MusicsWeek: What inspired you to start making music?
Lynn Houston: I was inspired to make music because it was time for me to do so. I started my career as an actor and performed a one-woman show across the US. I ended up in California and became a Hollywood photographer. I was on a photo safari in Africa and decided that I wanted to fly airplanes. I went to a national flight school in Santa Monica and started there as an intern at age 36. I worked my way up to chief pilot of that flight school, left there and flew cargo, then finally retired as a captain for an airline in 2006. When I was 57, I finished my BA and founded a nonprofit called A Different Point of View. We taught youth who had experience in the juvenile justice system how to fly and how to become captains of their own lives. After many years there, I stepped down from being the Executive Director and turned to music. I knew I needed to continue my fight for social justice, and music seemed a good place to make that happen. I bought a guitar, took a few lessons, and then began to perform at places like SoHo in Santa Barbara. After a few years, I realized I needed more education, so I enrolled in the Berklee School of Music out of Boston. It changed my musical life to be sure. I learned Logic and how to create music in a different way. Now I am just beginning, it seems, on another journey that will take me places I never knew possible.
MusicsWeek: Who are your biggest musical influences?
Lynn Houston: My biggest musical influences are Nina Simone, Gil Scott-Heron, Leonard Cohen, Alicia Keys, and Beethoven.
MusicsWeek: How would you describe your music style?
Lynn Houston: My latest song Leader in the Crowd is noted as “hip-hop” as the genre, but I’m not really sure that’s correct, as there are jazz, r&b, and spoken word influences as well.
MusicsWeek: What’s the story behind your stage name?
Lynn Houston: The story behind my stage name, Lynn Houston is that it’s my name I chose when I was an actor in New York. I think it works as I’ve done many things in this lifetime, and I’d hate to shut that dame down.
MusicsWeek: What was the first song you ever wrote, and what was it about?
Lynn Houston: The first song I ever wrote was Leader in the Crowd in 2018.
MusicsWeek: Can you walk us through your songwriting process?
Lynn Houston: Songwriting process. Varies greatly. Sometimes I write a song, then create the music. Sometimes I create the music, then write the song. If I’m in my studio, I might start with a drum beat or a cool synth sound, then I let the music take me someplace unexpected.
Often, the lyrics I write change because the music changes. I never know, and I really like not knowing until I’ve explored a lot of options. Words matter to me, but I have learned that music plays the pivotal role in creating a song that people will listen to.
MusicsWeek: Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics?
Lynn Houston: I find my inspiration from the world around me. The people, the youth, my partner, the birds and bees, our planet, our political system, etc.
MusicsWeek: Do you prefer writing alone or collaborating with others?
Lynn Houston: I prefer to start out alone and flesh out my idea for the song. Once I’ve taken it as far as I can, I send it to my producer so we can work on it together. Then we bring in other musicians or singers to complete the sound.
MusicsWeek: What comes first for you—melody, lyrics, or production?
Lynn Houston: Usually, the lyrics come first because I get fired up about something and have to put words to paper. I start then exploring possible musical ideas that would serve the lyrics and create a sound that is worthy of a song.
MusicsWeek: How do you overcome writer’s block?
Lynn Houston: I overcome writer's block by doing something else. If I can’t find the words, I work on the music; if I can’t find the music, I work on the lyrics. If I am totally at a lost, I’ll go for a walk or go back to “why” I started writing the song in the first place.
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