nervous. I’m in my happy place with Ableton because I can use it in a way where I trigger each of the individual layers of my own songs. It’s not straight up DJ-ing, and I have the freedom to mess around, throwing in a hype sample, then switching it back to lower tempos. It’s just more interesting than a guy on a guitar. You see that everyday.
TV: To close, you’re releasing a new album with an anticipated release of October 22. What can you share to warm up new listeners?
RH: It’s grounded in electronic music, but I wanted the album to be separate from electronic music culture. It’s not something you would play in a club. I made it to be heard through headphones. It’s got a roller coaster of emotions that puts you in a solemn headspace, but still has rigid beats to keep you entertained. I listen to a lot of Postal Service and Thom Yorke, but I also enjoy Future’s production, so those influences translate into Guilt Trips. It’s a good soundtrack to just live your life to.
