Why LANY's Paul Klein Is Quickly Becoming Music's Biggest Style Icon

Welcome to Boys on Film, a series where we turn the spotlight on some of the most talented and stylish men in music, film, television, and fashion. Through an exclusive shoot and interview, we'll give you a taste of how these men dress and what personal style means to them.

"I remember my mom pulling me aside in our living room and randomly letting me know that I was going to start piano lessons next week for 30 minutes every Tuesday for the rest of my life." And that, folks, is how LANY's lead singer Paul Klein got his start in music. All hyperbole aside, Klein is someone who clearly takes pride in his humble beginnings. Having grown up in Oklahoma, both his personal style and dreams of making it as a musician were laced with unconventionality, but thanks to his consistent music education and serendipitous connection making (like moving to Los Angeles purely off a gut feeling, where he met the third bandmate of LANY), he managed to figure it all out. From their first show ever played in 2015 to producing two new albums, Mama's Boy and GG BB XX just in the last two years, it is clear that Klein and his bandmates are only on the up-and-up. 

Klein's success in the music industry is one thing, but what we are most excited to talk to him about is his perfectly unkempt, often "too early" (as Klein describes it) accessory-adorned, vintage-inspired style. Take one look at his Instagram and you'll quickly realize this man does not come to play when it comes to his wardrobe. Both onstage and offstage, Klein maintains a playfully forward aesthetic that is so alluring that LANY fans all over the world want to replicate it. The level of influence he has on his followers is only getting bigger, which is why we were thrilled at the opportunity to sit down and chat with Klein himself about all things music, fashion, and more.

LANY came out with not one but two albums during this pandemic time. How did being at home and not being able to tour impact you creatively? 

It was really tough. It still is tough. We put out our third album, Mama's Boy, on October 2 of 2020, and it became pretty clear halfway through 2020 that we were not going to be going on tour anytime soon. Music needs moments to attach itself to, and people need life experiences to really fall in love with songs, and tour is such a massive element of that. The day after the album came out, it was like, "Okay, now what?" We can either sit on the couch and wait for the world to open back up, or we can go make another album and also sit on the couch and wait for the world to open back up. So we made another album. 

Mama's Boy was a complete and total departure from what people know about LANY. The way I had talked about that album was like when you're dating someone for a year or two and you want to take it to the next level. You're like, "I should take you back home and meet my family and my friends, just to contextualize my existence for you. There's going to be some things you like and some things that you don't like, but it's just a necessary step, and we should do it." And that's what Mama's Boy was with our fans—we were taking them back home. Hey, we're not from Los Angeles. We're this West Coast pop band that is cool and does their thing, but we're actually from super middle-of-the-road, middle America, middle-income families in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri, and we'd love to show you that side of us for a second. And then GG BB XX was like, "Okay, everything went good back home. We're still together. Now, let's get back to the regularly scheduled programming, but let's do it on a really big pop scale." So we went and made a big pop album. 

Your style is sick and so individualized. Was your style always like this, or has it evolved over time?

I remember getting into it when I was in middle school. I'm from Oklahoma, and I didn't fit in. I worked on a ranch during the summers, so I know what guys typically look like and wear in Oklahoma. I was the first kid wearing skinny jeans. I remember bleaching my hair and everyone thinking I was so different. I feel like I just know when things are going to make a comeback. I used to go to Dave's in New York back in the day before constructionwear was a thing, before everyone was wearing Carhartt, and I'd go buy all the camo pants no one wanted, and I would wear them. I remember wearing camo pants in 2015 and people just being like, "What are you wearing?" I was way too early. 

I also started painting my nails in 2018, and then Harry Styles decides to paint his nails in 2020 and apparently is the first guy on the planet to ever do it. So I was just like, "I'm just way too early again." I love clothes, love clothes, love style, just love expressing myself in a really unique way. I used to pay the price for that because I was from Oklahoma, but now, people think it's really cool, but I used to get completely made fun of and ridiculed for it.

Personal style is obviously important to you. Do you feel like you shift your style at all when you're onstage, or is it pretty consistent?

I don't. I know that people do. Some people hire stylists for tours, which sounds sick but also sounds like a ton of work and super stressful, and I don't own enough suitcases. And honestly, I'm in a band that still likes to ball on a budget. I'll buy a couple of new pieces for tour, but for the most part, I'm trying to see, "Okay, if I take this brown hoodie, how many looks can I get out of this brown hoodie on tour?" I also just take personal items that I like. And I think what has been a cool by-product of that is our fan base has started to dress like us. And while I might have a nice necklace or a nice watch, for the most part, it's a mix of high and low. So our style and my style is super accessible and relatable to our fans, and I think that's really important. I'm not pulling any 'fits that they're like, "That's so sick, but never in my life would I be able to afford that."

Do you have any style icons, or do you look anywhere specific for inspiration?

Pharrell is somebody that I've looked up to for a very long time. He dresses so well. A$AP Rocky, of course, is another guy that seems to always be super, super ahead, and I have so much respect for him in that space.

Can you name three things in your closet that you always put on when you want to feel 100% yourself?

Obviously, a big hoodie is important. I've recently been massively obsessed with vintage practice hockey jerseys. The reason I like those is because of the silhouette. They're very wide, and I'm a bigger guy, so I like my stuff baggy. ACNE Studios makes some great trousers that fit really well. I've always been a fan of ACNE and always will be. 

What was your first big designer purchase, and do you still have it or wear it?

I bought my first Louis Vuitton bag in Singapore on tour. I still have it, and it looks awesome. It's got this streak of white paint on it from something. Literally, it's been roughed up. I guess the other one would be when I bought my first Rolex with my manager. He's been with me since day zero. He quit his job at William Morris to be our manager when we were making $0. He took a huge risk. So we went and got matching Rolexes in 2018 and called them friendship bracelets.

Are there any other designers you're loving at the moment? 

I have to say shout out to Kurt Narmore, who's the creative director of Noon Goons. He's been so randomly generous and involved in my life over the last six months. I wore a Noon Goons piece on my own accord for our music video with Julia Michaels for the song "Okay." I love Brain Dead. It's one of the very few brands that I'm signed up to their newsletter. I love Marni, love Saint Laurent. They've been incredibly good to me. Hedi Slimane, who was at Saint Laurent before but now is at Celine. What he's doing at Celine is just… He's just doing Hedi, which I love. That's my favorite thing about him. He knows what he does, and he does it wherever he goes, and I really like that.

What advice would you give to guys who are maybe a little bit too intimidated to express themselves through fashion?

I'd just say you're robbing yourself. You're cheating yourself in life, and you're robbing yourself of joy and fulfillment. It's so silly. Go wear exactly what you want to wear. Only good things are going to come from that. Not doing something in life or trying to be liked for something that you're not, it's such an uphill battle and a pointless task. You want people to love you for who you are. So if you want to go wear some crazy shit, go do it, and people are going to love it. 

Next up, read our March cover story featuring Keke Palmer.