Spotlight: Leo Lassant

Edward Burnett catches up with the former frontman of indie-rock band Vagant, Leo Lassant, to talk new projects, 80s synth-wave and nostalgia.


RnRR: Hi Leo, the last time I spoke to you, you were front-maning the band Vagant. What’s happening now in your musical career?

LEO: At the moment I’m starting my solo career as Leonardo Lassant. I’m also making some other projects that I had before, and doing musical experiments with the 80s synth-wave and aesthetic movement.

RnRR: So tell us more about the last part, what exactly are you aiming to do with the synth-wave genre and why did you decide upon that particular style to experiment with?

LEO: It’s because I’ve fallen in love with the style and all that comes with it. In a way, I’m trying to take the best parts from the mainstream music from the 80s and the best part from the synth-wave to make something new with those old genres. I love the feeling of nostalgia and making this makes me feel it somehow.

RnRR: Nostalgia can be a key influencer in the creation of music and evidently this is what you have chosen to pursue! Is there any particular bands from these older genres which inspired you to go and finally experiment with them?

LEO: Well, I’m usually very good with the names of the bands that I hear but to be honest, for this mission, I’ve been listening to some mixes on YouTube of synth wave and 80s nostalgia wave. I don’t know, for the pop part, I’ve been listening to a lot of 80s mainstream music, there’s not a particular influence for me right now, just music and the sensation that I don’t feel part of my generation.

RnRR: Well I’m sure during your research you have come across many synth remixes, one such being the largely popular synth-wave tune: “Home” by Resonance. Songs such as these act to provide such nostalgia to the ears of their audience. Would you say that the search for nostalgia is key to what you aim to produce?

LEO: Home is such a spectacular tune, I really love it. Nostalgia means everything for me at the time of writing right now, but it’s kinda weird, the fact of feeling nostalgia for things that never happened in my life, so it’s the kind of message that I want to give to all the people who listen to me.

RnRR: So with that in mind, what’s the plan for the future? New singles or EP coming soon? How about live shows?

LEO: There are a lot of things on the way, my first solo EP, and the Pyramidal Prisma Sun's (the synthwave project) first single. We’re also about to do our first show as a band this september, and then we will see what happens next.

RnRR: So let’s talk about your solo career and your first solo EP. What is the genre of this? Is it following in the indie-rock roots of your former band Vagant?

LEO: My solo project, it doesn’t have a real shape right now, but it’s on progress. I want it to be the opposite of Vagant, like more focused on feeling, and personal stuff. Yet you can never hide your own roots, so I guess that this first EP will sound a little bit like Vagant, but the idea is to be totally different.

RnRR: A good mix can be expected then. So one final question Leo, in a years time where do you see yourself and where would you like to be, realistically?

LEO: Honestly, I want to live for the music, there’s nothing best than that, it’s the thing that I most enjoy in life.

RnRR: There you go, it’s refreshing to see someone completely devoted to the cause of making good music and not chasing other goals. It’s been great speaking again Leo and we will be sure to update the page with news of your future projects when they drop.

You can find out more about Leo via his social media outlets or find his work via Soundcloud: ​https://soundcloud.com/leo-lassant