A Chat with Queer Artist Lani Renaldo

Lani Renaldo is a queer artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Los Angeles whose passion and talent for sing-songwriting began at an early age. After attending USC’s Thornton School of music, she has seen success performing with the likes of Alessia Cara at the American Music Awards and opening for Halsey at The Shrine. Her collaboration on “Malibuu” with Matt Dimona topped Spotify’s Global 50 chart and currently has over six million streams.

Constantly trying to evolve and understand her emotions, Renaldo uses music as an outlet for expression. She used these current times of COVID and quarantine as an excuse to dive deep into her creativity.

At the end of October, she released a four-track EP called NOHEARTBREAK2020. Inspired by artists ranging from Fleetwood Mac and Hayley Williams to Post Malone, the EP is an exploration of being in your 20s and touches on women, sexuality, and self-doubt, emphasizing the significance of being comfortable with who you are.

OUT FRONT had the opportunity to chat more with Renaldo about her passion for music, how she hopes to reach out to the queer audience, and long-term goals.Hi, Lani! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me. Can you begin by telling us how you first started making music?
That is a great question. The older I got, the more I realized it was just kind of innately in my blood. I grew up in a big family, and there was always music playing. My mom loved Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey. She would always have them playing in the house, and my dad was a drummer. So, I started playing drums when I was about 3 years old because they were just around the house. From there, I asked my parents, I remember being four and asking if I could have a guitar for Christmas. I got the guitar, and I kind of hit the ground running and made it my goal to learn everything and anything.

I started playing piano; I started playing bass, and by the time I was 12, I started writing songs and knew that music was something I loved. I did not want to stop, and when I was about 16, I got the chance to go to GRAMMY Camp. After that summer, I realized I could actually do this for a living. I kind of grew up in that golden age of instant stars like Miley and the Jonas Brothers. I was like, I think I can do this. I went to school at USC for music and started playing live, and I have been very fortunate to have some success without any major label or anyone pushing behind me. I have been lucky, and it is just what I love.

How do you want your music to reach the queer audience? How do you want to tap more into that?
I think for me, I have never been apologetic about who I am. It is something that I have always carried with me, and it is something I have never shied away from. I think early on in my career, I was attached to that label, and it never bothered me. With my music specifically, I do talk about sexuality, and I do talk about girls in my songs. I use those pronouns because I think it is important to have messages that are true to you as an artist in your work, and I think it is important for me for people that either are on their own journey coming out or are out to have songs that they actually relate to. Not just on surface level, but, like, actually talking about a girl that resonates with me.

It has always been important to me. Even in my own, day-to-day life and in my own artistry, I have never shied away from it. I have always answered questions about it; I have always been transparent in saying I am queer, and this is who I am. It’s the community that I love and want to be a voice for. It’s a very real part of my life. I carry it with me in everything I do. Whether that’s music, interviews, even something as simple as posting an Instagram online, it is important for me to be able to be a visible part of the community and to ultimately be a strong voice for voice for the community.

Related Article: PHNTMS: Rock Music with a Queer Message

How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your career and plans?
When COVID first hit, we were not really sure what things were going to look like. It has really shaken up plans for live shows, and I was looking forward to touring and heading out. It has been about two years since I have done a proper tour, so that was a bummer. Being on stage is one of the best feelings in the world; there is nothing that comes close to it. I love being on stage and interacting with crowds. So, that was a bummer, but keeping everyone safe is so important. Next year, we are going to be able to tour again, and we will come back even harder. I think a lot of people in the music industry are looking forward to that.

Although corona has come and shaken up a lot of aspects; it has allowed me to have more time to work on music and be creative. I have been working on potential songs, not just for myself, but for other artists. So, I still get to be creative, but the live aspect of things is going to slow down for a while. I am trying to stay optimistic and remember that this is bigger than all of us. This is global, and it is serious. It is real, and everyone’s safety at the forefront is the most important thing right now.Besides getting back out on the road, what else are you most excited about once restrictions let up?
First and foremost, I just want some human contact! Besides my girlfriend and family [laughs]. I cannot wait to see friends, but more importantly, I cannot wait to start playing live shows again and hopefully going beyond L.A. I have only ever really stayed local. I am assuming we will be able to go back out in 2021, so I hope to finally hit some other states, and maybe even do some international shows. That was a goal for myself this year because I love to travel. That is high on my list. Just being able to go out and play live shows. I miss going to concerts, so that will be a big thing for me as well.

What are some of your long-term goals? Say, five to 10 years?
Wow, five to 10 years. With my music, I have always wanted to be heard. That was it. I do not think in the lens of being famous or popular. I just want my music to be heard and be heard by the right people that relate to it and feels like it provides something for them emotionally. In five years from now, I would like to be playing, and I would love to collaborate with some of the artists that I love, like Post Malone. I have been listening to a ton of Hayley Williams, and I would love to collaborate with her. I also want to really pave a way for myself as an artist. If that means a publishing deal, that would be great.

To write for others and to be producing for more people, I always want to be creative and do that in some capacity because to even be able to work in music and have a slight bit of success, it always feels like a blessing to me. It is easy to take that for granted and to get caught up in the world of extreme popularity. For me to remain humble and be able to provide for myself and my family and to be actively making music, I will be very happy and grateful. Also, I would love to win a Grammy at some point, but for right now, I just want to work with as many people as I can and hopefully spread some positivity in the world.

Stay up-to-date with Renaldo by following her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or visit her official website. Her music is available on all digital streaming platforms.