Having already delighted us with a wave of shimmering delights these last few years, UK-based Portuguese artist leo. has now returned for 2023 to deliver his vibrant new single 'green'.
Capturing more of that sweet and sun-kissed aesthetic he has developed since he first emerged, 'green' makes for a wonderfully warm and dreamy listen. With his rich and soaring voice riding across a sweeping indie-pop production throughout, he is certainly getting us ready for the summer sun with this one.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
-
What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The first instrument I ever learned was the violin when I was 5, but only around the time I stopped learning the violin, 10 years later, did music actually start to be a serious passion for me—I discovered chords, and how they could be such a wonderful tool to tell a story. I guess you could say the first instrument I fell in love with was the ukulele, because of how easy it was to use it to learn harmony.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
When I was a kid, I would listen to a lot of music my parents showed me, paired with whatever Disney Channel told me was ‘cool’. My first ever big music obsession was ABBA, and I still love them to this day. I’ve also always loved classical music and my background learning has definitely influenced my songwriting.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I remember stealing an ABBA Gold album from my grandad when I was about 5 and being completely OBSESSED with it. Besides that, I guess I’m from a generation not very known for owning things, from houses to music—we primarily rent stuff.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Maybe ’Snow in Venice’ by Elizaveta. It’s a really pretty song and I love the bridge in Italian—I wish I knew Italian.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I mostly write new music midst a breakdown of some sort, I use songwriting as an outlet to express whatever I’m feeling without having to be too vulnerable to someone. Recently, I’ve really enjoyed writing on trains and coaches, basically wherever there isn’t an instrument and I just have to imagine the chords and focus on the melody. It really helps me not do the same thing over and over again.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Dodie, Nataly Dawn, Laufey, and more recently Eloise have been big inspirations. I love the bluntness and honesty in their lyrics and the lush sound they bring to the table. Sammy Rae & the Friends are also insanely good. I saw them live in London back in January and it was life-changing.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Really tough question! I’d love to open for someone like Cavetown or Chevy (or any of the artists mentioned above, really). I think it could be such a cool experience and their audiences might like my stuff as well!
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
I get a lot of messages from people saying my lyrics make them feel understood and that’s insanely special to me. It’s really rewarding knowing my music can be a sort of safe-space for whoever’s listening. I also love making music videos and anything that reminds me I get to tell stories for a living makes me really happy.
And what is the most frustrating part?
I’d say the whole businessy side of it gets really annoying sometimes. Being a successful independent musician is a lot about luck and having the privilege and resources to grow an audience, as well as, of course, making music people enjoy. It’s a bit frustrating hearing about how musicians aren’t putting in enough work these days and how they should be Tiktokers and Youtubers and all these other things as well, considering how much energy and passion it already takes to just make music.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
“Aim for 80%”. Perfection is impossible and beating yourself up over it isn’t worth it. A lot of the time it’s the imperfections that make someone’s work special and human, and it’s lovely to see artists grow and become better and better. Don’t deprive your audience from seeing your growth just because you want things to be perfect from the get-go.
-
leo.'s new single 'green' is available to stream now. Watch the new video for it in the player below.