Recently, GotDatNew sat down with the independent hip-hop/pop duo ONE: FIFTY for an exclusive interview! Comprised of producer Calvin Caumanns and rapper/songwriter Lawrence Liepsner, this duo recently came onto our radar with the release of their popular single “EASY” in December 2021. Since then, they have been the buzz around our office, making it super exciting that they were able to join us for an exclusive interview. ONE:FIFTY talked to us about everything, from their lifelong passion for music, to their recent track “EASY”, as well as their hopes of becoming the next major name in the independent music world. We highly recommend checking out the transcript below, along with the “EASY” music video.
GDN: What inspired you to start music?
O:F: Both of us have always had a strong interest in music. The art form itself of course casts a spell on most people, but for us specifically creating music and getting the chance to express our innermost feelings through composing our own melodies and writing our own lyrics is what pushed us over the edge. The decision to start making music professionally, therefore, came very organically and was never explicitly something we decided. It might sound like a stupid cliché, but it truly feels like music chooses you.
GDN: If you weren’t doing music what other career do you see yourself doing?
O:F: Before music took a central role in our lives, both of us attended university. We never really found what we were looking for in studying business and marketing, so it isn’t entirely clear what alternative career path each of us would or could have embarked on.
For both, but especially for Calvin, the field of Psychology represents a great matter of interest and might have been something to consider as a substitute. Who knows what opportunities life would have presented, all we know is that creating something of meaning and working with people, and in a deeper way, for people, is what truly motivates us. If music wouldn’t have been an option this pursuit would have certainly manifested itself in a different manner.
GDN: When you’re working, what inspires you or what do you draw inspiration from?
O:F: Our main focus, when producing new music or when writing new lyrics, is to come from a place of truth and authenticity. We have both experienced difficult times in our lives and are still very much in the process of dealing with our personal issues. Our goal is to always use our past, our emotions, and our thoughts as inspiration. As humans, there is unending potential for art within each one of us. Connecting to that part of us is all it usually takes. It is easier said than done, especially when there is a lot of outer noise around you, which is often the case nowadays.
Within this process, we also try to feed off each other’s ideas and use them to further develop the direction of a project.
GDN: Is there any advice you would like to give your younger self for coming into the music industry or something to help the songwriting/producing process?
O:F: It is always easy to give yourself advice in hindsight. Knowing what we know now there are many things we certainly would have done differently. But who knows what advantages and learning experiences we would have missed out on, wasn’t it for our missteps. It is all part of our journey and brought us to the place we find ourselves in today. It all happens for us and not to us.
Having said all of that, maybe we could have started a little earlier. We would advise our past selves to push all initial doubt and fear aside.
GDN: What’s the meaning of your track “Easy”?
O:F: In its essence, Easy is about love. The way it can often be irrational and move us to a state of complete bliss and complete vulnerability all at the same time. It makes us perceive everything as if looking through a filter, canceling out negative aspects of one another. It is very difficult to set boundaries, much less adhere to them. Sometimes it is easier to walk the path of least resistance and just let yourself fall deeper into your feelings. This, among other things, is what makes us human after all. Easy tries to recreate this feeling.
GDN: What is the inspiration behind the visual?
O:F: Knowing the meaning and emotions of the song, we thought that the visual should communicate in the same direction. For starters, we felt as if shooting on 16mm, giving a warm old-school to the image, would be perfect. We incorporated warm, fuzzy colors into almost every shot and worked with soft textures to demonstrate the ease of falling in love. Other symbols, like the Katana sword, stand in stark contrast with the former, as they symbolize the danger and negative sides of love.
To keep it short, we wanted the look and the symbolism to really work hand in hand with the soft rolling nature of the sound design while incorporating a deeply melancholic undertone throughout the entirety of the video.
GDN: What do fans of yours have to look forward to in the near future, are there any surprises to come?
O:F: We are extremely excited about the future. We have an unending supply of new music that we are currently finishing. Two big new music video productions are already being planned for March and until then, two smaller videos will be filmed, in February.
This year we plan to put out our first visual EP. A collection of four to six-song, all respectively accompanied by a music video.
So stay very tuned!
GDN: Are you currently in talks with majors or are you looking to stay independent?
O:F: We currently are not involved in any talk with majors labels. Our main goal is to remain independent for as long as possible. Owning our masters and retaining all the power and decision-making privileges is something of the utmost importance to us. The reason for giving that privilege up would have to be extraordinary.
FOLLOW ONE:FIFTY:
Instagram: @onefifty.150
TikTok: @one_fifty
YouTube: ONE:FIFTY
