We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christian Langston a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Christian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?
I feel like I’ve been mischaracterized much of my life. I have a wide array of skills and interests, many of which may counterintuitive when seen together. I think the biggest misunderstanding people have about me is my upbringing and what’s most important to me as a person. I grew up in rural Montana, in a small town where everyone knows each other. We work with farm animals, spend most of our time outdoors, and hold family above anything else. When people meet me, all they see is someone living in LA working in the music industry. Of course I love my life here with the nightlife and fast-paced lifestyle, but that isn’t what makes me who I am. I’m bred from mountains, wildlife, and my community; I’ll always be a country boy at my core.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My roles are as diverse as the music I work with! I’ve worked as a songwriter, a producer, an engineer, and a performer in my own right. I work often within the Pop and EDM genres, but have ventured into Alternative, Indie, and even Folk. I also work with a company called Moon Lvnding, which is a music media website where we cover all things Dance Music. I’m most regularly a blog writer with them, but also occasionally interview artists and do on-ground correspondence at shows and festivals! I most recently covered HARD Summer Music Festival in August, which was truly an unforgettable experience. I like to shoot nightlife photos as well as another creative outlet!
I think what sets me apart as an artist is the wide range of influence I draw from. I’ve always been a big fan of many genres of music; punk, country, jazz, and electronic of course. Aside from my experience with electronic music, I’m also an instrumentalist. My experience with guitar and saxophone gives me a different approach mechanically, but also mentally. I often have unique melodic ideas and lyrics, of which a few have landed among song incredible aritsts.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
The number one thing we can do as a society to bolster the creative ecosystem is to support your local scenes. That’s not to say that we should ignore major artists and festivals either, but thee vast majority of us don’t make a living solely on our art. By going to support a local show, you’re giving not only the performers a chance to shine, but also all the behind-the-scenes players. It’s easy to forget, but dozens of people go into making an event work; artists, light technicians, engineers, VJs, and so many others. Just take one night a month and explore your local music scene. You’ll be ensuring all these people get to do what they love, and you might discover your new favorite artist in the process!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Being able to think on your feet and change direction is an invaluable skill in any creative field. I’ve gone through a number of drastic changes in my life which required me to do this, which has prepared me well for my current field. What immediately comes to mind is my decision to stop competing in track & field. I was a five sport athlete in high school, and I continued my athletic journey by running track & field at High Point University, a Division 1 program. I’ve always been a competitive person; this sport was my passion for much of my life. My first dream was to make it to the Olympics one day, and making it into the NCAA was a major accomplishment and step in that direction. Unfortunately, I tore my hamstring early on in my collegiate career. Despite a successful rehab, I wasn’t able to perform at the same level I once did. I made the gut-wrenching decision to leave that part of me in the past and move on to something new. As devastating as this was to me, it ultimately led me to the life I lead now. While I would never wish the loss of a dream on anyone, sometimes things work out in the end. So don’t be afraid to take a risk and try something new, it might be where you were supposed to be all along.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.moonlvnding.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/rebelesquemusic
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebelesquemusic
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-langston-5889b9140/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/rebelesquemusic