Somewhere Between Dreams and Reality: Late Again on Music, Nostalgia and Growing as an Artist

Born Rafael Melo, the Brazilian songwriter Late Again sees music as one of the ways he tries to survive the world. With his new EP "I Dreamt I Was Awake" he explores the space between imagination and reality, vulnerability and self-discovery. We sat down with him to talk about his artistic persona, his first shows in Europe and why some dreams are worth chasing even when you know they might never be yours.

Thank you for sitting down with us today. Can you tell me briefly who you are?

Late Again: My name is Rafael. In my home country, I’m called "Hafael," which is the Brazilian version of the name. I’m talking to you as Late Again, which is my musical project but I am [also] a writer. I’ve been making music since I was a kid, but I also like to tell stories, regardless of the medium. Music is one of the ways I try to survive the world and it’s the most passionate one for sure. And now I live in New York City, so that’s the other part of it.

If one of our readers hasn’t heard of "Late Again" before, how would you describe yourself in one sentence without mentioning a genre?

Late Again: Hmmm (long break.). Songs for people who need a break (laughs.)

How did you come up with the name "Late Again"?

Late Again: I think I wanted something that was kind of funny but also represented me in a straightforward way, and I think "Late Again" works on a bunch of levels. I was late to this interview, so I guess that explains it (laughs.).

How much of "Late Again" is a real reflection of you, and how much is a character or world you created through your music? 

Late Again: I think that when I’m on stage, I personally find it very important to have a persona. So that’s probably the fast mechanism, you know? It’s not yourself; it’s this different person who’s out there, not exposing your true nature in a way.

So, for me, Late Again is a persona. Of course, [he] has parts of myself, and I think there are some songs where I share more of that. The more songs I write as Late Again, the more confidence I have to actually show that side of me. My real side, because it is a process, indeed.

When you look at my first EP, I tried to write more detailed stories about my personal life and even though it’s ironic, it’s more about myself. It’s a journey. Hopefully, one day I’ll get to myself, but I don’t know who that is.

When I was scrolling through your socials, I noticed a lot of dreamy visuals & videos. You capture a lot of moments in a way that I would describe as cozy, chill and comfortable. Is this the kind of feeling you want people to have when they listen to or see you?

Late Again: I think so. Personally, I am a very nostalgic person, mostly for things I’ve never lived through. I do think that the visuals and energy of the project kind of reflect that on multiple levels, and to me, the visual aspect of it is such an important part. So, I think it’s definitely key to the whole experience.

Niya: That’s so nice of you to say, because our second issue, which is coming out in November, is actually about nostalgia. So that fits pretty well.

Late Again: Oh, that’s awesome!

You’re playing your first shows right now — is there anything you’re especially excited for or nervous about when you imagine being on the road for the first time?

Late Again: Well, it's the first time in Europe. In the US, I toured a little bit, and back in Brazil, too, before I was Late Again. Talking about my first time in Europe, I’m excited about connecting with a completely different audience because I have no idea if anyone knows about me in Vienna. I think I’m here to actually introduce myself. Late Again isn’t big in Europe, so I just wanted to meet you guys and meet more people to start this conversation. I think that’s what I’m excited about.

I was also excited about the night train. That was fun.

And what I’m scared of: European outlets, because they just burned half of my rig before the show. The voltage is different in the US, and we were stupid. We lost the lighting part, which is such a foundation of the project, but we’re trying to figure stuff out.

Speaking of which, you were in Berlin yesterday. How was it, did you experience something fun you would like to share with us?

Late Again: Yesterday ... Let me see, what did I do in Berlin? Again, the most fun thing was, as I said, the night train. I’ve been to Berlin before, so I guess that was the new thing.

Niya: (laughs.) Something that happened at the show maybe?

Late Again: I guess getting to meet with radioeins was very cool. We talked a little about the project and about introducing myself to a new audience. That was pretty cool.

Your music has this really dreamy and nostalgic feeling to it. When you’re writing, do you start with a feeling, a melody or a specific story?

Late Again: It depends. A lot of songs come out when there’s some feeling boiling inside you. Many of my songs come out like that. Sometimes, I just have a really funny experience, or I see something in the street that inspires me and a song comes out of it. I think it’s usually a combination of both things.

The other day, I was watching an interview where Thom Yorke said something along the lines of, "To be a good writer, you have to be a good librarian." I think this is a really good way to look at it. You keep collecting thoughts and feelings, and you write them all down in a notebook or on your phone. When something starts boiling up, you connect the dots and put a song into the world.

So, I would say it’s a combination of both.

If your music was a place, what would it look like?

Late Again: This new EP, it would be the Brooklyn Bridge.

Is there one song on your first EP Migraine Fever Dream where the meaning has changed for you; If so, why?

Late Again: My first EP was funny because there were only three songs, and they were originally written in Portuguese. I had just moved to NYC, and I was like, “You know what? I’m going to start Late Again.”

I wanted it to be in English, so I did this exercise of trying to adapt myself to this new language. I think my familiarity with the language definitely changed over those years. I think those songs work, but I can see that some things were a little stiff and that I wasn’t as open.

I think my guard was much higher when I dropped the first EP. I wasn’t being too personal, and I wasn’t taking big risks with the lyrics. Now that I’m a little more confident and know that people are willing to hear what I have to say, I’m trying to explore more layers.

Let’s talk about your new EP, I Dreamt I Was Awake. What inspired the title, and how does it reflect the project as a whole?

A few months ago, I had this very stupid dream. I was deep-cleaning my house, which is the first line of the first song, by the way. I was literally scrubbing the tiles. It was a very boring dream, like eight hours inside my head. Then I woke up and I had to do it all over again, because my house was still a mess.

I thought it was a funny little story that happened to me and the metaphor behind it, for me, was that I lived too much inside my brain, and it means nothing if you don’t live things in real life afterwards. That’s where it comes from.

My personal favorite is “If You Have A Bridge (I'm Buying)”. You said on Instagram that it’s one of your favorites. Would you like to elaborate on the title and tell us a bit about the meaning behind the song?

Of course. There’s this saying in New York: if you sound too naive or say something gullible, someone might tell you, “Oh, I have a bridge to sell you.”

The story behind the saying is that 100 years ago, there was this artist in New York who pretended he owned Brooklyn Bridge and convinced a tycoon to actually buy it from him. So he sold the Brooklyn Bridge to this guy, and the guy believed he owned it, but he actually didn’t.

It kind of becomes a symbol of buying into something that isn’t yours and being naive. This song is about willingly buying into pipe dreams that, even though you know they’ll never really be yours, are still worth pursuing.

In the end, the Brooklyn Bridge will never be yours, but I’ll buy it anyway and embrace the pipe dream of NYC.

You told me that writing is a very vulnerable and personal process for you. How do you deal with all the emotions that come with it?

Writing is therapy for me. It has always been, ever since I was 14 years old. That was when I got dumped for the first time. That’s when I started writing. Horny lyrics. It was awful.

But that’s how it started. Over the years, I’ve learned that I can channel my frustration into creating something and putting it out into the world. I hate the idea of suffering for nothing. I think music is one of the many ways to take your suffering and turn it into something in the world that actually makes you feel well. It wasn’t for nothing and you got something out of it. It probably saved me a lot of therapy money.

You speak about a lot of heavier topics in your songs. Is there a song or lyric of yours that you think people misunderstand or could misunderstand? 

"Chick'n Tenders," because it is a song about chicken tenders, but not really. It is an indie-pop, catchy chorus type of song and it is a love song about chicken tenders. But chicken tenders are not really chicken tenders. I will let you figure that one out.

Last question: What's your song for our artist recommendation playlist?

I will go with a Brazilian artist from the 70s, whom I really admire and was lucky enough to work with on my first EP. He is called Arthur Verocai and I would say the song "Dedicada a ela".

Niya: Beautiful, thank you so much!

CHECK OUT LATE AGAIN'S NEWEST EP I DREAMT I WAS AWAKE HERE:

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