Lenn
I’m so proud of Lenn for releasing one of the best projects of 2023. I’ve said this a hundred times already but she is one of the best artists out there and she is definitely one of my favorite artists. I’m proud I got to know her before most people.
Congrats Lenn on the release of this project, on everything you’ve achieved since the release of your new music. You are amazing. I believe in you, always.
Go stream waist deep now available everywhere !
Hi Lenn, how are you? What have you been up to since our last conversation?
Been in the studio, mostly writing for artists in the electronic space and floating some EP2 ideas around. I actually just got back from a week of writing in London, which was really restorative and it was lush to connect with people who are doing similar things.
You’ve just released your debut EP, what does that feel like?
I feel quite disconnected from it strangely. It’s been a long time coming and perhaps as a method of aniticpatory self-preservation I’ve not allowed myself to put too much pressure on how it performs. Saying that, I’m always really flattered when people to take the time to listen and show their support and that does help to make it feel worthwhile.
Could you describe the songwriting/production for this project? When did you start working on it?
I started working on the EP back in 2020 when COVID hit. We used that time to work and although 2 years sounds like a long time to create an EP, we wrote and produced way more demos than the 6 songs to craft a sound we were happy with.
What different topics are you talking about on this project?
I guess the EP shows different angles of the same struggle and mostly focuses around my journey to being an artist. Feeling like you’re too committed to go back, forgetting why you’re doing it, recognising that some ‘friends’ aren’t really in it with you and ultimately trying to keep a sense of perspective and hope.
What's the story behind "waist deep"? What did you feel when writing this song?
We already knew we wanted the EP to be called ‘waist deep’ so I wanted to make a short track with that title, similar to ‘been a minute’, which I’ve always loved. We laid some chords and started singing ideas and everything came together really quickly, a genuine outpouring of how I was feeling at the time. Feeling that I’m too far along the road to quit, whilst finding it really hard to keep going left me feeling stuck in an in-between space where I’ve committed, but slightly regretful.
What was the biggest challenge when making this EP?
Just to keep going really and trying to explain to people what I do. I now have something to point to and show for my work, but it’s always awkward trying to explain it to people when making small talk.
Any favourite memories from the making of this EP?
Tough question. Without being bleak it’s quite hard to point to any obvious highlights during the creation process, but there have been a lot of laughs along the way.
What do you want people to feel when listening to your project?
Understood. It’s fair to say I’ve leaned into the sad girl thing, because that’s genuinely how I’ve been feeling and I hope that by putting out an honest version of myself people will be able to relate and know that there is nothing you’re alone in.
You've been releasing music consistently this year, what biggest lessons have you learnt since the release of "dreams are a nightmare"?
Take the wins! It’s far too easy to compare or set yourself up for disappointed, so celebrating any success is really important.
Could you list a few records that influenced the music you are making today?
If We Were Made of Water - Banks
Depth Over Distance - Ben Howard
Ride The Dragon - FKA Twigs
Only - Sasha Sloan
As an artist, what are your thoughts on today's social media?
I absolutely would not be on any social media if I didn’t need to be. I personally feel that it promotes quantity over quality, whilst at the same time diminishing people’s appreciation and attention span for meaningful art. Equally without those platforms everything would change and I couldn’t tell you whether that would be better or worse for me as an artist.
What are you most proud of?
I’m proud that I’ve gotten this far independently alongside working another job. I’m so ready for the day when I can do music full time and give it my everything!