Pat Lagoon has been a staple of the Irish hip-hop scene for close to a decade. Throughout his illustrious career, the Waterford native has released countless successful records, amassing over one million streams. But his newest release ‘Traces’ means more, it’s personal.
“Traces came from the feeling of a holiday romance – fun, fleeting, and full of colour. It’s about living in the moment, knowing it won’t last forever, but giving yourself enough time to enjoy it anyway”.
The bouncy neo-soul record takes inspiration from Kaytranada and Goldlink, resulting in a groove that fans have come to expect from the rapper. “The sound feels the most natural to me. Anytime I’ve done it, I felt very good in the recording process”, he said.
Lagoon credits an enlightening summer of travel as the nucleus behind such a transparent track. “I travel around a lot. I always find myself making connections with people and just being laid back and present in them for that limited time”, the rapper explained reminiscently.
Following months of teasing, Pat released ‘Traces’ to overwhelming acclaim. For fans and critics alike, the song is long overdue. “The response has been good, and we’ve got a lot of support. Everyone’s heard snippets and they’ve got the song they wanted”, he joked.
With references to a distant romance, this is one of the artist’s most intimate tunes yet. He hopes that listeners can truly connect with it on a deeper level. “I’d like them to take away a bit of myself. A lot of people have described my music as a conversation with myself”.
At 26-years-old, Pat feels like ‘Traces’ is his magnum opus, owing to the stellar production of renowned sound engineer MYFAULT. After recording in a professional studio for the first time, the rapper prides himself on how well they worked together.
“Sonically, it’s probably my best sounding record and it sounds so full. He added his own kind of flavour to the record. This song kind of sets itself apart from other Pat Lagoon songs, just due to the quality alone”, he said proudly.
So, what does the future hold for Pat Lagoon? Off the back of such a resonant record, he insists fans should expect more of this signature groove. “I want to make music for movement, music you listen to going for a walk or a jog. So I’d expect to see more of it”.
After releasing singles for the past five years, Pat believes that it may be time to give fans what they want, another extended project. “I feel like I’m edging more towards an EP, you know. I feel like I have so much music to show everyone”, he revealed.
We can’t say exactly when we might hear another Pat Lagoon EP. But for Irish hip-hop fans, a tease of future collaborations will go a long way. “I’d love to make music with KhakiKid, also some cool stuff with Plantain Papi. I think we’d have a cool kind of chemistry”, he said.
You can listen to Pat Lagoon’s newest song ‘Traces’ here.