Hailing from Austria, LLeow unveils her latest effort, a nuanced yet hard-hitting rock and grunge gem titled ‘Sacrifice’. Contrasting distortions and punchy drums with heartfelt and inspiring lyricism, the talented songstress creates a compelling artistic offering, indulging the listeners in personal reflection and emotional reckoning.
LLeow’s vocals are a perfect match for such a meaningful record; evocative yet elegant, they cut through the noise with easiness and relatability. Behind this powerful rock livery, we find the real LLeow – an inspired and fragile human not afraid to showcase her worth, fighting against an industry that often overlooks mature artists (if such a term makes even sense?).
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with LLeow to find out more about her artistry and future goals… interview below!
Hey LLeow, how is it going? some of our readers might not be familiar with your project, how would you describe yourself, in a few words?
Hey, so I’d say I’m a very versatile, passionate, fun person with a slight tendency to go over the top sometimes. And I carry my heart on my sleeve. So – what you see is what you get. As a person, and as an artist.
Usually, in our interviews we ask a question about one’s upbringing, and what motivates them to create music. In your case, that’s a central concept of your artistic journey. Before we dive into it, we’d just love to ask you: how did you develop your musical skills? how has music entered your life in the first place?
I come from a very musical family where everyone sings in different choirs. So from a young age, I was put on stage at every school event and also sang in a choir, but it wasn’t really the right thing for me. Nevertheless, I always knew that I could basically sing and I always wanted to be a singer and make music. I just had to do a few other things first 🙂 So when I decided to make music 2 years ago, I was happy to find a great singing teacher who taught me techniques and stuff and challenged me with crazy stuff.
Unfortunately, I never really learned to play an instrument to the point where I could say “I play an instrument”. My guitar skills are enough for the basic chords, and now I’m actually too lazy to practice. But yes, music was always there, it just wasn’t seen as something I could actually do, so it wasn’t anything “proper”.
That brings us to the very empowering idea you are sharing through your material: to be courageous and strive for what makes you happy, regardless of age and societal constraints. The industry would categorize LLeow as a ‘mature artist’, but to us, your music is incredibly vibrant and lively, perhaps because it’s born from a rebellious, cathartic place. How do you see yourself at this point in time?
I think rebellious is the right term – at the moment I feel like a teenager again, trying to fight my way out of convention and fulfil the expectations of others, but with the responsibility that comes with being someone my age and at this point in life. The fact that the songs are so energetic and – as you say – lively is probably precisely because the feeling now is no different than when I was younger.
Concluding the topic, was there a specific event that motivated you to start releasing music this year?
Actually, yes – that was basically the moment when I decided to really get into the music and give it a real and genuine chance. It was at the first concert after the pandemic, I was in Munich with my daughter to see Yungblud, whom I didn’t know before. When I felt the energy that came up when he sang the songs that all those people there found themselves in, I knew I wanted that too. To see how what I experience and feel mixes with the energy of an audience and what comes out of it. If you want to know the exact moment, it was when he sang “Life on Mars”.
You have just released a powerful single, ‘Sacrifice’, built on sharp, gunge-y rock stylings. Your evocative vocals give it a relatable, friendly quality. What does the track mean to you?
It was one of the first songs I ever wrote, which makes it special for me. It was basically my “release”, in which I tried to process my feelings, including the very painful ones that come with big changes. The song was originally called “the explosion”, which says a lot about how I felt at the time.
Do you feel more confident writing music alone, or within a team?
I like both very much, because when I write alone, I don’t try to please anyone, I stick to what I think is right. But when there’s a team of people playing instruments, you’re always working on a different level than when I’m alone with Garage Band. That makes the songs much more interesting musically. In other words, I prefer to start on my own and then I’m happy when others join in.
You seem to be looking at the international market – is there a particular reason you choose to sing in English rather than German? How would you describe the Austrian music scene at the moment?
Most of the music I listen to myself is in English or another foreign language. I don’t know, but for me, when I’m processing feelings or thoughts, I automatically do it in English. But of course, there’s also a lot of great German-language music, especially in Austria, where there’s a vital independent music scene, with a lot of bands and acts that I admire, bands like Bilderbuch, who have really revitalized the scene that had been dormant since Falco died.
Artistically speaking, what challenges have the last two years presented you with?
I think the biggest challenge was to stop trying to please everyone with what I do. Because that’s what stopped me from growing as an artist. The voice is a very fragile instrument. So if I felt that someone didn’t like my song, my voice or me as a person, it stopped me from breathing and therefore from singing well, and then I was unhappy with the result. I can’t say that I’m completely over it now, but I’m working on it because I’m already realizing what wonderful things – artistically speaking – happen when I don’t worry about what others think.
What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
Definitely, yes. The next step will be the release of the next single “Person that I own”, a ballad about self-love and why maybe it’s not as big as it should be. And while all that is happening, I’ll be in the studio with many different wonderful people recording at least 3 more singles to be released late this year and early next year. And of course, I hope to play lots of live shows soon – hello, Bookers!
