Justin Lantrip

Justin Lantrip is making waves in his hometown of Sandpoint, Idaho, and "Paper Bird" should see him broadening his fanbase considerably - perhaps even finding an international audience. This is his third album ("I Am My Will" was released in 2010 and "Bleed Then Bloom" in 2012), and he barely puts a foot wrong. He's a singer-songwriter at heart, and the production and arrangements on "Paper Bird" place his voice and songs, front and centre. His soulful tone does much to separate him from the pack, and his musicianship and studio nous - he recorded the album himself - plays to all his strengths.

It's a collection that suits nighttime listening. The recording is warm and inviting, and you'll want to sit, concentrate and listen to its drama unfold, glass in hand, rather than hear it through a miasma of daytime distractions. For the most part "Paper Bird" is ruminative and thought provoking; it's imagery sharp and Lantrip's conclusions oblique. Repeated spins reveal a multitude of musical layers, from keyboards to strings, and his songs, whether upbeat and spirited like opener "Razor Blue", "Who Was I" and the nigh on perfect "Kentucky Sore" (with added violin and complimentary backing vocals), or downbeat and desperate like the title track and "Blue Chagrin", are both emotionally flayed and faultlessly executed. - Leicester Bangs Review

Justin Lantrip is making waves in his hometown of Sandpoint, Idaho, and "Paper Bird" should see him broadening his fanbase considerably - perhaps even finding an international audience. This is his third album ("I Am My Will" was released in 2010 and "Bleed Then Bloom" in 2012), and he barely puts a foot wrong. He's a singer-songwriter at heart, and the production and arrangements on "Paper Bird" place his voice and songs, front and centre. His soulful tone does much to separate him from the pack, and his musicianship and studio nous - he recorded the album himself - plays to all his strengths.

It's a collection that suits nighttime listening. The recording is warm and inviting, and you'll want to sit, concentrate and listen to its drama unfold, glass in hand, rather than hear it through a miasma of daytime distractions. For the most part "Paper Bird" is ruminative and thought provoking; it's imagery sharp and Lantrip's conclusions oblique. Repeated spins reveal a multitude of musical layers, from keyboards to strings, and his songs, whether upbeat and spirited like opener "Razor Blue", "Who Was I" and the nigh on perfect "Kentucky Sore" (with added violin and complimentary backing vocals), or downbeat and desperate like the title track and "Blue Chagrin", are both emotionally flayed and faultlessly executed. - Leicester Bangs Review

SANDPOINT --- For local musician Justin Lantrip, the Saturday performance of his new album at the Panida Theater marks both an end and a beginning.
On the one hand, the show marked the end of "Paper Bird's" labor-intensive production. In another respect however, it's just another step in his journey as a musician.
"With every album I release, I get a little closer to communicating what I feel inside," he told the more than 150 attendees of Saturday's show.
The process of capturing that inner vision started in January, when Lantrip kicked off the recording and production process. Having never taken on the role of an album producer before, much of the leg-work involved late nights studying and experimenting to see what exactly worked. Once he felt he had enough of a foundation under his feet, he started the exacting process of recording and re-recording song after song.
"When you spend all this time practicing and writing and playing a few different songs, it starts to affect your perspective," Lantrip said, "You start to hear things differently."
Fortunately, he had help from plenty of talented individuals in putting the songs together. Cody Mills provided the drums, Kyle Volkman handled the bass and Anna Tivel contributed fiddle, mandolin and backup vocals for Lantrip's singing and guitar. All four took the stage Saturday to debut the album in its full instrumental glory. Lantrip and company were supported in their show by several talented acts. Anna and the Underbelly, a Portland, Ore., act head up by Tivel, opened the show with thoughtful lyrics and gentle melodies. Spokane based singer-songwriter Marshall Mclean then tore through a series of engertic numbers supported by Justing Landis of Cedar & Boyer and Jamie Frost of the well known Spokane band The Makers.
By the time Lantrip and his fellow performers took the stage, the audience responded even more enthusiastically. By the end of the show, a few left their seats to dance up front including one very enthusiastic baby. Attendees will be able to relive the experince as many times as they desire, too, since Lantrip included a copy of "Paper Bird" for all ticket purchasers.
"I thought for the most part, the evening went very well," Lantrip said, "You could tell that everyone who was there wanted to be there." - Sandpoint Daily Bee

"The musician's armaments are light - an instrument or two, a sense of showmanship and a set of pipes. With only these weapons, Sandpoint's Justin Lantrip is more a Navy SEAL than a trench-bound G.I., with a quiet, sinister plucking style that buoys the natural quality of his voice, a versatile thing that seethes and croons with a whiskey-and-smoke sheen. Shuffling with unhurried precision, Lantrip's bluegrass-tinged folk is too calm for a cannonade, but when you need some clandestine musical maneuvers, when you need results, he's your guy. -Jeff Echert" - Inlander of Spokane

Words:

Justin Lantrip CD Release
By Ben Olson
For SPR


There’s a lot of crap out there. Floating around, mucking up our airspace. We’ve somehow become a culture that worships crap, bows down to it and empties our pockets for it. We love our crap.
How wonderful then, when something comes out that isn’t crap. Sometimes you have to hunt to find it. Sometimes it comes from the most unsuspecting place; a small mountain town called Sandpoint.
Sandpoint native Justin Lantrip has evolved faster than any musician I’ve seen in this area. Starting from scratch, essentially, he has packed more work and creation in the last few years than most musicians do in a decade. What’s evident with his new CD, “I Am My Will,” is that Lantrip has put in his time.
The CD is an independent venture for Lantrip, recorded in his studio basement, marketed and sold himself. It’s part of a new revolution of music distribution that doesn’t rely on leviathan record labels and pop charts. It relies solely on the talent of the artist. And Lantrip has talent. He’s ripe with it.
“I Am My Will” has eleven original tracks by Lantrip, all showcasing his astounding vocal range, his prowess on the guitar, his ability to write songs with meaning. Haunting lyrics from “Libby, MT” highlight the struggles of that mining town’s past. “Baby Boy” is a heartbreaking homage paid to a beautiful child departed. The chord progression of “Hold a Candle to the Sun” stays with you long after the song is done.
Not many musicians have the ability Lantrip has, to play to both rowdy bars and quiet coffee shops, and somehow manage to fill the space perfectly each time. Put him behind a microphone and a guitar and people will listen. They won’t be able to help it.
I sat down with Lantrip to talk about his new CD, and the release party he’s throwing at the Panida Theater on April 17th.

BO: So, the new album…

JL: The new album is called “I Am My Will.”

Tell me about the evolution of it, the recording process, where it came from… why are you releasing an album?

Why I’m releasing an album… it’s a natural part of the process, I think. Being an artist is combining everything you’ve worked toward into one package and making something for yourself to show. The process was fun, really. I ended up taking this little space down below my house and put some blankets up on the walls and a mic in the corner and seeing what I could do. I had a little bit of recording experience before but not much, so it was kinda learn-as-I-go.

Did you mix everything yourself?

Yeah, I mixed everything myself, I recorded everything myself. Everything that’s on the album is me, with the exception of two songs where I had Jeff Crosby [of Boise band Equaleyes] playing acoustic guitar. All the sounds come from acoustic guitar and my vocals. And that’s it. I tried to give it as full of a sound as I could, you know, not having drums and bass.

Do you think that this is a new standard for artists, recording themselves? Artists who are basically recording in their garage, as opposed to have a record label take them on. Is this a step toward something more?

I think so, I think it actually represents the transition towards individualism on a whole basis. The power of technology now leads people to be able to do this and to do it pretty well. You know, I had no real experience and I don’t want to say that it turned out even close to studio quality, but it’s not bad. For what I had, for the money I was able to put into it, I think it turned out pretty good. People can do it relatively easy now in their homes. It just makes sense. People can’t afford to spend $20,000 on an album, and why should you anyway? There was a lot to gain from doing it myself, too. Maybe now I’m ready to go into a real studio, but I wasn’t before this album. It was a stepping stone.

Was it comfortable, the whole process, or did you butt your head?

Both, you know. I had a lot of fun. Sometimes.(laughs) Sometimes I’d go down there and just enjoy it. Sometimes I’d fail miserably, and I sat there and did take after take after take. When I went down there, I didn’t necessarily have an idea of what I even wanted the whole recording to sound like, I just knew what the song was, but I didn’t know what the extra parts were going to be and how my voice was gonna lay over and so it was as much experimental as it was going in with the knowledge before hand of what I was going to do, and every once in a while from that experimenting and struggle, you can reach into the void and pull a flower out for people to see.

Let’s talk about touring. Where have you been lately? Who have you toured with?

Well, I just got done with a tour with Josh Hedlund. We went to Portland and Seattle. It was a real short tour. It was a sort of, I finished the album, it’s out there getting pressed at CD Baby, and I’m gonna go play a few shows and get out of town. And that w - Sandpoint Reader

Words:

Justin Lantrip CD Release
By Ben Olson
For SPR


There’s a lot of crap out there. Floating around, mucking up our airspace. We’ve somehow become a culture that worships crap, bows down to it and empties our pockets for it. We love our crap.
How wonderful then, when something comes out that isn’t crap. Sometimes you have to hunt to find it. Sometimes it comes from the most unsuspecting place; a small mountain town called Sandpoint.
Sandpoint native Justin Lantrip has evolved faster than any musician I’ve seen in this area. Starting from scratch, essentially, he has packed more work and creation in the last few years than most musicians do in a decade. What’s evident with his new CD, “I Am My Will,” is that Lantrip has put in his time.
The CD is an independent venture for Lantrip, recorded in his studio basement, marketed and sold himself. It’s part of a new revolution of music distribution that doesn’t rely on leviathan record labels and pop charts. It relies solely on the talent of the artist. And Lantrip has talent. He’s ripe with it.
“I Am My Will” has eleven original tracks by Lantrip, all showcasing his astounding vocal range, his prowess on the guitar, his ability to write songs with meaning. Haunting lyrics from “Libby, MT” highlight the struggles of that mining town’s past. “Baby Boy” is a heartbreaking homage paid to a beautiful child departed. The chord progression of “Hold a Candle to the Sun” stays with you long after the song is done.
Not many musicians have the ability Lantrip has, to play to both rowdy bars and quiet coffee shops, and somehow manage to fill the space perfectly each time. Put him behind a microphone and a guitar and people will listen. They won’t be able to help it.
I sat down with Lantrip to talk about his new CD, and the release party he’s throwing at the Panida Theater on April 17th.

BO: So, the new album…

JL: The new album is called “I Am My Will.”

Tell me about the evolution of it, the recording process, where it came from… why are you releasing an album?

Why I’m releasing an album… it’s a natural part of the process, I think. Being an artist is combining everything you’ve worked toward into one package and making something for yourself to show. The process was fun, really. I ended up taking this little space down below my house and put some blankets up on the walls and a mic in the corner and seeing what I could do. I had a little bit of recording experience before but not much, so it was kinda learn-as-I-go.

Did you mix everything yourself?

Yeah, I mixed everything myself, I recorded everything myself. Everything that’s on the album is me, with the exception of two songs where I had Jeff Crosby [of Boise band Equaleyes] playing acoustic guitar. All the sounds come from acoustic guitar and my vocals. And that’s it. I tried to give it as full of a sound as I could, you know, not having drums and bass.

Do you think that this is a new standard for artists, recording themselves? Artists who are basically recording in their garage, as opposed to have a record label take them on. Is this a step toward something more?

I think so, I think it actually represents the transition towards individualism on a whole basis. The power of technology now leads people to be able to do this and to do it pretty well. You know, I had no real experience and I don’t want to say that it turned out even close to studio quality, but it’s not bad. For what I had, for the money I was able to put into it, I think it turned out pretty good. People can do it relatively easy now in their homes. It just makes sense. People can’t afford to spend $20,000 on an album, and why should you anyway? There was a lot to gain from doing it myself, too. Maybe now I’m ready to go into a real studio, but I wasn’t before this album. It was a stepping stone.

Was it comfortable, the whole process, or did you butt your head?

Both, you know. I had a lot of fun. Sometimes.(laughs) Sometimes I’d go down there and just enjoy it. Sometimes I’d fail miserably, and I sat there and did take after take after take. When I went down there, I didn’t necessarily have an idea of what I even wanted the whole recording to sound like, I just knew what the song was, but I didn’t know what the extra parts were going to be and how my voice was gonna lay over and so it was as much experimental as it was going in with the knowledge before hand of what I was going to do, and every once in a while from that experimenting and struggle, you can reach into the void and pull a flower out for people to see.

Let’s talk about touring. Where have you been lately? Who have you toured with?

Well, I just got done with a tour with Josh Hedlund. We went to Portland and Seattle. It was a real short tour. It was a sort of, I finished the album, it’s out there getting pressed at CD Baby, and I’m gonna go play a few shows and get out of town. And that w - Sandpoint Reader