AV ProductionWorld

Lachi Offoha talks about the creative process, inspiration and the making her band's music video Selfish.

Our band name is Lachi.  I'm the lead singer, Lachi Offoha and have been writing songs since as long as I can remember.  I’ve been performing solo since 2001 and with the band since 2007. 

I play the piano/keyboard and sing vocals.  Adriane Palikat plays the drums and Jacob Siegler plays the bass, both really cool cats.  Sometimes things, thoughts, ideas, colors and questions come into my head on different bases and seep out into the form of music.  I consider myself a songwriter before a singer, and a singer before a pianist.

What is your musical background/training?

We’re all pro-level trained.  Being legally blind, I personally do it all by ear, and have been playing the keys since elementary school.  I took one semester of classical voice and was afraid of my professor so quit that and instead simply sang what I felt complemented the keys.

What kind of support network do you have?

I’ve been blessed with a huge family and some great friends who’ve been very supportive of my musical aspirations.

What do you need to create new works? 

I need keys.  Piano keys, they call my name.  They are a part of me, making me whole.  I have songs I’ve written that have never seen paper, and that I can’t remember unless I’m in front of the piano.

How do you use your studio?

I use the studio for sketching ideas mostly and laying down what I have in my head and to gage how it would sound before presenting it to the other guys to see what they can do with it.

How did the Selfish video come about?

Selfish was written for many reasons.  The video, however, took the form of….well, this is new york.  This is the city of ‘the self’- self-esteem, self-indulgence, self-pity, self-awareness and definitely selfishness.  The video sort of represents the ‘selfness’ of new york city.  I shot it by myself, of myself, and near where I live to emphasize the ‘self.’  So the video itself is rather self-ish.

How do you stay inspired?

Well, that’s a good question.  Usually inspiration comes from listening to others and learning established tunes of course.  But for the more in depth inspiration, I really look to personal experiences of highs and lows, pains and gains.  If I feel a certain way about something yet allow it to fester within, it usually healthily seeps out into music.  The longer the fester, or the deeper the feeling, the better the song for the most part.

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