Lapland

Lapland is the recording project of songwriter Josh Mease, based in the United States. It begins in Brooklyn in early 2011, where Mease starts recording a new set of songs in a small half-bedroom apartment. The name comes later, after he finishes the album and finds a book titled Lappland Wanderland in a used bookshop; the images of open, unfamiliar landscapes in the book connect with the music, and he adopts the shorter name Lapland for this phase of his work.

Style and influences

Lapland’s music is described as introspective, with themes of separation and loss running through the self-titled debut album. Mease works largely on his own and uses only occasional outside musicians, giving the recordings a solitary, inward-focused character. Across the album he moves between styles, including electronic rhythm, blue-eyed soul, acoustic textures and layered harmonies.

The songs draw on a wide range of influences: early synth music from the 1960s and 1970s, the work of French impressionist composers such as Ravel and Debussy, and 1970s artists including Fleetwood Mac. The project is also tagged as indie-pop and folktronica.

Background

Mease grows up in Texas, where he first develops an interest in rock and country before studying jazz guitar. After moving to New York, he turns from playing jazz to singing and writing songs. That background shapes Lapland’s songwriting approach and helps explain why the project attracts listeners from indie, jazz, R&B and classical circles.

Debut album

The self-titled debut includes tracks such as “Unwise”, “Aeroplane” and “Overboard”. “Unwise” opens with an electronic pulse, “Aeroplane” moves into blue-eyed soul, and “Overboard” is built from acoustic atmosphere and layered vocal harmonies. Together, these songs show the range of styles within the project while keeping a personal and reflective tone.