Wevo Lorng (Wee-Voh Lor-NG) is an Ambient R&B Singer with some Texas Flow. Wevo Lorng is currently working on a solo project called “Wrong Love” which will consist of his story and background of his name, and his motives with feelings behind his music. Check out his hit single Patience!
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Wevo Lorng: I’d like to first thank you for your time. It’s such a humbling experience to have anybody ask me about myself. I’m not really use to it, I guess. I grew up in San Marcos, Texas, just in between Austin & San Antonio. It’s a college town so you could only imagine the things that go on here. My family comes from the southern part of Texas near Mexico. Believe it or not, my grandma told me stories of our great, great grandmother being on of the first natives of Donna, Texas. Recently, about four or five years ago, our family reunion counted I have about 300+ cousins… From this big family, my great grandparents gave life to twenty-three children, seven boys and fifteen girls. My great grandfather was an acclaimed musician in Donna in the early 40’s and 50’s. My grandmother, who raised me, would tell me countless stories of his guitar and his voice. I guess growing up hearing them really made me want to start my own legacy so my grandchildren can hear these stories of me too. After joining choir my freshman year, I met a couple of rappers that went to my school. I saw how easy it was for them and decided I can do that too. Singing has always been my forte.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Wevo Lorng: Wevo Lorng is like my own version of Golf Wang in a sense. Tyler, the Creator has many personas just be using different names, y’know? I used to call myself VaRsIItY when I thought rapping was my thing… Fortinutely enough, I decided to take two words that could sum up my life, Wrong & Love. From there, you just scramble it up, Worng Levo. Then you switch it up one more time until you come up with something eye-appealing, Wevo Lorng (wee-voh lor-ng). I needed something different. I never liked my name to be honest.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
Wevo Lorng: I think music should be taken seriously, but there’s nothing wrong with somebody jamming your music, y’know? I put my music on Soundcloud for free downloads right now, but eventually, when I hopefully make a bigger name of myself, I’d like to charge for my music so I can only continue to grow. Many fans will fail to realize the small fee of a dollar for a song really goes a long way for an artist. On the other hand, artists can get way too big-headed when they aren’t making money. Kinda drives me to wonder, “What are you really in it for?”. Personally, I just want my message of peace, critical thinking and self evaluation to make it across the world. If it takes a handful of free songs, why not?
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
Wevo Lorng: My label that I’m currently signed to, Off on a Tangent, is based here in San Marcos. I’d love to tell you about every artists, but I’ll tell you about some of my favorites. Eli Tha Profit$$$ is easily my favorite rapper. He comes from a similar background like myself, and he expresses his stories & pain so well. Along with being a gifted lyricist, he’s humble, kind and very inspirational. I love the man, he’s my brother. Another rapper called JMac the Dragon is straight up amazing. He gots his own Texas J Cole thing going well for him. Punchlines for days. My manager, Hotep the Pharaoh, used to think he couldn’t rap, but I swear on everything, he can leave a listener dumbfounded by these bars, boy. We also have singers like Jas the Philo & Delisha J who kills any of these female artists without even trying. Harmonies, some bars and just overall production is always on point with these ladies. I love my team, man.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
Wevo Lorng: Nobody, even musicians, are perfect. The great thing about performances is the audience will never really know when you mess up unless you smile or take the time to acknowledge it. Sometimes when I’m singing, I might fall off-key for a few bars, but typically I own it and just express it harder than I was before. The goal is to keep the expression you made with your music presentable at all times. After being in choir for four years, you learn if you mess up, you mess up and you just gotta get over it. Like I said, nobody is perfect.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
Wevo Lorng: I’m actually in the process of expanding my horizons across Texas. I’ll share my music to different people of every college I can think of then I’ll make a list of the towns that I could potentially perform at. Mind you, I only started my music career about a month ago so I have to let things fall into place before I go full throttle. I do encourage anybody reading this interview to check out my music and advise me on some great places to visit. I’ve only been to Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Houston to visit. Never really found places to book a show at… yet!
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Wevo Lorng: It’s odd to explain since everything I write or produce is spontaneous as hell. I’ll randomly hear lyrics or melodies in my head and record them on my phone via voice recorder. Afterwards, I’ll put myself in my DAW and lay down the vocal recordings or the melodies using my piano. Typically, I’ll leave it there and come back to it when I have a fresh mind, but sometimes I’ll start a project and before I know realize it, the time will have passed four or six hours. Typically, my writing, music and singing inspires from Marvin Gaye, Freddie Mercury, R. Kelly, Drake and The Weeknd.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Wevo Lorng: I’m actually in the process of finding someone to make a website for me as soon as I generate a little more buzz. If you’d like to reach out for me, my social media is all @WevoLorng. Instragram, Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud and not Myspace. I hate Tom, he owes me five bucks.
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
Wevo Lorng: I had an ex one time in seventh grade who was really into screamo, punk, goth and electronic punk music. There was one song, I am even ashamed to admit I know the lyrics to, called Ima Monster by Blood on the Dance Floor. I absolutely can’t look at myself in the mirror sometimes when I knew the lyrics to this song. But it really went pretty hard in middle school… haha
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Wevo Lorng: First, I’d trade in my 2004 Tahoe, for a better car then go out and find a nice house. I’d buy some new equipment, spend some money on advertising, a publicist and a booking manager. After all of that is done, I’d save the rest of my money for my nieces and siblings college funds when they grow older. If I had even more money, I’d donate $15,000 to my school’s music program so they have more sheet music, better instruments, and more money for lessons for the kids. You always gotta give back, y’know? I’d hope to eventually buy my grandmomma a new house too.
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
Wevo Lorng: I work with an engineer named Jay Flash in San Marcos, who recorded Hitz, Patiences & AOMF, but I’m interested in looking for more people to work with who are more experienced with singers. Honestly though, I think I’m gonna go to Texas State to get my Sound Recording degree so I don’t have to depend on nobody. I really do need new equipment though..
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Wevo Lorng: Just got to reach out to anybody and everybody who’s looking for your sound. I didn’t know performing on the street could get you far, but best believe that’s how I met my manager. When it comes to online promotion, Facebook Ads, Twitter and even going on Fiverr to find people who can advertise for you for a small fee helps out tremendously. If you can’t see yourself spending over hundreds of dollars on advertising for your musical career, you probably aren’t cut out to be a musicians. There’s so many people I know who think the world will come across them, but you really have to go out and make it happen, y’know? It’s worth more than spending money on weed, alcohol or whatever floats your boat. TRUST ME. Fan love is the best high in the world.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
Wevo Lorng: Marvin Gaye, Freddie Mercury, and The Weeknd are easily my top three. I don’t even care if they were holograms (excluding The Weeknd), I’d perform anywhere with them. I know their music by heart and a majority of their lyrics by memory. These men shaped my life to great music and inspire me to make anthems, hits and beautiful art. I hope to eventually perform at the Toyota Center. Funny story: I paid $300 to see The Weeknd for his Beauty Behind the Madness tour, and took my close friend, Raymond, along with me. He didn’t have a ticket and it killed me the whole time we were there. I decided to sell my ticket for $180 to some girl who wanted to see The Weeknd more than I did. I bought Raymond and myself Panda Express for like $30 and filled up my tank with premium gas and drove back to San Marcos. I swore on my life if this music thing really does work out, I wanna go back and perform there since I never got to go in.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Wevo Lorng: My first project, Wrong Love, will depict my life and story of being abandoned by my parents at two and how it affected my life growing up. Sometimes it was by not being confident enough to talk to women, or having problems maintaining a relationship/friendship. I hope for it to be about eight to twelve songs. I have some singles out already that are definitely going on the EP. Everyone should go check them out ASAP.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Wevo Lorng: I’m either Pokemon Go hunting, eating a lot of food, listening to music, playing Fallout 4 or sleeping. I have a part time job at Adidas, but I honestly hate it there. I can’t understand the concept of business and it’s wickedness of making multi-millions then they only pay their employees minimum wage with no health benefits. It’s disgusting and I hate to be apart of it, but I have to make my money somehow, y’know? It’ll all be worth it in the end. One day I’ll be laughing at everything.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
Wevo Lorng: I bought John Cena’s studio album when I was seven. I was such a huge WWE fan and when he dropped that tape, I was the first person in Hastings to buy it. I’ve never been so excited in my life haha. I bumped it so hard in my grandpa’s truck. I forced him to play it instead of the motown and tejano music he listens to.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Wevo Lorng: With patience, understanding and a positive mindset. Though I fall flat at some of these traits sometimes, I still keep pushing. Nevertheless, I keep a open heart about everything and never forget those who came up with me. My friends family knows I’m very grateful for all the love and support they give me.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
Wevo Lorng: Wevo Lorng, baby. I’m hoping to make a legacy of myself one day. I know this year is on it’s final quarter, but next year will be mine. Keep updated on my music by following me on social media. Thank you again for your time, it’s been a huge honor to have someone interview me for the first time.
