We were lucky to catch up with Lane Jensen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lane, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Yes and no, each day is vastly different from the one before. There are times where I feel whole, on-track with my goals, and living my purpose. Then there are days where I feel lost, invisible, and constantly ask myself if what I’m doing is really worth it to me at the end of the day. It takes a lot of energy, willpower, and a bit of insanity to pursue a career in art with all the obstacles that face modern creatives. Setbacks happen more often than triumphs, but that’s what makes the triumphs so sweet.

As for a regular job, I have a few actually! For my main gig I am an A/V Tech working events such as concerts, and corporate expos. Then on the side I am a photographer mostly shooting in-studio e-commerce products, but branching out into nightlife and nature photography. Luckily both of those jobs don’t require being clocked in M-F 9 to 5 so I am very lucky that I get most of my time to work on my creative pursuits.

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?

Hi my name is Lane, and my artist name is La/Na (pronounced Lana). I am a bass music Producer/DJ specializing heavily into Drum & Bass, but exploring all flavors of sonic distortion that make me feel something inside. While I had dreams of being a pro skateboarder or hockey player, music has been a constant force throughout my life. I started piano lessons around 8 years old (then quit within a year and a half). Moved on to guitar around 11, learning songs from tabs in magazines, then started messing with DAW’s and turntables around 20. Most of the time music was just a hobby to pass the time when I was bored. I didn’t even start taking myself seriously as an artist until around 2018 when I decided to go to college for music.

I would hope that with my music I can reach others in ways that words alone never could. In the same ways my favorite artists have done for me. I would say as an artist I am most proud of the progress I have made from when I started. I never could have imagined some of the gigs/opportunities I’ve been able to take part in, and when I think about how far I’ve come and how far I can go, it can be a great motivator.

With this project my goal is to express whatever I am feeling/seeing in the world. While a lot of my work is quite chaotic and party oriented, I try to add a beautiful element to whatever chaos I created. A light at the end of the tunnel, or silver lining in the dark clouds so to speak. Because within all the chaos in the universe sometimes it takes breaking down completely to rise anew.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me personally it’s the satisfaction that comes with doing something I enjoy. Listening to my favorite music, learning and experimenting with new techniques, exploring new equipment, and taking a journey into my psyche to work through whatever I am dealing with at the time far outweighs any of the materialistic successes that come with being an artist. Another rewarding part is getting to share what I’ve made with people and getting to watch their reactions when I DJ. Makes me smile every time.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

To get rich and famous of course! Lol, no that used to be one of the main goals I had when I was younger and more naive. Now I would say I am most driven to create the best possible art I can, while having as much fun as I can. I know for me personally if something isn’t fun and feels like too much of a “job” then I would rather do just about anything else. So when I focus on just enjoying myself then I tend to make better art.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/i_am_la.na/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soundoflana
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/i_am_la_na
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@i.am.la_na
• Other: https://linktr.ee/iam_La_Na

Image Credits
Arianne Muir