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Hi Leire, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Hello VENTS! Thank you for having me, it’s a pleasure to be here. Well, it’s a bittersweet feeling. I’m very happy that Waterfall is out, but the world is falling apart at the same time. I’m always trying to keep positive, though.
Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Waterfall”?
Waterfall is the work that I’m most proud of. It talks about social diversity and inequality. The song refers to every one of us as a ‘waterfall’. I love its power, its message, its emotion… It’s kind of an anthem to me. I genuinely cried the day it came out.
Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?
It was mainly the Black Lives Matter movement in May 2020. I remember I was shocked by everything that was going on and I knew that I wanted to write about it. I just didn’t know if I had the right to do it or how I could do it. But I had to let go of that weight somehow.
Any plans to release any sort of video for the track?
This is a good question. There’s going to be a music video and it’s going to add a lot of meaning to the song. A lot of people worked on it; we actually used the same camera that they used to shoot Game of Thrones in the Basque Country. In the video, we’re going to see different people and different ethnicities.
How was the recording and writing process?
As I said, I knew I wanted to write a song about this social matter. Then I read the word ‘cascades’ somewhere, and the rest was pretty easy. It’s a straightforward song, that’s what I wanted. It describes the process of being lonely and fighting for something, to then get the freedom of a waterfall and be part of the Earth.
What role does London play in your music?
I came to London to study a master’s degree in songwriting. I also came because I’ve been writing in English my whole life despite being Basque and Spanish, and I wanted to know how ‘the real thing’ feels like. What I mean by ‘real thing’ is living in an English-speaking country and seeing how the music industry works in London.
How has Lewis Capaldi and Taylor Swift influence your writing?
My dad doesn’t speak a word of English, but he loves country music. When me and my brothers were kids, we used to sing along to country songs in the car. Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash… When I grew up, I fell in love with Taylor’s music and her music journey, and I started writing songs. Since then, even if I listen to all types of music, I think I keep the country music with me in everything that I write.
Lewis Capaldi came later. I’m in love with his melodies and his raspy vocals. I love his songwriting and how hitting his songs are. Sorry, breakup songs are my favorite songs.
Does the new single mean we can expect a new material – how’s that coming along?
To be honest, it wasn’t easy to put this project together. I’ve released my first single during the first quarantine last year and I’ve been working against the pandemic all this time. But yes, there’s going be an EP with 4 songs in it, this is the 3rd one. Every one of these is going to be related to a social matter. The first single was about the pandemic, the second one about anxiety and addiction, the third one about diversity and inequality, and the fourth one is going to be about climate change.
Any tentative release date or title in mind?
Of course. The title of the EP will be ‘Me, You, This World’ and it will come in February.
What else is happening next in Leire’s world?
I have too many ideas and projects in mind. Firstly, I want to explore every single part of my identity, which means releasing something in Spanish, A collaboration EP. Secondly, I’m also a busker in Leicester Square, and I’d like to have my version of the songs that ‘define’ me in the streets available in all the platforms. Last project, I want to show my most personal and romantic side. I want to release an EP (maybe an album) with songs that talk about my experiences with relationships and breakups. If possible, 2021 will be full of new music.
