Roy Lenzo is on the list of movers and shakers in the industry. From being a recording engineer, to mixing and mastering — there is nothing this man can’t do in the studio. The LA-based producer currently has 3 Grammy nominations under his belt and is best known for playing an integral hand in creating Lil Nas X’s debut album Montero, including the Grammy-nominated song “Call Me By Your Name” (MONTERO). Along with crafting the soundscape and textures of the most anticipated album of 2021, he also achieved producer credits for Danileigh, Luh Kel, Lolo Zouai, and mixing credits including Roddy Ricch, Mariah the Scientist, and Tank God. Lenzo has accomplished more than most upcoming producers can dream of, and he’s just getting started.
Roy Lenzo’s contributions to music has catered to the happiness of others during the pandemic, a time when the status of the world seemed so uncertain. As Lenzo helped break barriers in the industry, he took the road less traveled on his journey to triumph. The producer earned his keep with countless hours of hard work; sleepless nights in the studio, commuting lengthy hours from Long Island to the city of Manhattan, and even spent some nights having to shower in a nearby Planet Fitness out of necessity. Remixd Magazine had the pleasure to chop it up with the producer and speak about his road to success, mentorship from producer duo Take A Daytrip, and what plans he has in the future regarding his rising career.
Check out the interview below!
Q: From originally living in Long Island to now LA, what do you love most about currently living on the west coast?
A: L.A is great! I think the weather’s the number one thing for me. I come from the suburbs, so I spent a ton of time in Manhattan, where the music industry is typically in New York. And I feel like LA is the best of both worlds. It’s great living and accommodates my current lifestyle for sure.
Q: I want to get into the story of how you first got into production. I read that you were a music lover since childhood; you danced a little bit, and I saw a video of you on YouTube performing an NSYNC song for a talent show. How did you transition into producing?
A: My mom put me in dance classes when I was two years old. My oldest cousin Frankie, was a dancer, became an instrumentalist, and started playing drums and guitar bass. He started producing his music when I was 12 or 13 years old. From there, I got the bug, and I started doing my research and finding out what music production was looking at YouTube videos. I took it from there using my own musical influences and styles.
Q: I’m sure that working with local artists, in the beginning, was great practice for you to perfect your craft. I would love to hear how you got your first break with Take A Daytrip. How has working with them influenced your sound and put you in a position to excel in your career?
A: Meeting them was the first time I saw people professionally producing, and I just enjoyed being a fly on the wall. As I continued to make the daily commute to work with them, over time, my relationship with Daytrip got stronger. Eventually they were like, “Yo, why do you go home? Why don’t you just sleep here in the studio?,” so I would. They introduced me to synthesizers, what bases to use, what to listen out for. Over time I developed a more professional and efficient process in my work.
Q: It sounds like your life is coming into this full-circle moment. I think you embody the idea of being a master of your reality. What is it like working with people you grew up listening to, or people that you’re inspired by, such as Kid Cudi, etc.?
It’s a dream come true. It’s everything I’ve been doing, but now on a larger scale. Before, I would drop music on SoundCloud and get a few plays. Now, I’m impacting other music creatives or people in general. I feel like that’s something that I’ve always wanted to make music that would make a change and impact and influence the next generation of people like myself.
Q: Any advice for someone who’s navigating as a newcomer in the music industry?
A: From my own experience, the free work that I did early on led to what I wanted in the end; being financially free. It shows that you really care about music. If you’re persistent at whatever you want to do, the money will eventually come. If you’re not focused on what you’re doing at that given moment, you’ll lose sight of the whole point.
Q: As far as being passionate in the studio, what’s your creative process like, and what inspires you when making records for artists?
A: Finding what people want to speak about and what mood they’re in. Specific effects that you put on vocals will portray different emotions and put people in a different atmosphere. It all starts from the story that is supposed to be told and then just takes off from there. Just having fun with it and not overthinking. I’m big on good vibes. If it comes effortless, it’s probably right.
Q: That’s beautiful. Speaking of good vibes in the studio, what are some artists you see yourself working with in the future?
A: I would love to work with Drake. He’s the number one person on my list. Don Toliver also, he is someone who’s super melodic in the hip-hop space is . Adele or Sam Smith are on my list too. I feel like those two are some of the best vocalists I’ve ever heard. I’d love to work with Charlie Puth or Jacob Collier. People that will force me to get out of my comfort zone and try different things musically. If I’m not learning, I go stale, and I always want to be around people who are way better than me so that I have something to learn from.
