What’s your story as an artist?
I grew up in Southern California and I’ve lived in Nashville for 4 years now. I started Love You Later a year before I moved here so my sound has always and will always be inspired by the west coast because that’s still my “foundation.” I was always musical growing up but I would bounce around genres and still needed time to figure out who I was and my sound. When I was 18, that’s when I finally felt like I knew the direction I wanted to take my artistry. It was a unique path separate from the artists I look up to, although I still drew lots of inspiration. My artist project is always going to be an evolution because I can’t stand staying stagnant, but it will always connect with my roots and where I started.
What inspired this single?
It became this recurring theme in my life where I had someone I was connecting with (usually romantically) and just as we started to get closer, they would say something like, “Yeah sooo, I’m actually moving to (or back to) New York/Brooklyn.” It started to become quite comical between my friends and I so I just had to write a song about it. Fingers crossed, I’m at the end of that phase, haha.
What are some sources of inspiration for your storytelling?
I’ve always been heavily inspired by 80s and 90s music and lately I’ve gathered more inspiration from music circa the early 2000’s as well. I find honest storytelling to be the best. Imogen Heap is someone I look up to because often she’ll say whatever she wants to say in her songs – and not to mention, she’s a groundbreaking vocalist and songwriter. I want to stand out like that and write things that are not too perfected but rather make you feel like we’re in the same room and we’re just having a real life conversation.
Any funny anecdotes from the time you were recording or writing the song?
I do have a cool detail about the songwriting process. During quarantine, I was stuck at home with a cheap mic and interface from Amazon. I texted a few friends of mine that are producers to see if any of them had tracks I could write to because I was itching to create. My friend Justin sent one back that week knowing that it was the vibe I was going for and I instantly was inspired and knew exactly what I needed to write about. I wrote the lyrics to ‘Brooklyn’ and sent him the vocals via email and we had our first demo. Once everything had calmed down regarding Covid, I went over to his studio and we finished the song. Before 2020, I never thought I would write a song remotely with a simple track loop and then have it become one of my favorite LYL songs to date.
What’s a record that shaped your creativity?
There are a few, but the most genius record as a whole has to be Details by Frou Frou. It is such a perfect record to me and it breaks all of the right boundaries.
Who is an artist or band you look up to today?
Since the beginning of my project, I’ve looked up to The Japanese House. Since it is also a female lead solo project, I find a ton of inspiration in her music and how she caries herself and her project. I appreciate how each release feels like a more mature version of her last but too far away.
Any future projects?
I’ll be taking the rest of this year to write a ton more music and I’m working towards a bigger body of work. I can’t say for sure what that means yet but I’m really excited to see what it shapes up to be and you will definitely be hearing more music from me in the first quarter of the year.
Top 3 dream collaborations?
MUNA, The Japanese House, and Imogen Heap.
What does music mean to you?
I believe music is such a magical form of expression and it can be extremely cathartic to write as well as listen to. I feel so grateful to be apart of the making of music but I also am always listening to it and craving new music that makes me feel something. Music has helped me press through a lot of hard times and it’s helped me celebrate some really wonderful moments. Music is therapy.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?
I would describe Love You Later as a dreamy alternative pop project with electric melodies and shimmery guitars and synths. It’s relatable alt pop music perfect for driving and vibing. And if this helps, there’s a song for any state of a relationship that you may be in.
