Australian musician Chris Lanzon has earned a rapidly growing fanbase since launching his debut single “Still” in 2020. Citing early influences such as Phoebe Bridges, and The 1975, Lanzon has released a slew of projects which have helped him garner millions of streams online, and be supported by various tastemakers. The indie-folk-pop songwriter has shared his latest extended play, Angel Litany. It’s a project which “bookmarks a period of growth” in his life as he cultivated deeper friendships and relationships with the people he loves, and learned a lot about his nature, tendencies, strengths and weaknesses.
It’s a six-track EP full of captivating vocals, tender ambience, and moments of lush instrumentation. Thematically, it’s a body of work that delves into the human experience whilst the songwriter goes on an introspective journey
In celebration of the release, Chris Lanzon sits down with 1883 Magazine to discuss each song on his new EP, Angel Litany.
“777”
“777” captures the feeling of being truly seen by someone, in a world that often feels isolating. It reflects on finding connection—whether with a person, a song, or through creating something… “you’re the only one who knows me”. I wanted this to be a mantra that welcomes and invites the listener into the world of “Angel Litany”.
“Angel Litany”
The title track. “Angel Litany” is all about the highs and lows of unconditional love—feeling grateful and overjoyed, yet undeserving and afraid of losing a good thing. It’s the push-pull of satisfaction and doubt, with love as a powerful force that feels almost too perfect. Ultimately, the bridge becomes a cathartic surrender to these forces, letting go, letting what’s meant to be, be. The song came together in this way, Harmony and I had just met and started writing instinctively, without intention, just trusting the process. I love that the song mirrors the way it was written.
“Technicolo(u)r”
“Technicolo(u)r” dives into infatuation with somebody, even to a delusional extent. It’s the feeling of being so obsessed with someone that you want to know everything about them, what they think about, what they like and dislike, how they see the world. I wrote it with my friend Oliver Beard, who is such a great writer. We stretched this idea in different directions, from a wholesome place to a more extreme place, touching on the idea of parasocial relationships – seeing signs and connections that may not exist.
I think social media can really amplify and blur the lines between reality and fantasy, so that was something we wanted to explore. The title’s (u) was suggested by a fan, symbolising both the second-person ‘you’, a key theme and lyric in the song, and the duality of British and American spellings. I thought that was super clever!
“Towers”
“Towers” is all about the walls we build for ourselves, to stay comfortable and shut people out. Forever chasing something elusive instead of being present and grounded in the moment. It reflects the conflict between closeness and distance, devotion and avoidance. This contrast is a central theme to this record and something I was grappling with at the time of writing. The tension of running from your past and your present at the same time. I think Deb Never, who I wrote the song with, really related to this feeling too. It was a special day uncovering the core of this song with her.
“Lilo”
“Lilo” is an ode to showing up for the people you care about. Friends, family, lovers, or even yourself… Some people are constants in our lives, always connected to us somehow, even if they’re distant, they stay as “parallel lines”. It’s a mix of sadness and beauty, reflecting the deep connections we hold onto, despite the pain they may bring. I wanted this song to be a way of saying, “hey, no matter what, I’ll always be here”.
“World Between Us”
“World Between Us” ties off the EP’s theme of conflicting emotions and dynamics in relationships. How they can be simultaneously beautiful and painful. It speaks to the instinct to push people away when we feel vulnerable, acting out of the fear of losing a good thing. The “World Between Us” represents both the physical distance between two people, but also the secret little worlds we build between each other as our relationships deepen – all the memories and moments we share together.
Chris Lanzon’s new EP Angel Litany is out now.
Follow Chris @chrislanzon