Q&A: Musician Josh Legg speaks about playing live music, his love for LA

Electronic musician Josh Legg and his friends frequented the Gold Room, a bar in Echo Park, during their days as USC students. They ordered the bar’s special as they agonized over life’s problems; once they left, they had the answers to their questions.

For Legg, the Gold Room not only provided solutions for college woes, but also gave him Goldroom as his stage name, which became his outlet to create and DJ music infused with the sunny spirit of California.

In the dusty August heat, Legg will deliver beats soaked in tropical flavor to day one of FYF Fest Saturday. The Daily Bruin’s Shreya Aiyar spoke to Legg about playing electronic music without a DJ booth and translating his love for California into music.

Daily Bruin: You recently shifted from DJing most of your sets to performing with a live band setup. Since you’re an electronic musician, how did that change affect your performance style?

Josh Legg: I love DJing, but playing live is also a very valid art form. I care a lot about both (styles), but there’s something special about (playing live) … with a DJ set, you’re hearing the same song that you would hear in your car. While there’s improvisation in DJing, the improvisation lies in the set list you’re building and what songs you’re choosing.

Now, we play these songs live, with drums, guitar and bass, and we sing these songs to the crowd live. … The emotional connection that you can get is so much more. My goal … is to find a way to make (the songs) still hit you in the chest and want to party. At the same time, we’re bringing all of the things that are so great about live music – the improvisation, the little mistakes, the moments you only hear once.

DB: Your songs are great summer anthems. What’s your inspiration for your sound?

JL: I come from Boston, but I’ve lived in Los Angeles for 10 years now. I just fell in love with Southern California and the whole Southwest. I’ve been so influenced by Southern California that it shows up in my music a lot and I really wanted to pay homage to that. I always feel like Southern California is one giant Gold Room – it’s sun-baked.

DB: As a USC alumnus, you’re already in touch with the L.A. college music scene, which is similar to the FYF crowd that’s coming up soon. With regards to other projects in the future, do you have any other demographics you’d like to reach out to?

JL: No, not really. With my music, I’ve never felt like I have wanted to or tried to reach out to a certain group of people. For me, I’ve always made music for myself or a different version of myself, because I always remember how music made me feel when I was young and how much it helped me. If other people find it and love it, that’s amazing, but it’s never been a part of my creative process.

What’s been crazy to me about Goldroom is such a wide variety of people seem to be into the music. … That’s really rad to me, because I think I try really hard to tap into basic human feelings. I’ve always had this hope that the songs I write are the types of songs a grandmother would like and also a four-year-old would like. I’m doing something that I believe in and I think is forward and cool.

Compiled by Shreya Aiyar, A&E senior staff.