Showing us deep within the right mentality, Leila Jane is at her authentic best and tells us more about her brand new album, which drops tomorrow, Revolve Evolve. Brushing off those fears and doing things her way this is an interview filled with so much insight.
Please let us know more about the 20th November and all its magnificence at the legendary Whelans in Dublin?
Leila: I am very excited about the 20th November as it will celebrate the launch of my new EP Revolve Evolve. I have seen many great bands play in Whelan’s over the seven years that I have lived here and am delighted to have my own headline show there with a full four-piece band behind me. My friend Chris Wilson DC will be playing support on the night!
A little birdie told us it’s your birthday 3 days after the show. Actually, that’s perhaps a tiny fib. You told us. Any plans for your big day or shall you be spending it locked away in the studio?
Leila: That’s right! Well, getting to play Whelan’s with some of my great friends around will be the perfect celebration for me. As for my actual birthday, I have a dentist appointment and then I am playing a pub gig in the evening! :’)
If you had one superpower for 24 hours, what would you be and what would your first mission be?
Leila: I would time travel back to the 1950s and go and find Elvis to have a jam with him!
The music industry is a wild place with many shapes and forms. How do you navigate its vast challenges and stay focused?
Leila: I focus on what is meaningful to me and try not to get too caught up in comparing myself to others or losing myself trying to ”make it”. I please myself first and foremost and have a specific list of my own goals. That way I can carve something out that’s more sustainable, authentic and hopefully connects with people on a deeper level. I am also very grateful to be part of a lovely network of creatives in Dublin, which inspires and supports me.
Please tell us more about your connection with Bleeding Heart Pigeon’s front man Mícheál Keating?
Leila: I found out about Mícheál as I was Googling, as you do, and trying to find a producer that I could work with. Soda Blonde is a great Irish artist and I saw that he had made a remix of one of her tracks…. then I got in touch with him on Instagram and he responded so we eventually organised the recording sessions after some zoom calls. During the lockdowns I would get the bus over to Limerick to record in his studio. I also became a big fan of his band Bleeding Heart Pigeons and their dreamy synth vibes. I was delighted that their drummer, Brendan McInerney got to play on my tracks during the recording process. Mícheál is a very skilled musician and mixing engineer. He was able to translate my demos by ear and understood the style I was going for. So I challenged myself to have the full arrangement planned out on my home demos, because I knew he would be able to hear what was going on and help me record everything to a better standard.
Who inspires you most in the world?
Leila: It is hard to pick one person who inspires me as I get bits of inspiration from people everywhere I go. I’m always admiring traits in everyone I meet and thinking about what I can learn from them- even if they are someone I don’t quite like, I still appreciate our differences. Perhaps that is the actor in me- as I am beginning to explore that side of myself more now. Having said that, I do get inspired by actors like Joaquin Phoenix and Alice Lowe as they bring a lot of humility to their performances and I would hope to be able to do the same, whether it be in my music or any other performances. I admire artists like Mac Demarco and Big Thief for keeping it real. I also think it is important to inspire oneself, and I get great joy from overcoming my fears and achieving things that I didn’t initially think I was capable of!
Last of all, do you have any plans for a tour and what does the future hold in 2023?
Leila: I would love to go on tour, but I will have to wait and see what unfolds. I have connections in the UK and US where I have gigged before, so hopefully I will be able to expand on that in the future. Right now I am really enjoying getting my music videos made as it combines my love for acting and songwriting, and really helps communicate my music. I have been discussing it with some of my videographer friends and I am definitely going to be having fun making more music videos in 2023!
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Listen up to this excellent single on Spotify. See more on her IG.
Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen