LeyeT
Los Angeles-based artist LeyeT unveils new EP entitled more thoughts.
Produced by Jonny Shorr, Lostboy, Versktozi, Chris Ganoudis, the new EP is a continuation of her previous project thoughts released in March. The 6 track EP touches on subjects like anxiety, friendship, time passing, self-love, curiosity…
more thoughts includes the previous singles “Notice You”, “Rabbit Hole” and the most recent single “Room For Me”.
LeyeT has helped to cultivate and grow a community of songwriters called Los Angeles Songwriters Collective (LASC). LASC’s purpose is to be a healthy resource and thriving community for songwriters to connect, grow and create together via workshops, events and showcases. Within this community, LeyeT has taken it a step further to develop a new chapter for women called LAS(she), a place for female creatives to empower each other and inspire diversity in the world of songwriting.
more thoughts is now available worldwide.
Photo credit: Drew Sal
Introduce yourself - where are you from?
Well hey, nice to meet you. I go by LeyeT. I’m a SoCal girl - grew up in Orange County, living in LA now.
You’ve just released your new EP more thoughts - what does it feel like?
It feels awesome. I love releasing music for many reasons, one of which is that I feel like it clears the pathway for me to create more music to follow it with :)
Another is that I adore seeing how people relate to songs I’ve written, making them their own.
When did you start working on this project? Could you describe us the songwriting/production process?
I started working on this EP before my first EP ‘thoughts’ was even released…so about a year ago. I’m someone who loves to constantly create so natural overlap happens between the time of wrapping one project to the next. “Room For Me” was one of the first songs I wrote for this EP that for me served as an honest, grounded, base to shape the EP around. From there I wrote lots more songs with a number of different collaborators.
Many of the songs were inspired by my daily #LeyeTthought posts which are my personal thoughts paired with a photo I’ve taken. Those posts ended up acting as a conceptual starting ground for songs: “Notice You”, “Rabbit Hole” and “Simpler Times” on the EP.
Who helped you create this project?
Talented friends :)
Producers on this EP: Jonny Shorr, Lostboy, Versktozi, Chris Ganoudis.
What are the different topics you are talking about on this EP?
The theme of this EP is rooted in self-reflection so the topics within surround this…. anxiety, friendship, time passing, self-love, curiosity… Unlike my last EP, there are no heartbreak songs… I wanted to dig deeper to unearth me as a person. It’s helped me grow bolder in who that is in the process.
What did you feel when writing “Rabbit Hole”?
I was feeling down on myself, frustrated and mentally scattered. The song is about the comparison trap that seems so easy to fall into - especially with the focus on social media these days. It can turn into a real time waster and joy stealer; this song was written as a wakeup call to snap out of it.
What can you tell us about the music video for "Rabbit Hole"? How was it like to work with Zach Bell?
I love Zach! He has a really unique, creative brain and is an all-around great person. Our creative minds work well together and I’m very grateful for that. He’s excellent at taking my initial ideas and expanding them so that there is both meaning and artistry. In the “Rabbit Hole” video, the tape was his idea as a means of expressing the feeling of being trapped in the metaphorical comparison trap message of the song.
It was a long shoot day, but we pulled it off like always :)
What was the hardest part about making this EP?
It’s hard to narrow songs down! I love writing and sometimes all I want to do is just that, but when making a project, it’s important to focus and hone in on what’s at hand. It can sometimes be hard to drown out distractions or say no to things, but with my artistry, creating something meaningful and impactful is of utmost importance.
Any favorite memories from the making of the EP?
Being in the creative flow, writing a song is one of the best feelings in the world to me. Every songwriting session can be a special memory. There is one moment in particular though that I remember because it was the only song on the EP that I had written lyrics for before the actual session. The night before my session with Joey Verskotzi where we created “Trying Still”, I was sitting in my apartment, tears flowing down my face writing these words in a moment of inspiration. I hadn’t put any melody to them yet, but I brought that notebook to my session the next day. Joey started strumming some chords on an acoustic guitar and I found that the words I had written matched exactly the vibe of his guitar progression - that was a perfect moment.
What can you tell us about the artwork? What was the inspiration behind it?
I absolutely love the visual aspect of creating so making the artwork is something I’m also very particular about. I used the same ribbon from my first EP cover in this EP cover as a way to tie the two projects together. The ribbon over my eyes signifies that I am observing my own thoughts, always having more thoughts. I capture some of these thoughts, putting them into song. In this way, the songs make meaning of my thoughts, helping me to better see and understand the significance of them so that I can not only observe them, but learn from them.
What did you learn about yourself after finishing this EP?
I’ve learned, re-learned and grown even more confident in who I am as a person - a rather relentless, driven, free spirit.
What made you want to name your project more thoughts?
I wanted this EP to be a continuation from my first EP thoughts so naturally, more thoughts felt appropriate.
Even more though, it’s to highlight the significance of what my daily #LeyeTthought posts have become to me – a way to spark thoughts in another to add even the slightest value to their day.
What message do you want to convey through your art?
I want my art to convey strength, resilience, clarity and unhurried confidence in a refreshing way.
What do you want to accomplish as a human being?
I want to grow beyond even what I feel my potential is, to live up to my God given potential, ultimately leaving a legacy of art and goodwill.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
More community – I think what causes so much negativity in the world stems from treating others like they are not human beings. We’re all the same. It’s easy to get wrapped up in your own life, your own problems and ways of doing things, but if we could just find common ground with one another to embrace a diverse community, I think the world would be better for it.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
Whether you are ready or not, time passes. The sooner you can learn to be friends with that fact, the sooner you can learn to live fully.
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