While 90s Sabrina taught us that magic was great for picking outfits, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina taught us that it’s worth going to hell and back for a friend, that it’s okay to experiment with sex demons and that actor Lachlan Watson, who plays Bri’s friend Theo, totally rules. Thank you, Netflix. Born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, 19-year-old actor and musician Lach is out there representing the non-binary community in Greendale and beyond.
“I never really liked all the confining aspects of having to package yourself in separate little boxes for different people,” Lach says on the subject of defining themselves and what it is they do. “I’ve found that I like moving faster than my labels, just to keep people on their toes.” Lach is currently locked down in their hometown with their bandmate, roommate and mutual muse, Jillian Clark. And honestly, it sounds like the duo are thriving. “We’ve been simultaneously producing music for our band SEMIFEMME, leaning into every possible creative outlet we can and rewatching The Vampire Diaries all at the same time.” The dream.
Here to help nurture your creativity, Lach recommends first surrounding yourself with the right mediums. “Have pens, paper, paint, music, yarn, scraps, trash and glue and just follow what feels right,” they say. “Try not to let a fear of messing up or learning something new hold you back from your true creative potential! We have way too much time on our hands to worry about perfection.” While Lach’s quarantine goals include learning and creating, they’re sure to not hold themselves to any impossible standards. “I want to start honouring my limits,” they say wisely.
While the pandemic hasn’t totally thrown Lach’s life upside down, they’re grateful for the downtime and clearly making the most of it: “It’s given me a lot more time and space to create and discover what real freedom means to me. I’m also very privileged to be isolated in a safe and beautiful space with people that make me feel human, so I’m finding that to be a very meaningful thing.”
By staying selective with the news they consume and trust, plus doing a lot of fact-checking and hand-washing, Lach is staying conscious of their impact on the infection curve. Above and beyond this, though, they’re responding to the situation by focussing on being there emotionally for loved ones. “I’m trying to do the most in terms of support and mental health,” they say. “I’m working on finding new ways to check in with family and friends, and to not be afraid to ask the hard questions and do a little soul-searching.” Legend.
Excited to hear the result of all this music making — when the time comes, no pressure — we asked Lach to make i-D a self-isolation playlist in the meantime. Opening with “Androgynous” by The Replacements, highlights of the hour-and-a-half selection include Placebo’s Kate Bush cover, the niche nostalgia of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah circa 2005, and — rather brilliantly — Sex Bob-omb’s “Threshold” from the greatest movie of all time, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. “This playlist is a calmly-chaotic amalgamation of some of our band’s inspiration tracks, mixed with my feel-good tunes, mixed with what have been affectionately deemed our ‘laying on the floor bops’,” Lach explains.
“This playlist is for all the amateur poets and the bleached-hair kids who went from crying and day-dreaming, to dancing around in their lonely prom dresses at 2am,” they continue. “It is for every possible isolation emotion.”