For our Issue 20 Music Spotlight, we delved into the musical journeys of three local bands by combining the “then and now.”
We compared their musical inspirations, daily routines and goals to see what’s changed, what’s remained the same and why.
Read ahead to drift between the past and present, and get to know Brazilian folk group Ley Line a little better.
Then
In 2016, two duos, Lydia & Maddy and Kate & Emilie merged to form Ley Line.
Who are you listening to?
It’s such a variety. Feist and Sam Cooke are big inspirations. Maddy is really drawn to Appalachian folk music. Sade is a huge inspiration for Lydia. She was also in a Beyoncé cover band in college. Kate is all over the map, she really enjoys Emicida, a brazilian rapper we met at SXSW. I listen to a lot of Brazilian folk music, like Renata Rosa.
What’s your day to day in terms of music making?
We’re all songwriters. That’s the foundation of us being together. We are crafting a tour, emailing random places across the country and scheduling a release. We love to jam and play music and we’re refining our sound. We play farmer’s markets as practice. Music is a fun, healing thing for ourselves.
What do you envision your future in music to be?
We want to play festivals, like Newport Folk Festival, and collaborate with some of our favorite artists. We’re always thinking about these dream collaborations. We’re also dreaming about having a bigger van.
Now
In 5 years, they’ve released 2 albums, toured internationally and premiered their audiovisual film at the Paramount Theatre.
Who are you listening to?
We all love Fatoumata Diawara. She’s an incredible artist from Mali. Also Anderson Paak’s new music. Everyone loved Lizzo in her shining moment. I was just thinking about ACL and all of these powerful women on stage. Kate dove into Melody Gardot, she has a jazz tone in her voice so she’s been drawn to that. We all still listen to Beyoncé.
What’s your day to day in terms of music making?
Now it is about navigating the next set of dreams. We have been so fortunate and supported. The work looks more like refining where we’re heading, and focusing more on art and creativity.
We’re forming a team so we can release the managerial duties. When crafting our tour, we remember that we can determine the direction we go in.
“Now it is about navigating the next set of dreams.”
What do you envision your future in music to be?
Our goals from here on are to refine and fully embody what our message is and how that will disseminate into the world. We stand behind protecting water and the special life source that it is, and all other essential and precious natural life. But we also want to empower women, and any underdog, share stories and honor where they come from. We’re recognizing our music of interpretations of those ancient songs that have traveled to live on.
We also want to play those bigger festivals that host this special side of music. It’s not just about the party but the community and shared experience. It’s about finding balance in the industry, carving out our way and staying unified.
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