Stan Lin: “MOMENTS” EP Out Now!
Not too long ago, we interviewed Stan Lin, a singer/songwriter from San Diego, California. To check out our prior interview with him, click here.
Stan Lin is from Carlsbad, CA. He started writing his own music in the summertime of 2021. With his primary instrument being the guitar, Stan found himself inspired to write his own music after focusing on cover songs for a while. Since then, Stan has released his first official EP titled "MOMENTS," which came out on July 11th of 2023. Watching this EP come to life from an outside perspective has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. Let's learn more about the process of recording this EP, the main message behind the songs, and the challenges and triumphs faced when putting this EP together with Stan Lin!
CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO THE "MOMENTS" EP BY STAN LIN.
TELL ME A BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS OF CREATION FOR THIS EP. WHAT WAS THE RECORDING PROCESS LIKE?
"This four-song EP was recorded over the span of a year. I had demos of these songs that were pretty flushed out from an arrangement perspective. I figured I would re-track some parts, but what ended up on the EP were all from the original tracks recorded. I guess a perk of DIY recording at home was that I could record a LOT of takes since studio time wasn't a concern."
"Mixing and mastering was uncharted territory. I've heard people say, 'Fix it later during mixing,' which just felt like cheating, but I've learned to embrace it! The hardest thing was just knowing when to say enough; it's done. There's always something to tweak, but ultimately you have to trust the ears. If the song sounds good, then it's probably done."
WHAT SONG ON THIS EP PROVED TO BE THE MOST CHALLENGING TO RECORD AND WHY?
"'Go' was probably the most challenging. I wanted the guitars to have big, saturated fuzz tones, but that just didn't sit well in the mix. I cleaned up the guitars, and the song lost the feel I was aiming for. It took way longer compared to the other songs to finally get the guitars right. Vocals were a challenge, too; I think I ended up redoing all the vocals that are now on the EP."
WHAT SONG DID YOU HAVE THE MOST FUN RECORDING?
"I really enjoyed recording 'South.' I wanted the guitars to have more distortion. I usually favor a heavier overdrive/crunch sound for guitars, but I wanted a chunkier sound for 'South.' I'm probably splitting hairs now, but the guitar geek in me had a good time with it."
WHAT SONG ON THIS EP WOULD YOU SAY YOU ARE THE MOST PROUD OF?
"I'm most proud of 'Moments.' I'll sometimes hear a song and think to myself… 'Man, I wish I wrote that song.' 'Moments,' for me, is that song! Crazy to think that about your own song, right? The melodies are 'pretty' and tug on my heartstrings. I hope it's a song people will hear and reflect on."
WHAT IS THE UNDERLYING MESSAGE OF THE "MOMENTS" EP?
"Acknowledge what you're feeling, especially in situations where you have that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. We all experience it, and our initial impulse is always to dismiss, avoid or talk ourselves out of feeling it....it is denial, basically. If we acknowledge it, we're now on the hook to put in the effort to resolve it."
TELL ME A BIT MORE ABOUT THE FINAL TRACK ON THIS EP, WHICH THE EP IS NAMED AFTER, "MOMENTS." WHAT IS THIS SONG ABOUT, AND WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO NAME THE EP AFTER THIS SONG?
"We see people every day that we don't know, whether we are commuting to work, traveling, or just out and about. 'Moments' is about those times when we see someone we don't know and wonder about who they are, what they are like, etc. Conversely, are they thinking the same thing about you? Those 'what if' thoughts we romanticize about."
"All the songs on the EP reflect how I felt at specific times in my life, so naming the EP 'MOMENTS' felt spot on."
WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT FROM FROM YOU IN THE FUTURE?
"I have another five songs recorded already and a few new songs in the works, so I'm planning more releases. I may try releasing a couple of singles instead of another EP and hold out for a full album if I get really ambitious. I definitely want to build on what I learned from recording the 'MOMENTS' EP and make sure the next one is a step up! Getting out and performing always feels great. I'm still doing the solo thing right now, but I'm on the lookout for bandmates... PSA to bass players and drummers looking for projects."