The Artist Explains: Lyrah - 'Slow Down'
San Francisco artist Lyrah talks us through her current track ‘Slow Down’, a Zoom call written dark pop wonder that explores the sensation of losing time despite the world around us standing still.
Hey there Lyrah, so how are you? Your track‘SlowDown’ is out now, how does it feel to be releasing music during such a strange time?
Hello! I’m doing well. Life in 2020 is quite the daily rollercoaster, but in this moment just cruising.
And yeah it’s definitely a weird time to release anything. For a while I was feeling a disconnect between making things and putting them out. It’s one thing to make songs for yourself but there are more layers that factor into deciding what to release to the world.
Some things I’ve been reflecting on — what is the purpose of my music right now? is it just personal catharsis? or is it helping and giving a moment to someone else?
I’m sensitive to the exhaustion people are feeling from a life of increased screen time and overstimulation of news and social media, so I really wanted to make sure that whatever song I put out could give more than the attention it takes.
What is the track about?
This song is about feeling constantly overwhelmed by the world. And it was influenced by this weird, heavy limbo we’re in right now. It feels like we should have all the time in the world, since we can’t really go anywhere or do much outside our apartment, yet days go by in a blink.
At the time that I wrote this, I had recently lost a relative. Because this was during the pandemic, all final conversations were over Facetime and our family wasn’t able to mourn together or hold a funeral. It was a harsh reminder of how precious and fast this life is, but feeling really stuck as it rushes past you, and just wanting to be able to slow the world down.
This track was written over Zoom, how was that experience? Did you feel limited at all when writing it because of situation?
Haha yeah, it was actually amazing. My best friend(Andrew)and I didn’t set out to create something to release. We were just missing the energy of in-person collaborations, like building off of ideas together, and we wanted to see if we could still feel any of that over Zoom.
And to be honest, if I hadn’t written this song with Andrew, I don’t think I would have made it or tapped into it. Sometimes things hurt too much to make anything from it. So it kinda felt like a therapy session with him, transitioning from talking and writing, and I’m not sure I would have gone to that headspace alone.
Do you have a Zoom playlist? If so, what tracks are your go to?
I feel like I should make one now haha. But I’ll share some songs that have stuck with me lately.
I recently drove from LA to SF and I listened to this song on repeat.
Fred Again — Kyle(IFound You)
https://open.spotify.com/track/0v1g5U1OAb0XBjKyA8R36i
It is poetic and visceral.“Inthis smoking chaos, our shoulder blades kissed.” Mmmm
Jean Dawson has been a constant favorite since I came across his music with his release“Napster”.I love his artistry and everything he puts out.
Jean Dawson — Power Freaks
https://open.spotify.com/track/7hICI90u3sVvsX7IaojRxQ
This band brings a wave of nostalgia, and it’s because of the make up of the band — it’s the singer of Interpol, a drummer who worked with The Walkmen and Fleet Foxes, and a producer who worked with The National and The War on Drugs. When I first listened to them, I didn’t know about the bandmates and was impressed by the blend of all of these familiar influences, and then it made a lot more sense haha.
Muzz — Bad Feeling
https://open.spotify.com/track/1vazYSKpYG8peAlbbcR0Vi
Apart from writing new music, what else did you do to keep yourself occupied during lockdown?
I’m taking a lot of long walks through the city. It’s not really something I did before quarantine. Life always ran on a faster schedule and if I had to be somewhere, I’d just drive or Lyft. But now I’m wandering through neighborhoods I never really spent much time in before. I love hiking up steep streets and seeing what view of the city exists at the top. In the same way that I wandered through my hometown as a kid just for something to do, I feel like I’m finally doing that here. No destination, just exploring.
Now this track is out there, what’s next for Lyrah?
I think I know what track I want to put out next. It’s a more dancey, flowy one I’ve been holding onto for a while.“SlowDown” was very much a song of processing and hopefully has helped people move a bit from numb to human. And with this next one, I want to give something that lets you dance in your room by yourself, and shakes you alive with a good feeling.
And I’ve also been wanting to make a sound pack of random noises in San Francisco haha. I got a field recorder and want to see what I can stumble upon and collect.
This audio capturing kinda feels like walking a metal detector across a beach, I’m not sure what sounds I’ll find but I’m excited to be surprised.