Hey The Formalist, thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. Could you tell us something about yourself that nobody knows?

When not creating emotional electronic pop rock as half of the formalist, singer erik laroi is the creative force behind lost weekend, an orchestral indie bossanova outfit working on their next album. and during the day, the other half of the formalist, stephen krieger, is a practicing neurologist and researcher in new york!

What influences have gone into your sound recently?

We often draw from both the shoegaze movement and plenty of electronic pop, but always seem to land somewhere atmospherically in between. our most recent single “A = N” takes this in the direction of a noir ballad, and I think there are influences from classic david lynch movies, the ennui of edward hopper paintings, and maybe a pinch of early depeche mode. but that’s just my take on it!

What are you currently working on?

We’re gearing up to release the full album, “a trace of yourself” a little later this spring. I think people who’ve found us through the first three singles will appreciate the range of genres and moods across the whole record. it has both more experimental and dense songs, and also prettier and more straightforward ones than we’ve released so far.

Any top tips for getting through writers block?

Try switching up to something completely different. for me it’s always good to have lots of songs or beats or lyrics at different stages of development all the time, so that if I’m stuck on one I can switch over and get my head around a different one. every once in a while two unrelated ideas fit together in unexpected ways, which is an amazing way to get out of a creative block.

What is your favourite thing about being an artist?

Finding ways to express something that I can’t say in any other way.

Who would be a dream collaboration and why?

I’ll go old-school here and say brian eno. just to be in the studio with someone who essentially created the modern approach to crafting emotionally resonant music would be mind blowing. 

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

Hopefully celebrating the success of “a trace of yourself” — at least knowing that this record that we worked so hard on is finally getting out there. I’m going to travel to iceland right after the record drops and just breathe the air and feel like I expressed a tiny something into the world.

What are you calling in for 2024?

To pull from our latest single “A = N”, how about: less amnesia, less nostalgia, and more being ever-present.

Listen to The Formalists newest single ‘A=N’ here:

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