LØREN talks debut EP ‘Put Up A Fight’: “I just want to give back to the world”

“I’m very happy. It’s very fulfilling,” LØREN tells NME days after the release of his debut EP, ‘Put Up A Fight’. It’s been a long time coming for the 27-year-old musician, given that nearly a decade has passed since he first began working with YG Entertainment subsidiary The Black Label as a producer and songwriter. The new record also comes after a considerable break – his previous release had been the November 2021 single ‘All My Friends Are Turning Blue’, one of only three songs he’s released under his own name.

It took a while to come together, the singer admits, though he shares that it only makes it all feel even more worthwhile. “I think there’s a big difference between just a single to a full release. It has a more definitive story to tell and is a big compilation of what I’ve done so far. It’s a lot more fulfilling to have people out there, listening to this longer story,” he shares over a Zoom call from Seoul, adding that several songs on the new five-track EP – including its moody lead single ‘Folks’ – had been written years ago. “I have a lot of demos, a lot of songs. But these are the five that I felt most dearly and personally about. They had a stronger statement, and pushed the boundaries a little more,” he shares.

Aptly titled ‘Put Up A Fight’, his record is a collection of defiant alternative rock anthems, soaring guitar riffs inspiring the kind of adrenaline that comes with a battle for survival. Tying it all together is ‘Folks’, through which the singer expresses his frustration towards being misunderstood. “It’s so easy to just hear things about a person and be quick to judge them based on what people say. If you’re put into that position, it’s very difficult to break away from the cell people lock you in,” he explains. “I think we all face that at one point or another in life.”

LØREN has worn many hats over the years, so it’s no surprise that he’s all about subverting the expectations of others. The musician earned his first producer credit on G-Dragon’s 2017 track ‘BULLSHIT’, and has since penned several tracks for BLACKPINK’s debut studio album in 2020. “Before I started to put my foot down and decide that I was going to become my own artist, I was a producer. And I think a producer’s job varies a lot,” he shares, likening it to being a designer. “You kind of create something to reflect that artist, and what they could potentially do with it.”

He singles out working with BLACKPINK on their 2020 B-side ‘You Never Know’ as a particularly “special moment”, adding that he had sat down with the girl group to listen to their experiences and struggles about being in the public eye to write the song. “It was really cool to dive into their personal thoughts and put those things into words, in hopes that people will feel it too. I don’t know if it worked [laughs]. But it was great taking something that isn’t as personal to me and then using it to make music, because my creations are usually very personal. It was almost like working with a different kind of material,” says the singer.

“Singapore is a very diverse place, with people from all over the world […] growing up there definitely helped me shape who I am”

LØREN’s partnership with the quartet goes far beyond just songwriting, though. Fans of the girl group might recognise him as the male lead in their music video for ‘Lovesick Girls’ (which he also co-wrote) and the mysterious guitarist who accompanied Rosé during a 2020 Instagram livestream, and later teamed up with her on the cover of Dazed Korea. “It’s a really funny story,” he says their friendship. “First time I met Rosie, she just needed a guitarist. I even told her, like, ‘I’m not that good at guitar!’ And she was like, even better, [because] she didn’t want someone hella professional that she didn’t know. So we did that Instagram live, and it was really cool.”

His appearance in the ‘Lovesick Girls’ music video came just as naturally, he recounts. “Teddy [Park] and the BLACKPINK girls, they were talking about [the video], and they were like, we want someone who has long hair, maybe some tattoos, and I was just sitting in the room… with long hair and tattoos,” the singer says with a laugh. And although LØREN had initially brushed it off, he was later informed that he would be starring in the video – just two days before the shoot.

“Not to swear, but I was like, no fucking way, I need time to process this. I’d never acted in my life,” he reveals, though the singer adds that having BLACKPINK as co-stars helped relieve his anxieties. “They were pulling a good chunk of the weight, so I could just go along with it. It was a very cool experience, and I think it helped me out too, career-wise, to become a better quote, unquote, ‘actor’ for my own videos.”

Although LØREN mainly works out of Seoul (and now Los Angeles, after landing a new partnership with Asian-American label 88rising), the singer spent much of his adolescence outside of his home country: First attending school in Singapore, followed by a brief stint in Japan. When asked how his upbringing has shaped him, the singer pauses thoughtfully. “Good question, I’ve never thought of it that way. I grew up in a pretty conservative family, and my parents and grandparents were very strict. Come to think about it now, I can’t believe I have tattoos, like, I couldn’t even bleach my hair or anything,” he shares with a dry laugh.

“I went to an international school in Singapore, where there were tons of kids in different shapes and colours, and I didn’t know English at the time,” LØREN says, sharing that he also turned to MTV for solace around this time, which sparked his love for bands like Muse, Paramore and Vampire Weekend. “Rock music was thriving at the time, with tons of bands coming in left and right, so it was just so extreme, [coming from a conservative background] and then just having all these cultures, people freely expressing themselves flowing into my head.”

“As a musician, I don’t think there’s anything happier than releasing and playing music”

“It was almost shocking, I think, and that might be one of the reasons it was all so intriguing to me. Singapore is a very diverse place, with people from all over the world,” he adds, taking a brief detour into his love for the city-state’s food. “They also had tons of local bands that I would sometimes go to watch, and just taking that all in really helped me realise what kind of person I wanted to be and what kind of music I wanted to make.”

“It’s a pretty strict country, but it’s not like it felt oppressive, or that I had to revolt from that. I’m not especially ‘anti-rules’ or anything,” LØREN clarifies with a laugh. “I’m not trying to be a rebel. But growing up there definitely helped me shape who I am.”

Moving on to his more current overseas endeavours, LØREN is raring to discuss his recent Los Angeles trip in lieu of a newly announced partnership with 88rising. “Let me just say that the 88 people are phenomenal,” he shares, the excitement palpable in his voice despite the “huge jetlag” he’s still recovering from.

“I’ve been a big fan of how they kind of kick-started this culture in the states, so getting that offer was very, very shocking to me. I didn’t know if I could bring something new to their roster,” he confesses. “But it’s such a creative place to be. I can’t wait for you to see some of the other projects they’re doing.”

“I love The Black Label, we’re all family, but meeting people outside of the company, with different backgrounds and visions for music has been super refreshing. I think it’ll help me flourish as a musician,” he says of his future with 88rising. “I can’t wait for what’s to come. I feel like a kid who’s like, waiting for a picnic or something.”

“As a musician, I don’t think there’s anything happier than releasing and playing music. My goal as a human being is to just put out songs and perform,” LØREN continues, revealing that his second album is “80 to 90 per cent done”. The singer humbly adds: “Not that anything I do is amazing, but I do want to just show people things. That’s the simplest way to put it. I just want to give back to the world, and show the world like, ‘Hey, this is me, and this is what I do with my life and here, I want you guys to have this.’”

LØREN’s debut EP ‘Put Up A Fight’ is out now.

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