L E A
Alt-pop artist L E A has just released her brand new single “Pebbles”. Produced by Joe Pepe, the new single is about opening your heart up again.
Fusing rock and pop, “Pebbles” is a great summer record that showcases L E A’s edgy vocals and brilliant songwriting. The new single is off L E A’s upcoming EP Jersey Boy, to be released in August.
Go stream “Pebbles”, out now :)
Photo credit: Lindsey Ruth
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hey hey! I'm L E A, I'm based in Los Angeles, I make music of the "Alt Pop" genre, and love all things bold & colorful!
How would you define L E A, the artist?
Extroverted Noise. Bold, aggressive, passionate, colorful. Just me :)
"Pebbles" is your new single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
Pebbles is about opening your heart up after years of being so emotionally unavailable. It starts out with the idea of just knocking on someone's window, being like "hey I'm ready to date again" to "actually, I have no patience, I want to irrationally dive right into this". It goes from "I'll take this slow with ya" to "I'm impulsively deciding I want this and I want this now."
When did you start working on "Pebbles"? Who helped you create it?
I hadn't realized how long ago I wrote this until I actually went back to search for clips from the writing sessions! I started writing this song in September 2020. I was so creatively free during the pandemic, my mind kept racing and I was writing song after song. This was an amazing breakthrough after only getting out one song a year. I wound up putting together a few tunes, I knew I had to do something with them. Fast forward to when LA producer Joe Pepe reached out to me. I had been looking to collaborate with more producers this year and Joey happened to be in the right place right time. He has taken my sound in the direction I had been dreaming of going in and I'm so grateful to have worked with him on this project! Additional shoutout to Kevin Franklin for writing several guitar parts for my EP, Carl Bahner for being the best mix engineer and friend, and Nic @ Panorama Mastering! It takes a village!
What did you feel when writing this song?
When I started writing this tune, I felt bubbly, happy, and inspired. That was the verse. Then I was like "wait, I kinda want it to take a turn". I opened a bottle of wine, sat in my studio around 12 am (my most creative hour), and recorded a demo chorus (which sounds VERY different from the final version). I felt like a badass knocking down someone's door.
What made you want to release "Pebbles" as a single?
Mainly because it was the first song I've written on the EP. This project is a very linear piece of work, so Pebbles was the first chapter in this story.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
The artwork for both the single and EP speaks for itself! Lindsey Ruth, a photographer based in Los Angeles, was able to capture my style and personality flawlessly. I was really impressed by her work, which in the end made the album covers simple and to the point. There may be a little secret explanation for the EP cover, but I'll keep that up to the imagination ;)
What can you tell us about your upcoming EP Jersey Boy?
In the past year, I've written this EP based on a timeline of events involving my feelings, style, and sound which is circling back to my Jersey roots. I've been creating music nowadays that isn't limited by gender, style, and really reminds me of the music I wrote throughout my teenage years and the inspiration from the people I surrounded myself with then.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
As an artist, the hardest part is knowing who you can trust. So many people in the music industry take advantage of independent artists. This has made it a bit challenging when deciding where I invest my time and money, hoping it will all pay off. I can say the return/best part though is watching how many people you light up. Seeing young fans react to my music and saying it "saved them" all the way to meeting new friends at shows. That's what it's all about. It's a shared experience.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
Oh, I wouldn't change a thing right now. We're bending genres like no other and everyone has access to the resources that can launch their career. Anyone can make music & share it with the world. It's 2021, we're not gatekeeping in this industry. The internet and social media have been a game-changer for independent artists like myself and that is the coolest thing.
What biggest lessons have you learned since the beginning of your career?
I feel like I've been learning a lot of lessons as I dive further into my music career. One of the main ones being: you are not limited. You don't have to put yourself in a box or conform to certain standards to be successful. Success is measured in so many different ways. Additionally, the biggest lesson I'm still learning is to fight for what you want. Effort goes such a long way and will pay off. And finally, stay true to yourself and grounded in who you are.
What advice would you give to young artists?
Go with your gut, follow your heart, follow your passion. If it's hard, keep pushing. If people try to tell you you don't belong here, prove them wrong. Keep practicing, keep learning.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
If everyone tried a bit harder to be kind, accepting, and loving towards themselves, the earth, and other humans.
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