Formula Indie Sessions – Interview with The Crooked East
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
When I would listen to music as a kid, I remember thinking of how incredible it was to make something so special, seemingly out of nowhere. I wanted to be able to do the same but felt that I was “allowed” to for whatever reason. Luckily, I found the “permission” to be able to do this later on in life.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I bought my first guitar when I was 19 from the money I got as a birthday present. I used guitar tabs to learn a few songs, and once I learned some basic chords, I started writing my first songs.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
Here’s our bio: THE CROOKED EAST plays haunting and emotional wall-of-sound rock/post punk with catchy hooks, poetic lyrics, and a splash of psychedelia. Based in Mexico City, THE CROOKED EAST was formed by Buffalo, NY native Jon LaPoma just before the pandemic. Their swelling guitars, synths, cellos, pianos, drums, and bass enhance LaPoma’s literary lyrics, which often tell raw and honest tales of mental illness, addiction, the complexities of love, the search for identity, and the loss of innocence/religion.
Before moving to Mexico in 2019, LaPoma spent most of the previous decade inside his apartment, where he battled crippling OCD and turned his pain, triumphs, and trauma into songs, novels, and scripts. Once strong enough, he moved to Mexico City to start a band and share his healing journey with the world. Though their songs can seem bleak and desperate, they’re often brimming with hope, encouraging people to move toward their suffering as a means to find self-acceptance and peace.
Their first LP, “Where it’s Warm,” tells the tale of a troubled young man who follows his aspiring-actress girlfriend West, only to find himself a rising singer/songwriter. But the higher he rises, the lower he sinks into a haze of depression and substance abuse, until a panic attack on stage forces him to seek help and change his life.
With songs that are often like aural three-act plays, THE CROOKED EAST invites you to let your mind wander as they guide you along an epic psychological journey through the darkness and beauty of life.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
As mentioned in our bio, we play haunting and emotional wall-of-sound rock/post punk with catchy hooks, poetic lyrics, and a splash of psychedelia. We also add a number of layers to our songs in order to compliment the stories told by our lyrics.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music? I have become far more trusting of other musicians to add their interpretations to the
music in order to create something that exists beyond my own imagination.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process? Once I finish the base layers of a song–guitars and vocals–I typically experiment with
different sounds to add layers to the music. These can come in the form of synths, instruments such as tambourines or shakers, or experimental vocal arrangements. Basically, I’m just looking for something that gives me a visceral reaction when I hear it.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
None really come to mind.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision? The songs I write are typically about personal struggles I’ve had throughout my life,
leading me to take an inside out approach to music. I’ve used music to make sense of the gnarled emotions I’ve felt over specific life events or just the general feelings of being alive.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work? No emotions in particular–we just want them to feel something and to also feel less lost
and more emotionally empowered.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Anything goes as long as it makes you feel something
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
I can’t think of a specific festival or venue, but my perfect venue would be anywhere with great vibes where the audience knows and loves the songs and are singing along with
us. Bonus points if it were in a unique location such as a castle in Scotland or moonlit beach in Mexico
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why? I’d love to work with a genius on the level of Jimmy Page or Paul McCartney, if for
nothing other than to be in the presence of such greatness. The ideas seem endless for artists on that level, and I’d love to get lost in the possibilities.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? Here’s our linktree: https://linktr.ee/thecrookedeast. You can find our website and the platforms to stream our music
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
I’d like to continue releasing songs at least once a month and try new genres I would have never thought of writing in previously.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way? I don’t really care if they discover something about me–I’d rather they discover
something about themselves.
