Into the Garden: Seven Lions on Growth, Grief, and Music Between Worlds

In this exclusive interview, Seven Lions reflects on the alchemy of creation, his enduring bond with HALIENE, and the journey toward Asleep in the Garden of Infernal Stars.

There are very few artists in electronic music who can craft entire worlds through sound, and Seven Lions has been doing so for well over a decade. From his early melodic dubstep anthems to the expansive, genre-blurring universe he created under Ophelia Records, his music carries a pulse of emotion that transcends the dancefloor and takes listeners to an ethereal place.

His latest album, Asleep in the Garden of Infernal Stars, is his most ambitious and introspective work yet. This collection pushes sonic boundaries while remaining rooted in what makes his music so special to his fans. Out now on Ophelia Records, the album is a haunting reflection on connection, loss, and release — a place where beauty and melancholy coexist, and sound becomes story.

As someone who grew up immersed in his music, getting to sit down with Seven Lions felt like coming full circle. Ready to take a deep dive into the creative evolution, emotional depth, and cosmic vision of Jeff Montavolo? Trust me, it is worth the read.

Stream Seven Lions’ new album, Asleep in the Garden of Infernal Stars, on Spotify or your preferred platform, and read on for an exclusive look into the making of his most introspective LP yet.

Hey Jeff, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today. You’ve been such an influential force in the melodic space for well over a decade now, and as someone who grew up listening to your music, it’s truly an honor to be sitting down with you.

Thank you, I’m happy to be here!

I wanted to start by congratulating you on your upcoming album, Asleep in the Garden of Infernal Stars. The title alone feels deeply poetic and symbolic. What does the imagery behind it represent to you personally?

I wanted something very evocative and visual, because that’s how my music is. So I wanted the title to represent that. It’s deeply ingrained in my metal and fantasy roots. And it really describes the album.

I really do imagine myself in space, on a planet or something, while listening to the album.

Yep, exactly. That’s the whole vibe.

How does this album differ from Beyond the Veil, both creatively and personally?

Beyond the Veil felt more like meandering, with more songs; it also included some mellow songs because it was during the pandemic. This album feels a lot more concise, very tight, less meandering, and more straight to the point.

Was there a particular song on the album that stood out as your favorite to produce, and were there any tracks that surprised you in how they ultimately evolved?

“Cold as Snow” is probably one of my favorites. It’s a lot of people’s favorite when I show them the album. “Thrice Woven” as well, because they’re the most recent representation of who I am as a musician and the music that I like to listen to.

You’ve always defied genre boundaries. Do you ever feel tension between your desire to experiment and the expectations your fans have of you?

I try to be respectful of their wishes, but I do what I want, and they generally like that. Sometimes people get upset, but I think by this point, people would come to understand that I’m just making music because I like making music, and I’m not really gonna do what people want me to do all the time. And I do that sometimes, to be honest. There are times when I will absolutely make a song for the fans.

Looking back at your early remixes like “You Got to Go” or “The Great Divide,” what do you think your younger self would feel hearing your newest single, “Cold as Snow,” or Asleep in the Garden of Infernal Stars in its entirety?

Yeah, that’s tough. I expanded into the organic sounds a little more with “Cold as Snow” — more guitar and things like that, which I wasn’t doing back then. So you’re just hearing more of my roots and my own personal taste in music.

You mentioned the track was inspired by your metal influences. What does tapping into those roots unlock for you as a producer?

It’s super fun for me, and I just get lost in that. I spend a lot of time in the studio, and when I go into that creative direction, I’m not worried about things like, “Is this short enough to fit on the radio? Does it repeat enough? Does it slap on a big sound system?” Those are all very technical or formulaic questions, rather than going off into your own creative world. It is very different.

Whenever you and HALIENE collaborate, there is always this undeniable sense of emotional alchemy that seems to flow between you. What is it like creating music with someone who feels so deeply aligned with your artistic vision?

It is always amazing working with her. Every time I’ve sent her something, she’s sent me something really amazing right back. And Matthew Steeper‘s a great vocal producer. He does a lot of her vocal production. I love working with her. There’s definitely a handful of people that I’ve become very close with over the years, and they’re ingrained in my music.

Her voice is so familiar to me in your music, so it really took me back.

For sure.

HALIENE describes the track as capturing that cosmic connection between two souls — an energy that lingers long after the final goodbye. Was that your inspiration for the song or hers?

Definitely hers. I don’t really get into lyrical stuff too much, other than a very brief description in the very beginning. I told her I want this song to be gut-wrenchingly sad. And she really nailed it. Sometimes, as with “Thrice Woven” and “By the Light of the Moon,” the demo title was the song title, and then she wrote around that concept. But generally, I’m not a lyricist, and I have a terrible singing voice. I think the magic in making music with all these vocalists is that I get to do what I’m best at.

If this upcoming album were a love letter to your listeners, or to yourself, what would it say?

I would say to just be yourself and don’t be afraid to be different.

You’ve only grown bigger and brighter as the years go by, and we don’t see you fading out anytime soon. So what is next for Seven Lions?

Oh man, no breaks, just keep full steam ahead. Definitely more music ahead, which is kind of crazy. So more, always.

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