When the heart speaks through music, it resonates with a truth that's undeniable. This sentiment rings clear with this week’s guest — Liv.e, the Dallas-born, LA-based multi-hyphenate whose album 'Girl in the Half Pearl' has captured hearts worldwide. Through her expressive melodies and psychedelic R&B, Liv.e crafts a narrative of love, loss, and the healing power of music. We wander through the raw emotional landscapes that inspired her album, uncovering the shared humanity in her collaborations with musical greats and the way her songs act as a conduit for collective experience.
Presented and produced by Paul Hanford
Paul Hanford on Instagram
Liv’s second album ‘The Girl In The Half Pearl’ is available now here.
Lost and Sound is proudly sponsored by Audio-Technica
Paul’s debut book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culture Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more.
Subscribe to the Lost and Sound Substack for fresh updates and writing.
Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins
When the heart speaks through music, it resonates with a truth that's undeniable. This sentiment rings clear with this week’s guest — Liv.e, the Dallas-born, LA-based multi-hyphenate whose album 'Girl in the Half Pearl' has captured hearts worldwide. Through her expressive melodies and psychedelic R&B, Liv.e crafts a narrative of love, loss, and the healing power of music. We wander through the raw emotional landscapes that inspired her album, uncovering the shared humanity in her collaborations with musical greats and the way her songs act as a conduit for collective experience.
Presented and produced by Paul Hanford
Paul Hanford on Instagram
Liv’s second album ‘The Girl In The Half Pearl’ is available now here.
Lost and Sound is proudly sponsored by Audio-Technica
Paul’s debut book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culture Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more.
Subscribe to the Lost and Sound Substack for fresh updates and writing.
Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins
Lost and Sound is sponsored by Audio Technica. Audio Technica are a global but still family run company that make headphones, turntables, cartridges, microphones, that make studio quality yeah, affordable products, because they believe that high quality audio should be accessible to all. So head on over to AudioTechnicacom to check out all of their range of stuff. Hello and welcome to the final Lost and Sound of 2023. I'm Paul Hampford, I'm your host, I'm an author, broadcaster and university lecturer based in Berlin, where I'm speaking to you now from on a very rainy, drizzly day in December, and this is the show where, each episode, I have conversations with the musical innovators, the outsiders, the mavericks, the artists that do their own unique thing, and we talk about music, creativity, life, the stuff that makes us do the things that we do. Previous guests on the show have included Peaches, suzanne Chiani, jim O'Rourke, chilly Gonzalez, cosy, funny, tutti, Jean-Michel Jarre, mickey Blanco and First and More, and today on the show we're going to zap over to LA and have a very flowy conversation with Live. My book Coming to Berlin is available in all good bookshops or via the publisher's website, velocity Press, and thank you for messages for people that have read it. Thank you, love it, love it, love it Okay. So yes, this is the last episode of 2023.
Speaker 1:I wasn't sure if I was going to do an episode this week, but this interview just came to me and is with one of my favourite artists from the year, so I just couldn't say no. We had this chat a few days ago. It's with singer-producer musician Liv, aka Dallas-born Olivia Williams. Liv explains that her music is made to sound like inner thoughts, and her breakout project Hoop Dreams in 2019, caught the attention of fellow Dallas native, erica Badoo, as well as Earl Sweatshirt, who featured her on his song MTOMB.
Speaker 1:Fast forward a few years, to this year, to be precise, her second full-length album, girl in the Half Pearl, which I think is one of the albums of the year. It's fucking phenomenal. It came out in February to rave reviews. It mixes psychedelic, neo-soul R&B with touches of drum and bass. The production is immense and what's central to this is what she does with her voice through it, which takes in so many fearless bends and twists and things like that. I love the album. It was an album that was made through the middle and the end of a relationship, so it is a kind of breakup album and it's super interesting when we talk about how she talks about this Yep. So we had this chat mid-December 2023. She's in LA, it was midday. I am in Berlin, transatlantic. This is what happened. How are you doing? How's it going?
Speaker 2:I'm fine. I actually just am trying to wake myself up right now. Honestly, it was a bit of an insomniac last night, but here I am.
Speaker 1:Oh no, I know, I hope that's not a regular thing.
Speaker 2:Oh no. No, it's not. It's actually why I'm like, okay, this is interesting. It was on purpose, it wasn't. Oh, okay, I was just like I'm just going to stay awake. But I looked up and it was like 6am.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you so much for chatting me today, especially considering and yeah, it's weird because I'm in Berlin, so it's like on the opposite end of the day now oh, thanks, mark, it's dark and gloomy and yeah.
Speaker 2:I can't believe that it's kind of gloomy over here too, though surprisingly, I actually enjoy it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, part of the reason I probably moved to Berlin is I like a bit of winter gloom really, to be honest with you, it's atmospheric, you know.
Speaker 2:It seems like we have a lot in common.
Speaker 1:So I mean, like it's been quite a year for you, with the girl in the half pearl coming out, which I have to say is fucking phenomenal in terms of, like how I hear it, how has this year been for you, how do you look back on it?
Speaker 2:Wow, this year has been crazy. And it's crazy because I was talking to my friend yesterday and she was like you know, it's so interesting how, like looking back on this year because it doesn't really feel like it's been a whole year and I'm like wow, like you did go really fast. But I'm like wow, like I did a whole lot in relationships. I'm in terms of like, I feel like in terms of like transmuting it and like transmuting my emotions around it and then being able to like just share that with so many different types of people around the world, Like that was really crazy for me. Honestly, I'm like wow. Yeah, I'm still kind of like taking it back. I haven't really been able to sit down and be like wow, I just did all this stuff. I mean, I have, but I just feel like it still feels like a little surreal, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's kind of funny, isn't it? Because I mean, I put a book out last year and it's that weird thing of like once it's out and then it starts to become other people's as well. How does that feel for you? Do you feel like it's like? I kind of felt like it was like a baby Baby going off into the world, going off to college or something like that, you know, and occasionally it sends me postcards and that's when people I definitely feel that way.
Speaker 2:I feel like it's. This is one of the ones that I didn't really have a hard time letting go and allowing them to become whatever it's going to become. I think this was one of the easier ones to like, be like okay, this is yours, not mine, necessarily. I feel like I didn't have that easy time. We couldn't wait to tell you because, wow, wow, but you know, it's kind of like I'm gaining infinity stones in my own. So this album definitely is a reflection of kind of, or even just kind of, where it's landed in terms of like for me, like inside of where it's landed and like how I perceive it. Now. I feel like that's exactly how I'm perceiving and experiencing life. It's just kind of like everything's a fleeting, like, it's fine.
Speaker 1:Oh, amazing.
Speaker 2:Like some things I'm supposed to enjoy that and then just like, like a butterfly. I feel like this is definitely one of the butterflies. I would definitely love it so much.
Speaker 1:So you feel like in harmony.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I really do, which is like, yeah, that's a pretty grand step for me, honestly, but yeah, I do oh that's amazing and like because I've heard you say as well that you make music to sound like inner thoughts.
Speaker 1:So do you feel like? I mean, I don't know, it's funny when people kind of like go back on quotes from old interviews, but is that something you still relate to and would you say that this was?
Speaker 2:I love when people do that actually, because it makes me know that I mean, let me know you actually care. But you're saying like, does it? What were you saying about the inner thought? I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, no worries. So you make music to sound like inner thoughts and so do you feel like with this album, or rather just generally, what is that process for you about being able to take your inner thoughts and turn them into music in a way where you go yeah, that feels right.
Speaker 2:I don't even think it's a process, it just happens.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean it's a spirit that comes, or like a wave of something. I don't really know how to explain it Because, honestly, people be asking me like, oh, how do you do this? And I'll be like listen, can't even tell you what I'm not in it, you know. Like I'm just like, well, I don't know, it just kind of happens.
Speaker 1:And when it's happening.
Speaker 2:That's what it is. I feel like, yeah, the inner thought process. I feel like I mean, yeah, it's pretty much that simple.
Speaker 1:It's just like, yeah, not too much thinking around, that, it's kind of yeah, but do you have things that you do that help you? You know, like maybe before you do the music to or before you get to the sort of help you kind of get into like a kind of a good frame of mind to let the thoughts, kind of the ideas, flow.
Speaker 2:Being present is possible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm not really good. I mean, I'm good at exercising my pen and being like, oh, I could just go in here and write some shit, but I feel like when it comes down to writing meaningful things, it's not yeah, I'm not really doing that in a process, it's just coming. It's like it's like having a download, but I think with In general, though, I feel like I mean, it's just kind of like a life process, right.
Speaker 2:It's like, well, I don't really have anything to talk about right now because I'm absorbing and I'm being observant and I'm like talking to people and I'm kind of like I think my thing is I tend to like observe my surroundings and be like what is the shift that's happening? Or like what's the shift within myself that's happening, or what's this change, which is so crazy, because on this album I was like I like going drugs, but it was like. I was like it was almost like I was dealing with a high of whatever I was going through, which is like it wasn't a good high, of course, like no, overindulgence is like but yeah, so I feel like now I've kind of took it upon myself to be sober minded, so I feel like now I'm being more aware of my process and it's like, oh yeah, I'm very. I'm here to kind of collect the inner thoughts of others as well and then kind of like pattern them with my own, because of course, we're all freaking, connected, all learning things differently but at different times, but technically learning the same things for the most part.
Speaker 2:And I feel like, especially at certain times, people are learning the same things because that is just like Sorry, I don't have great vocabulary this morning, but it's like having a cloud, like a cloud, but an environmental cloud. So it's like, okay, what's the way for everybody right now, because it usually really do be like the same shit. If you pay attention, it's kind of like, oh, you're trying to transmute this, but it looks different. Some people have already done it, you know it's. Yeah, I feel like that's my shit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just kind of paying attention, and then I'll go and maybe I'll write about it or like a video diary or like I'll do random stuff like that, and then maybe there'll be music, but it's like sometimes it's not music for a long time, and it's just that. And it's like oh well, this is what I've gathered. This is my theory, it's pretty tight.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, so it's. I mean, I sometimes feel like living in cities as well. Like you know, it's very. You know, you can feel like a kind of collective energy on any particular day, can't you? And I don't always know what it is. Sometimes it's something quite obvious, like something happening in the world, and then other times it's like you just don't know. You know, it's not like the weather or anything like that, it's just there's a sort of way that people kind of respond to each other without even talking to each other.
Speaker 2:I mean this is true, though, and I feel like it also depends on what frequency you're on, right, because it's like you could be experiencing like horrible things and everybody around you is experiencing horrible things with us, because y'all haven't like gotten to a certain frequency where it's like that horrible thing is actually just like a lesson that you really need to learn. Or like you know stuff like that, Blah, blah, blah. Would you say that you're quite a spiritual person, then Definitely, definitely, feel connected to nature and things around, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and is that something that you've always felt, or sort of something that you've become more kind of present with as your life's gone on?
Speaker 2:I think I've always felt it for sure, but I wasn't aware of it. But now, that I've gone through things, I feel like I'm more of aware of it and it's more of like a like oh, this is a gift that I was given and so I actually need to like, take care of this gift and not just meet with me, Nelly, it's been a lot of growing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and like with music as well. Yourself, like I've heard that you had, like you come from quite a musical family and can you tell me a little bit about that. Like this was in Dallas, was it?
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm. So my dad's from LA, my mom's from Dallas and, yeah, my dad used to work for Malico Records and stuff and like play keys for a bunch of blues and gospel stuff and then my mom, you know, did their thing and I was born. But my mom also had my brothers before that happened and my oldest brother also became like a I hate to say a child prodigy, but if you think about it it's like, yeah, that's what people would call it, but it's like, yeah, he was really, really good at drums at a young age and then it allowed him, it opened up a lot of doors for him. Watching that, you know, when I was like six, seven, eight years old for sure, taking off and like doing release, like cool shit at like my age now, so like that's really inspiring.
Speaker 2:But of course, like my dad, you know, inspiring me in ways I'm I feel like he didn't. It was never about like, oh, he did this, and that I feel like I got interested in that later. But I feel like the things he inspired me with is just kind of showing me how to focus on certain things and like how to like and always being privy to buying me new instruments, knowing damn well, I have a ridiculous amount of ADHD at that time and could not sit down and focus on anything. I just wanted to look and feel things and be like, oh, I don't want to hold that. I feel like you know, like I don't know if you ever like, just have been like, oh, let me try like a thousand instruments, just to see if one resonates Like I feel like that's what it was. None of them worked.
Speaker 1:None of them worked. Was there any one any of them particularly, that you really wanted to work particularly, or was it just?
Speaker 2:I think he thinks I really wanted to, but I don't know if it's because I'm double joining it, Like, but it's like the positioning of any guitar or any bass I'd be like or bass is honestly easier because it's not as many strings that you have to deal with. But or let me, let me get off, let me offend any bass I don't know that's. But yeah, I want that to work. I want it to the violin to work. Of course, I ended up playing it too, but actually after that.
Speaker 1:Oh really, oh really, did you I always think of Tuba in a kind of school band way it was yeah, that, yeah, technically that's exactly what I was in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I played. I was like second chair Amazing, so crazy to me, cause I was like I don't think I could read notes. I couldn't like read. I just was like, oh, I love song, I know patterns, yeah. And then I stopped doing that and then I was like off music and I went to art school. So I just went to the whole thing and I was like, yeah, nah.
Speaker 1:Was that? Was that a little bit because of like, kind of like having a musical background, like you know, was that part of like wanting to kind of you reveal?
Speaker 2:Yes, I was a very rebellious child, Just trying my best to be as different as possible. But honestly, I think I did the right. I made the right choice because it allowed me to realize like I wasn't just interested in one thing. I was like, oh, I love a lot of things, that anything that has to do with art.
Speaker 1:And they sort of I mean I might be wrong on this, but like I mean taking not including things like technical skill or like learning a particular sort of skill set, for like an instrument or like a craft, I always sort of feel like art is pretty much. There's something like universal about art and whatever kind of medium it is. And you know, like I've always felt like I've learned more, like I've got a music background. I've learned more when I've kind of spoken with, like photographers or you know, architects or you know, or even people that don't even think of it as like traditional artists, you know, like cake makers and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:There's the similarities between all of these, aren't there?
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I mean you definitely can always sell, because it all kind of recenters to the same thing, like that's why I love talking to comedians and shit, because it's like they understand it's so everything's so interconnected in terms of like flow and like, oh, what do you have to do in order to grow your, your muscle and the thing, and like it is all pretty much interconnected and it's all used to transmute Even the wedding cakes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, totally. There's been some very transmutable wedding cakes, I'm sure in history Wazy.
Speaker 2:I mean even the cake. They're like making inanimate objects into cakes. It's pretty. I don't know what kind of weird stuff that is, but yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh, what you mean, like where you get like a cake that looks like a kind of a car steering wheel.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Someone bites into it.
Speaker 2:Is it a car or is it cake? Yeah, it's cake and so, but it's like hey, that's what you want to get beautiful talent on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what was the point where you decided that you were going to go? No, actually I am going to go and start making music.
Speaker 2:When I couldn't do anything else. So I went to college. So I was. I went to a arts high school in Dallas which is Booker T, graduated from there and went to SAIC in Chicago, which I loved SAIC, but it was so expensive.
Speaker 2:And I honestly feel like going to college after a certain amount of time, or like after spending four years in high school, is definitely like it's kind of like, it's like yeah, it's like oh, like, what do I want to do? But I feel like it's also a test of like mental strength, because it's like, oh, are you going to stay here and like be indoctrinated again, or are you like going to be like put your foot down and be like, nah, I'm not going to do this, I don't need to. And I definitely found the oh, yeah, I'm not going to do this shit, because I just remember what happened. I don't remember I left like a lecture class, which I love learning, though I love learning so much but it's like I remember I was. I was going there for architecture, so I remember I was like, oh, I really want to like use these machines and I want to be good, I want to do the good stuff already, but it's like it costs money. It costs money to make this stuff. It's not you can't just like I mean you could, right, but I was.
Speaker 2:I wasn't applying myself at the age of 18. Like nobody's going to apply, it's just hard to apply or something, or at least for me it was. And I remember like them being like, oh, this is like. Oh, you have to pay like $100 per use, or like you have to pay for a certain amount of hours to use these machines. And I was like, and I was like looking at like the exchange students just blowing bags because they just had back and it took me off so bad. I was like I'm not doing this shit and I didn't go back to semester. And I was like, yeah, and it was equally, because I had to move out the dorm and then I ended up moving like extremely far south or not extremely far.
Speaker 2:It was like I was in the hood and I was like well, I'm not going to wake up at 5 AM every day and go to class, like.
Speaker 1:Right. So you would have taken you like a kind of ages to get in every day.
Speaker 2:You know, it's like I'm just not a morning person. I don't really care to be applying myself in this way where I'm busting my balls for no, for no, in my opinion, for no reason, Like. But I feel like I would go back now and like probably really enjoy myself at this age.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so it could be. You could like, in a few years time it could be kind of like jumping between albums and making buildings.
Speaker 2:Type B. I don't even know about making buildings. I was really so my, so the it would have been under the architecture umbrella, but like, my thing was like, oh, I'm going to go for architecture, but the thing that I was going to do was like work and design objects. So it's like I would have been making random shit. That was very cool and functional, but like, yeah, it just didn't go that far. I honestly I don't know what the hell I was ever been doing, though, because I could have gotten into like performance art, because I remember taking that was probably the last lecture class. I remember taking in and being like enamored by my professor and being like, oh, actually like how he thinks and like where what he, what he's or how he's teaching is more. So it's pretty cool actually With the object.
Speaker 1:So you could have made the kind of let the non-edible version of this sort of steering wheel cake.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Just make a steering wheel, like, make a steering wheel, that's actually a stool.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, you know, it's like that type of stuff Like yeah, like I'm trying to.
Speaker 2:I think the thing is, the first thing we learned in that class is called Chin Doku, and Chin Doku is like it's pretty much that, and I'm actually like like, oh, I made a pair of glasses that had like a silly nose on them, but it's actually to help you for when you're in stinky places. So it had, they had like a truck and it was like since, yeah, yeah, random shit like that. So it was random shit like that. I love that. I love that. I got like exposed to that life. That was I made that chance or check yeah, period, I'll keep there.
Speaker 1:I made a chance. I like you say it all kind of feeds in anyway, doesn't it Sort of feeds in somehow? Yeah it sure does.
Speaker 2:I didn't go there when they inspired me to like drop out and then be like I need to do this music and stop playing with myself, because people actually love this it's like I didn't love it yet. But I think once I realized, like what I can give to people, it was like, yeah, yeah, I'm tapping in.
Speaker 1:And when you started making music, did it take a long time to kind of find like a way of doing it, or was it just more like you kind of went straight in?
Speaker 2:I think I went straight in. I mean, it's like I already know what to do. I was using garage man until somebody taught me able to and then, when I was able to, it was over. But the best thing I feel about me starting music at that point was just like I was. It was so pure and it was so unadulterated and like I just didn't care. I could call him in the day. I was in the night and I just dropped in and be like, yeah, this is it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I was listening, sort of refreshing myself this morning again listening to Frank, the first EP, and like I don't know cause we all hear different things and things, but what you're saying about the kind of freshness of it, like the the first track on it, come in like to me, like cause I had like a period when I was growing up of just absolutely loving Funkadelic and I felt that when I heard it, you know was that, was that like a bit of an influence?
Speaker 2:So definitely sly. I was really into sly. Delic didn't really come into. I mean, I was always a fan of Delic but I feel like because of my relationship, my relationship with Delic was more so like oh, I feel like I'm trying to think of what it was. It was kind of like I feel like people were trying to put me on a deli and I ain't like that. I was just fighting in secret sly right now, cause I understand that Like I love Delic, but I think I didn't become or I didn't have a stronger relationship with that Funkadelic until later.
Speaker 1:Listen.
Speaker 2:I was like, oh, now I have the capacity to pay attention to things that I'm like, but yeah, but, yeah, sly. I think I was just like trying to pay homage to everything I really loved at that time.
Speaker 1:Cause I I mean, I don't know if it's the same thing, but I have to think like there's been quite a few times in my life where people have tried to get me onto artists or bands and for some reason I can't do it. If people are trying to tell me to like it, like, and I might kind of go yeah, I know they're probably really good, but I can't because you're telling me to like it. I have to kind of find it for myself.
Speaker 2:It's like stopping, but yeah, I deal with that pretty bad. It don't matter if it's a text message, like I feel like even if I'm looking at my phone suggesting me to text somebody back and I'll be like I don't like the suggestion, yeah, I don't know what that is yeah, it's a little defiant, but honestly I think it helps protect whatever I have in my mind to like, be able to like create from my source and not like like all the things from everybody else.
Speaker 2:I mean, depending on what. It is right, like I'm not the new shit, I just be feeling very void of. I'm like not really trying to I'm trying to get in there. But yeah, definitely was inspired by that and was like, yeah, I'm going to tell you that I'm inspired by this. And then, like when I feel like that happened, and then who dreams happened. And I was like, yeah, all right, here we go.
Speaker 1:Here we go yeah.
Speaker 2:Now, now we get into me.
Speaker 1:And like I mean with the girl in the half pearl as well, like I mean you mentioned a little bit earlier on about like it was a kind of a sort of difficult time you were going through as well. And I don't want to kind of hard pod about it, because I know that this is something that you've been asked a lot in interviews and stuff. But you know, you talk a lot of the album is about you kind of processing a relationship and the end of a relationship and the middle and the end looking.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the middle and right. Yeah, so, and you kind of mentioned that as well about like how sometimes, you know, creativity is like kind of keeping diaries and stuff as well and kind of making, making notes and writing about stuff. Well, did it feel like? Did it just sort of happen that the album became? You put these feelings into the album, or did you have to? Were there points where you thought, no, I can't go there because this is something I'm going through at the moment?
Speaker 2:More so, yes, but I think I think, honestly, I didn't probably even fucking know I was making that album. It was kind of like happening and I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, like I need to keep this off. But I think I did struggle with talking about a few things, mainly because I was told so much Don't talk about that, like, don't talk about that, like, don't, don't be talking, and it's like. That's like, it's like you, you just lose trust with yourself and like you lose faith in yourself, and I feel like that's what that whole shit was for from you.
Speaker 2:It was very cathartic, but it was also like no, you need to like say what you need to say and stop being afraid of like what people think or like what people. You know what I'm saying, because in anybody that's telling you to not talk about what you're going through, it's not that you're talking about it in a malicious intent. It's more so like okay, it's off, I'm trying to. You know what I'm saying, but it's like if somebody's like don't get that off, it's like, oh, you have some, I don't. I don't live my life. So, yeah, people, people, all, all my life is shot. I have tried to make me afraid of something, and I feel like that was me kind of getting over that as well. Yeah, it was like time. After that I was still like, oh my God, dude, did I say too much?
Speaker 2:Like it's okay because I just read about, or my friend, so funny, we were reading about the man-made-ness of guilt.
Speaker 1:Are we?
Speaker 2:really. Yeah, it's so man-made, like definitely guilt is really there to keep you in prison.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, do you want to tell me a little bit more about that?
Speaker 2:Like. Well, I think I need to be have a little bit more context. I wish I could read the thing, but it's more so like, like, okay, if you're making a good choice. It's going to be uncomfortable because there's always that feeling of guilt that comes with like following nature.
Speaker 2:And then when you're like, but the like, the unnatural thing is to fill guilt Because we've been told to be guilty, to feel guilty for like having boundaries and like doing what we need and stuff like that. So, yeah, it's, I was like after I. After that, after she read that, I was like I'm like whatever. So funny, but not even about this album, but I think it just. It's still lessons going on. You know what?
Speaker 2:I'm saying no, no, no, no. We're good about that. I think I did exactly what I needed to do. I think a lot of people felt me, a lot of people still feeling me, but I think I'm sometimes. I just think I like like, yeah, that album was strong, but now I feel like I'm becoming stronger with my words. So I feel like I did what I need to do on that album, but I feel like right now I'm having a better time, like being one on one with people and being like, oh, this is what's cracking. I feel like I'm the hood there at this right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's really nice to know and I think that's a really nice sort of sentiment to kind of send out to people as well, isn't it? Because I mean, I totally relate to what you're saying about the guilt thing and that it's sort of it's like a way of control, isn't it? And I think it's nice, you know, because there's like people that kind of like sit in their rooms that want to express themselves and I mean, I'm a 14 year old man and I still get kind of itchy over sending texts to people. You know, from asking my landlord for something or something, you know that's not even creative stuff, but it's just yeah, yeah. And so when it comes to creative stuff, you always kind of like, you know, ah, you know I've got this thing, but if I put that out it's going to offend someone or it's going to, or like it's going to be like this, or I might get taken like that. But that's the point, I think, where people do really connect with stuff as well.
Speaker 2:Because once you're out of that, you realize you're so not in prison anymore. Yeah, that's exactly it. Like I'm trying to think of the other thing that the book was talking about. It was kind of saying and yeah, I think it was also being like yeah, if you have to be chaotic, be chaotic, and if you have to be peaceful, be peaceful. Like you don't know what to do either, or right, you just have to like let it happen. And they were also like there's no transformation without it.
Speaker 2:So if you're always playing safe, you're not really transforming anybody's life and you're not even transforming your own. I was like tea, tea, major tea. It was so crazy. I was like this is such a perfect timing. You're gonna be retarded, yeah.
Speaker 1:And the music as well. I mean the kind of sounds and stuff on it, like it's so sort of. I mean there's a lot of sort of psychedelia going on and I love the kind of these drum and bass sort of sounds coming in and beats, and with the sounds as well. Was that like part of the same process as well of just things feeling just very intuitive or you know, with a certain sounds you like I really want to get, like I want to have this kind of aspect to it.
Speaker 2:I think it was kind of all of the above. I think so. I think my thing is I maybe will make songs already previously, like prior knowledge, right to whatever the hell I'm about to do, because, like all right, so, like glass shadows, I had already made that song. You know it was an ending song, but it's like me and me and my design. I had already like made that. And then we made another one and I think I was like, oh, these are like connected. I didn't finish one of the songs but I was like sonically, this makes sense and I'm trying to figure out what is trying to be said within me, but like why am I choosing this sonics or like these sonics?
Speaker 2:And then it just kind of started to flow and then, like I realized what type of sonics I had in myself in terms of like whatever I was producing and stuff along with stuff that would help me, yeah, so I feel like it was like that, and then, once I started connecting with that, I would be like, okay, now I can kind of form what I'm going to say, because it's like I don't know how it's supposed to feel. More so because it's like, oh, this finally matches the feeling that I'm feeling. So it's kind of like that.
Speaker 1:It's kind of weird to explain, but yeah, so the piece is kind of formed like it's coming out of the mist or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's kind of like when you have a dream and you have to put it well, you have to like, sometimes your dream is fragmented and then sometimes your dream is like oh, this is a dream. Like or maybe it's like oh, this is like kind of realistic, but you're like oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Do you remember your dreams?
Speaker 2:I do. I do Blessing and a curse, I don't know. I don't know. Sometimes I remember them like verbatim and then sometimes I can only remember the feeling and the words that are being said in my dream. My dream it's a wild thing is going on in my head, my head.
Speaker 1:Do you kind of put the dreams into the creativity as well, or something else?
Speaker 2:No, I don't think so. I feel like that kind of a little bit more separate, unless there's like things I'm connecting from my dreams into real life and I'm like, oh, that's what that was. But really though, I'm kind of helpful right, but it's not a detriment to the process, I think.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and I will say you recorded part of the album in London.
Speaker 2:Nope.
Speaker 1:No oh.
Speaker 2:I got the wrong. I don't know. I really don't know where people get that from, but I think it's because I did a residency in London at Layla. But it wasn't that I recorded, but I was doing my funkadelic and I performed a lot of the album before I dropped it. But I've done that with almost every album. So I'll take it on the road and then just see what the vibe is with the people that go back and finish it and then it was kind of that. But I think I kind of already had it done for the most part when I went to London.
Speaker 1:Right, okay, I think I got the wrong information here.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's okay. Yeah, I think there's that here in my room, in this room, for the most part.
Speaker 1:And like, do you sort of from kind of like taking music on the road and kind of playing in front of people and being in different places as well and traveling, does that kind of influence the music as well or influence the?
Speaker 2:results of it. Definitely, I think it's a little bit more direct, like it doesn't feel as I feel, like, yeah, it makes it more grounded. I think whenever I do that, wow, I was like. I was like I wonder if that was something I was. I mean, I guess it is something I was ready to share. I mean people should know that now. But by now, though, because I did this, I couldn't wait to tell you. I went on tour with Earl Sussert and I did it, just didn't know it was going to tell you. I think it's about reception, for sure, but I think it's also just like is this resonating with me? It's like this feeling and also performing it helps me to see what I would add and what I wouldn't like or what I would take away.
Speaker 1:Mostly, add yeah, maybe it kind of does it add a sense of sort of like making music, stay on your own or in your room, you have like a different sort of dynamic of like how it kind of like I don't know how can I explain it Like how it echoes out or something like that Kind of like when you invite somebody to listen or look at something that you did and you're like I don't want them to see this, yeah. It's kind of like that.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I kind of don't have that feeling of embarrassment, but I'd definitely be like, hmm, this is something I noticed could be different, for sure.
Speaker 1:And what does what do you feel like optimistic for 2024? Like the year, there's another year coming.
Speaker 2:How do I feel? I think it is optimism, but I think it's also pretty neutral person. I'm a little by Saturn, so it's like excitement. It's not long live with me. I don't like excitement. Excitement is what you fear, but I'm just like. I think I'm open. I'm open to seeing, but I think I have a good feeling about it. For sure, I have a pretty good feeling about it. I don't feel like I think I'm gonna.
Speaker 2:I think it's gonna be a great year, it's gonna be cool, but I'm also like expectations, very like bar level things that I feel like I can manage, or so if that makes sense, I think.
Speaker 1:So I take my own impression of that anyway. Yeah, I think I like to try and be optimistic, but I also don't. I've learned from just cause I used to be just so sort of naively throwing myself into everything but every opportunity or everything that would happen. I think it would be the best thing ever beforehand. And then it was a bit like actually scale it down a bit, paul, but still be optimistic.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like it's just discernment and also just being aware of reality in general. Sorry, my cat's gonna start getting really talkative. But, yeah, I feel like it's also just having a little bit of a sense of I don't know. I feel like I try to balance my optimism with pessimism, for sure. Or just what's it called being a little bit skeptical.
Speaker 1:Skeptical.
Speaker 2:yeah, I'm a pretty skeptical person, so I'm just like, yeah, anything can happen. Yeah, I think skepticism is gonna be helpful, it's gonna be good, yeah, or banking on. But, like you know, there's balance in this world. There has to be order. So Definitely lose them, but you might win a lot more than you lose.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the cat is making fantastic noises, I have to say.
Speaker 2:It's so insane we be talking to each other Same thing every morning pretty much.
Speaker 1:Oh, liv, thanks so much. That was the interview, so thank you so much for chatting with me.
Speaker 2:Thank you, though I really appreciate it. Great conversation.
Speaker 1:Okay, so that's me chatting with Liv, aka Olivia Williams. Thanks so much, liv, for chatting with me there. Girl in the half pearl is out now. If you've not checked it out yet, it is a really amazing listen. Yes, lost in the Sound is sponsored by Audio Technica. Audio Technica are global but still family-run company that make headphones, turntables, cartridges, microphones. What I'm recording this on now to you is a pair of their headphones. Yeah, super nice. Head on over to AudioTechnicacom to check out all of their range of stuff. My book Coming to Berlin is available in all good bookshops or via the publisher of Lost in the Press' website. And thanks to Tom Giddens for doing the music that you hear in the beginning and the end of every episode. Okay, so that was it for this year. I hope, whatever you're doing, you're having a really wonderful time. If you're listening to this in sort of like the time it's coming out, I hope they'll wish you fantastic, peaceful end of the year, exciting beginning of next year and, yeah, I'll speak to you in 2024. Have a good one. Music.