Growing up in the Mandurah and Baldivis area, Lachy has always been surrounded by music. After finishing high school, he studied the Music Artist course at WAAPA before continuing his education in Sound Production at TAFE, giving him the skills to not only write music but also record and produce it himself.
"I've always been writing songs," Lachy explained. "Now I'm doing Sound Production at TAFE to try and get better at recording myself."
A Fresh Take on an Old Favourite
Although The Clock Reads 12 feels like a brand-new release, the song has actually been with Lachy for several years.
Originally written around three years ago, the track was first released while he was still in high school. Since then, he's revisited the song, updating the arrangement, changing some of the lyrics and giving it the production it deserved.
"It's actually a really old song," Lachy said. "I released it years ago, but it didn't sound very good, so I took it down. This version is a little different—I changed some lyrics and added some new parts."
When it comes to songwriting, Lachy says the music always comes first.
Rather than beginning with lyrics, he starts by finding an instrumental idea that excites him before building the song around it.
For The Clock Reads 12, that meant creating a simple, spacious arrangement with room for the instruments to breathe.
"It's kind of a song about talking to someone late at night and just vibing with them," he said.
Looking Ahead
Fans won't have to wait too long for more music.
Lachy confirmed he's currently working on a brand-new EP, although he's keeping the details under wraps for now.
Away from his own music, he's been listening to plenty of Clairo, naming "Add Up My Love" as his favourite track from her latest album.
If he could put together his dream festival lineup?
Arctic Monkeys, Vulfpeck, Tame Impala and Mac DeMarco would all make the cut.
Creating a Feeling
More than anything, Lachy hopes listeners connect emotionally with his music.
"It's a bit of a buzzword," he laughed, "but I want people to feel euphoric."
He believes that feeling is what makes music so special.
"I really want to make music that has a cooler groove to it."
Dream Collaborations
While Billy Joel remains one of his biggest musical heroes, Lachy admits he'd be just as excited to collaborate with the people closest to him.
"I'd love to do joint songs with my friends where we're all singing together," he said.
What's Next?
Over the next five to ten years, Lachy hopes to establish himself as a full-time musician based in Perth, releasing multiple albums and continuing to evolve as an artist.
"I just want to be doing music full-time... have a couple of albums out, a couple of different themed albums, and just keep kicking as much as I can."
Listen to Lachy Dods' latest single, The Clock Reads 12, and keep an eye out for his upcoming EP. If his passion for songwriting is anything to go by, there's plenty more music still to come.
