Leo Sawikin on Growth & Development in Music & Self
Photos by Julie Hoffman
Interview by Tallulah Totten
New York singer/songwriter Leo Sawikin recently released his single “Till You’re Somebody Else”, a song Sawikin wrote after reading about the growth and development of the human body. “I read that all the matter in our bodies is replaced every seven years. So, in effect we are in a state of constant death and rebirth, both within our bodies and minds, and in between our current and future lives. The song was created from a place of wanting to let go of myself and reconnect to the universe. The idea that this life is just a moment in time brings me a lot of hope and a sense of relief.”
Sawikin spoke with 1127 about the new single, his upcoming album, and his creative process.
1.) Who are your biggest musical influences?
My biggest musical influences are probably The Beach Boys, Radiohead, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, and Coldplay to a certain extent.
2.) What has the process of creating your new album been like?
It’s been amazing! I went out to Seattle to work with Phil Ek. On this album I learned to rely on myself and my own skills to make my artistic vision a reality. I played all the guitar and keyboard parts and it took a lot of effort to get those as good as they needed to be. The end result was an album that really reflected my musical identity in a way that had never been captured before, which was incredibly rewarding!
3.) What do you hope listeners take away from the new album?
My main hope is that musically my songs scratch a certain nostalgic itch that makes people want to keep coming back to them again and again. And I hope that people resonate with the message of nothing being permanent and that we have the power to change who we are over time.
4.) What was the most challenging aspect of evolving from a band into a solo artist?What was the easiest part?
The most difficult part was getting people out to shows. It helps to have other people helping to promote the show haha. The easiest part is having full control over the way my songs are played and what is being expressed.
5.) How has the music scene in New York impacted your life as an artist?
I’d say it’s just given me the opportunity to have a lot of fun and meet and collaborate with a lot of great musicians. There have been certain occasions where I’ll hear a band or a certain type of song and I’ll be inspired to write something in a way that I don’t usually.
6.) If your music was the soundtrack to a movie, what movie would it be and why?
Hmm that’s a tough one haha. It’s probably different depending on the song. Maybe Till You’re Somebody Else would have been good in Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. I think the theme of the song would mesh well with the theme of the movie.
7.) What song from the upcoming album was the most challenging to write and why?
I’d say The Same Mistakes was the most difficult song to write. It took me a little over a year to finish it and I went through a few different versions. It was tough because it needed a very specific dynamic approach in order to work. In the original version I had the arpeggiated strumming pattern going through the whole song and it just felt a little boring and slow. About a year after I had started watching it I watched a documentary about Nirvana that had a part where Butch Vig talked about the approach they used for the song “Something in The Way” A light bulb went off in my head that the approach of that song or a song like “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails was what was going to make The Same Mistakes work. In order to achieve that I changed the 1st chorus and the Verse that follows it to more of a chugging rhythm and then brought the arpeggiated part back in the last chorus, which really allowed to explode at the end.
8.) What song from the new album has the best memories attached to it? Whether that has to do with what it’s about or if the process of making it was enjoyable.
I wouldn’t say there’s one that stands above the others. I will say some of my favorite memories at our live performances recently have been when we perform my song “Don’t Drag Me Down” That one is so much fun to do live, especially the ending of the song.
9.) Are there any upcoming plans or exciting news you can share with us?
This year I’m going to be going on tour with Jon Mclaughlin all around the country. Starting 5/5 I’ll be doing a west coast run, then in June I’ll be doing a run through the mid atlantic and in September I’ll be doing some northeast shows. We currently have a radio campaign going for my song Till You’re Somebody Else and we are at #29 on the billboard adult contemporary chart, which is incredibly exciting. We’ll be releasing two more singles over the summer and then hopefully the full album in the fall!
Listen to Leo’s new single here!
Keep up with Leo here!