A Quick Chat With LAVELIN
Introducing LAVELIN, a Brisbane/ Goldcoast-based indie pop artist who has just released her dazzling debut single 'Blind', on November 10. Despite being a newcomer, she's already earned some acclaim as JMC QLD's 2022 Alumni Act of the Year and has supported renowned artists like The Delta Riggs, Hachiku, and Iluka. Her debut single 'Blind' is a captivating blend of gloomy pop with a rebellious edge, showcasing LAVELIN's candid songwriting and agile vocals, a testament to the longing for authentic recognition. We caught up with her to find out more.
Can you tell us what this track means to you and what you want people to take away from it?
This track means so much to me, the song came to me when my mind was in such a clouded space of despair. I remember sitting on my bedroom floor and hearing the chorus in my head "my babes blind to the real me, only seeing what he wants to see", hearing that really help me attain the clarity I needed to move out of a dark place and dark relationship. I'm sure this is something many people can relate to and I hope that listeners take away from the song a sense of knowing they are not alone, a knowing that if they have ever felt unseen in a relationship, I see them, and so does everyone else that can relate to this song.
Who are some of your influences and why?
Lana Del Rey is a big influence for me, I grew up ridiculed for being an emotional being and wearing my heart on my sleeve. Lana taught me that being so intouch with my emotions and having the humility to be vulnerable is my strength, and that I don't have to mask how I feel nor be ashamed that I feel so much. Similarly Kate Bush has been a massive influence for me as of late, she allows her spirit to run wild and free and that is definitely something I am working on allowing myself to do as I come into my own as a woman and an artist.
What's the creative process for you, from writing through to recording?
Creativity and songwriting for me have always been more or less an act of listening, there seems to be something that I tune into and it leads me to create all kinds of things, all kinds of ways. The only true process is connecting into this source. Being in nature and playing different instruments helps me connect most easily, at home I have dozens of instruments, they are set up in every room of the house and each day I strive to make connection my priority. As for recording and the more logistical things I have a massive team of talented creatives that I work with and lean on for support.
What do you think makes a great song?
Honesty. In every musical creation, every poem, every twiddle on the guitar, there is a great song. It's like when you have a massive dnm and someone says one line that just hits you, defines everything you feel, that is the great song. The great song is always there, it is the shedding and sculpting of the emotions and tales around the song that is the craft of great songwriting.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
If I could collaborate with any artist I would write and produce my debut album with Rüfüs Du Sol, I feel like they are my aligned counterpart for a massive etheric EDM album, just the perfect balance for my vocal and vision, I can feel it haha.
When not working on music, what other creative outlet/s do you have?
I play music most days, sometimes just sound baths, I love alternative instruments like sound bowls, tuning forks, different types of drums and percussion. I love to just play, meditate and dance. I like to swim and adventure, build fires, I also love creating things for home from resources I gather in nature whether it be making jewelry out of shells and feathers or making perfumes from flowers and herbs, I seem to do just whatever feels right and is in front of me.
Who are some local bands we should check out?
That's a big question! My favorite local bands are Goons of Doom, Mini Skirt, Lotus Ship and Gardeners....none of them sound anything like LAVELIN, well actually, that's kind of a lie, they ALL sound like the original LAVELIN project (Boy Brain, iykyk), just raw, unfiltered beach punk and I live for it!
Winter or summer and why?
Summer, in the words of Ben Harper "She's only happy in the sun".
What else do you have planned for 2023?
I'll be in the studio for the rest of the year and I am excited to end the year at the wonderful Woodford Folk Festival.
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