Long Read - Anthony Lexa // "I want people to feel seen within my music"
Multi-talented Anthony Lexa has been extremely busy of late, with a starring role in astronomically successful Netflix show Sex Education being one of her recent feats. Whilst nailing it on the big screen, she has also taken the time to produce music of the highest quality. I was lucky enough to have a chat with her about her latest single ‘Early Nights’, a track perfectly labelled, by the artist, as “An indie dance bop for the sad girls who wanna dance”.
Kicking things off, I felt it apt to find out how this extremely talented individual found her way into the world of performing. “Performing has always been the thing that I’ve known I’ve loved” she explained. With a natural knack for performing and creating, it feels only right that she has found her way into the limelight, with opportunities arising for her to showcase her many talents.
Despite our conversation focussing solely on Anthony Lexa’s music, mainly her latest single, her recent starring role in the Netflix hit show Sex Education must be spoken of. Gifting viewers an on-screen display that was truly brilliant, I’m sure the role is one that she will be immensely proud of, and rightly so. Even more impressive is the fact that diversely talented Lexa has been able to put together an absolutely outstanding single in the form of ‘Early Nights’ during an undoubtedly busy schedule.
Just before delving into the track itself, the artist explained her position on how she wishes her music to be received by listeners. “I want people to feel seen within my music”. So many people from all kinds of backgrounds will undoubtedly hear ‘Early Nights’ and feel exactly that. Seen. This extremely humble and inspiring insight from Anthony Lexa sums up everything I saw from her. She seems to be a rising star with the world at her feet. Despite her talent and achievements thus far, she’s incredibly humble and clearly wants her music to be not only entertaining but engaging for listeners. The inspiration of “Internet culture” was noted by Lexa when asked about role models growing up. She went on to explain the importance of “seeing people like Years and Years create music that was just about music and having fun but doing it through this beautiful method of self-expression.”
Going into the new single itself was abundantly insightful. When asked about the impressive lyricism in ‘Early Nights’, the rising star explained that the track had “transformed its meaning”. Written in 2021, Lexa explained how the single had once been-to her- a song about wanting to be seen when in a relationship and being “more than a secret”. Whilst she expressed the importance of these feelings, she went on to state that it’s since become a “cosy anthem”, that reflects Lexa’s desire for a quieter life in the face of a hectic world.
Finding out that the track has been in the world of Anthony Lexa for some time, it felt only right to ask why now is the right time to introduce ‘Early Nights’ to the rest of the world. The artist explained how the track is the perfect reminder to listeners- as well as herself- to “take it easy” despite life picking up and being busy all around us. Explaining how she was living in Devon, leading a life appreciating things such as self-care, Anthony Lexa explained the retrospective writing process, saying: “I just wanted to write a song about how much I appreciate the life that I was living”.
The summary of ‘Early Nights’ being a dance bop for the “sad girls who wanna dance” is incredible. It really is one of those that will uplift listeners with its big indie sound, whilst having some really important words that I’m sure will prove to be very close to people’s hearts.
When listening to the track, the freshness and authenticity could not be ignored. It felt appropriate to find out who Anthony Lexa had been listening to, since the sound she’s achieved in the latest single is so exciting in that she seems to be offering listeners a refreshing musical experience. “My biggest inspirations at the moment are the band FIZZ, because they have this sense of authenticity and blending of genres which I really appreciate” she explained. This feels really important in the music world of today. There is no need for restrictions, boundaries or rules limiting artists to certain sounds. It’s evident that Anthony Lexa has taken on the influences of acts such as FIZZ in her own work. She went on to speak of the impact of dance music having the ability to empower individuals. The combination of her stunning lyricism and ability to get people moving with catchy indie sounds has paved the way for a brilliant track in the form of ‘Early Nights’.
The future of Anthony Lexa is extremely exciting. I asked her what was in store for the near future. She explained plans of continuing the musical journey, showing no signs of slowing down whatsoever. “I’m in an amazing place to keep creating” she said. Fans will be eager to see what’s next for the artist.
Closing out a great conversation, the artist expressed her feelings towards listeners. She stated: “I just want people to feel like, when they listen to my music, they get a hug, and that they’re seen.” They certainly will.
‘Early Nights’ is set to have listeners thirsty for more. It’s a brilliant track, and Anthony Lexa has really achieved a great thing.
Feature by Matthew Caslin
