Tobias Rylander Breaks Down The Process of Designing The 1975’s World Tour

Tobias Rylander learned to love lighting design by accident. The first time he was asked to run the light board at a show was for fun, but it sparked a new love that led him to become The 1975’s show designer and trusted creative consultant a decade later.

As a young graduate who moved to Stockholm at 19 years old, Rylander studied classical trumpet in high school, played in rock bands and performed on the guitar and harmonica, and began hanging out at local clubs before befriending a sound engineer. Out of amusement, that friend once tasked Rylander to handle the light board at a show due to the absence of a professional lightworker, and the not-so-serious assignment piqued his interest rather quickly. “Controlling light and shadow was like magic to me,” he recalls.

Although he’s normally introduced as the creative director of a show, Rylander prefers the term “Show Designer” or “Conceptual Designer” and never fails to reiterate that he is, first and foremost, a lighting designer. Things have evolved for the Swedish creative over his two decades in the business, as he’s had opportunities to soak up experience and technical knowledge from his time with local lighting companies and the Swedish Royal Opera alike. In 2007, he branched out to design the European tours of Lykke Li, Fever Ray and Miike Snow, and his innovative, cinematic and exquisite approach was quickly noticed. Just a few years after his first tour work, he established himself as a reliable and refreshing show designer, going on to work with artists such as fka twigs, Of Monsters and Men and The 1975, along with designing runway shows for Calvin Klein and Balenciaga.

Currently, Rylander is working as the show designer of The 1975’s current “At Their Very Best” world tour, which he says is unlike any other engagement he’s worked on in this post-pandemic world. He notes that the 25% to 50% inflation on materials and the scarcity of gear has created a significant difference in what can and can’t be done these days, as the markets, budgets and expectations have all failed to adapt. Despite the logistical hardships, Rylander and the team fought hard to design a more environmentally friendly and sustainable touring concept and elevate the modern-day rock show to a true spectacle. “The most rewarding thing has been seeing the progression of a very brave artist, band and management group, 10 years after our first show together,” he shares. “They always push the envelope and make very brave decisions and take their shows in new directions.”

“If your ideas are bigger than what is actually possible, they’re not great ideas.”

In three words, how would you describe your job to someone who isn’t familiar with the music industry?

Fun, creative, exhausting.

Can you run us through a day in your work life?

Each and every day is normally different, and depends on what part of the design process we are in. Early in the process, I’m hopefully at home. I can wake up, go to my office studio and do design work like drawing set designs and CADs. But, most of the time, I wake up in a hotel room after working a very long day in a previsualization studio or rehearsal venue where we are preparing a show or a tour, only to start it all over the next day. It’s a lot of sitting in a dark room listening and reacting to music or a show to figure out how to make it look beautiful.

How did you and The 1975 meet, and when did the working relationship begin?

When the band first reached a point in their career which allowed them to bring a lighting and visual package on tour, they were still in the black and white era of their first record [The 1975]. Matty [Healy, the band’s lead singer and creative lead] wanted a “hard,” Nine Inch Nails-style show to balance their “pop” songs. I believe they reached out to my former business partner Roy Bennett, who actually designed the Nine Inch Nails shows those days. He then suggested I should take on these emerging rock stars. I went to meet them at a hotel in Hollywood and we clicked immediately.

Can you run us through the process of creating a set design?

I usually start by meeting the artist or client and try to spend some time with them, get to know and understand who they are and what they are about and what they are trying to communicate with their show or project. I then set up a workspace online where we share folders of inspirational material. It can be pictures of art, architecture, science and nature, anything visual that inspires me or the artist.

We look at the current campaign the artist is working on around their records or other projects and find that “red thread” you need in a concept, something that holds it together. I then spend some time drawing, often by hand, to then transfer over to the computer and 3D/CAD programs to create plans and renders of what I envision the show to look like. That way, we can start carving out the elements and aesthetic of the show. Once we are all happy and convinced we have a good design that covers all the show needs and that communicates what the artists want to express, the process moves over to more practical things like technical drawings, budgets, producing sets and overseeing the production as it comes together. I’m not alone in that process and have help from many departments and draftsmen. Then, we build the set and stage in a rehearsal space where we put the show together and program all the video and lighting. It’s very different from project to project but the process is generally along those lines.

“It’s also a great idea to find an artist or a band that you can grow together with, travel with them and learn with them.”

What was your biggest inspiration in creating the tour’s stage design, and how long did it take for you and your team to plan it?

We went through a couple of different ideas and concepts for this tour. We knew we wanted it to be sustainable and not as big and bulky as their last tour. One of the first directives Matty gave me was that it needed to be about the band this time — about the performance and the fact that they’re very talented musicians. Matty is a multifaceted artist who really thinks “ART” when he creates. While I was visiting the band in the studio when they were recording their album, we talked a lot about theater and how he wanted to capture the process of recording and rehearsing the songs — so the stage became a room that could transform. Eventually,we realized we needed a full house. There’s always something new and interesting going on in that head of Matty’s.

With a project as extensive as a world tour, what are some of the more minute details that someone in your position would need to be aware of?

Unfortunately it’s all the boring stuff, like how many trucks will the budget allow, how long do we allow for the stage to be built and packed up again; how many crew will it take to build it. You grow to understand these things with experience, and they’re the building blocks you have to have as a foundation to your ideas. If your ideas are bigger than what is actually possible, they’re not great ideas.

What are the necessary first steps someone should take to enter a career in music as a stage designer?

You have to be where the music and the artists are. You have to work hard (and often for free) in the beginning, and you have to do it with passion.You have to be as passionate about your work and your creations as the artists are about their music. You have to work as hard as them to get where you want to go. It’s also a great idea to find an artist or a band that you can grow together with, travel with them and learn with them.

What lessons and/or work ethics did you only pick up after working in the music industry?

Hard work and persistence really pays off in the end, but you genuinely have to love what you do and be passionate about what you do for it to be “worth it.” Often, there are quite uncomfortable days to get a show up and running, though it’s really rewarding when the show is finally live in front of you!

“You genuinely have to love what you do and be passionate about what you do for it to be ‘worth it.’”

What was the biggest challenge you’ve had to face so far, and how did you overcome it?

A project where the artist actually didn’t like me or what I had created for them. It was very disappointing for us all, of course. I learned persistence and patience and not to be too hard on myself, learned to just keep pushing and getting through.

What is one thing about your job that most people would find unexpected or surprising?

I think it’s how long the days are and how hard we work. Often 16-hour days and sometimes weeks in a row. It is far less glamorous than people think.

Is there a secret to career longevity in this industry?

Not that I know of. There are a lot of “senior” designers still around, and just like musicians and artists, I think designers can keep creating until they lose interest or get too tired. Design is an art form and I don’t think the need for expression or the interest in the medium goes away. Keith Richards probably won’t put down the guitar until he really can’t pick it up.

What are some habits you follow regularly to always maintain a good headspace for work?

None really unfortunately, but I should make sure to get enough sleep and rest, try to eat healthy and not drink too much. I really should think about all that.

What does a day off look like for you?

They are rare, but depending on where in the world I am, I enjoy long walks, both in cities and nature, hopefully to a museum or a mountain top. And I love eating and cooking.

If not music, what would you be doing?

I have always been interested in blacksmithing, and have always said that’s what I would fall back on or retire to. My wife is a silversmith, so probably a blacksmith or silversmith. I love doing both.

I also design some furniture on the side to procrastinate sometimes, so maybe more furniture design.

Stay tuned for more features with music industry professionals — from managers to sound engineers, stagehands and others; the people who make the music world go round without standing behind a microphone.