Allison Leah releases folk-pop fusion EP "the weight of my heart"
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| Allison Leah |
New York-born and Nashville based, Allison Leah has an innate gift for songwriting, coupling honest stories with ethereal melodies and accumulating over a million streams worldwide. Plenty of artists have an early start, but few can compare to Leah, who began working as a jingle-singer at 8 years old, recording familiar jingles like the "Hess Truck" Commercial among others. Her exposure to the industry from a young age created her love of music and her determination to forge her own path in the field. Though Allison Leah’s crystal clear voice will hook you in, it is the message of her music that will keep you coming back for more. Her detailed, vulnerable lyrics offer a unique perspective on love, growth, nostalgia, and the world around us. To listen to Allison Leah is to know her, and maybe even to get to know yourself a little better too.
2022 has been a big year for Allison so far. Her folk-pop fusion EP released on November 4th has been long awaited from fans from all over the world and already won over the hearts of press outlets around the globe.
She shares: "My EP is an autobiographical journey throughout my life since my last album release, "Fly Home" (2018). Each song on this record details a certain situation that has "weighed on my heart" over the past few years. Sometimes the reaction is nostalgia and introspection, sometimes anger and outburst, empowerment, optimism, and even on the last track (“better off numb”), satire and sarcasm. Each song has their own personality and musical palate and they are all connected together with lyrical motifs. I hope this EP helps you get to know me better, and in the best case, I hope it helps you get to know yourself better too!".
As a fan of Allison's music, I've been waiting this release with excitement and enthusiasm because I knew she worked on it for a long time. Knowing her ability in putting emotions and introspective journeys in words, I was sure that her EP would be incredible... and I'm definitely not disappointed! Each song stands as a flower on its own, going from folk songs to pop bangers, but together they form an harmonized bouquet that will amaze the listener with background vocals, ethereal melodies and powerful lyrics. Knowing Allison for a couple of years now, I can't help but mention her amazing talent for music and songwriting that, accompanied with a real passion in what she does, will bring her more and more success in the future, no doubt.
Allison adds: "The title comes from a line in the closing song on the record, “better off numb” that sings, "Easy to get hurt when you feel so hard, now I’m less attached to the weight of my heart. It’s getting colder every day that I grow older and I, I think I’m better off numb". Each song on this EP is introspective and confessional, and this song pens a tongue-in-cheek look at the five songs that came before it. It’s also a reminder not to take yourself too seriously. The musical direction of this record feels like such a fun, exciting step. Since I grew up listening to both folk singer-songwriters and pop music, finding a true amalgam of folk-pop feels more aligned and exciting than ever".
Allison's friend, Alex Bonyata, has contributed a lot on the EP as they spent much time in 2020-2021 writing music (3 on 6 songs are written with him). They share a fun fact about this: in January of 2021, the album was starting to take shape and they traveled to New York for a month to write and record at Allison's dad’s recording studio, ‘Chiller Sound. This is where they got really experimental and took any risk possible. They recorded the sounds of ice, coffee cups, a bag of ash from the fireplace, wind chimes, and more. She said: "It was so fun to incorporate these sounds and moments into the album. Similarly, the background vocals are one of my favorite parts of this record. I think background vocals are one of my favorite parts of creating recorded music. Each background vocal plays a different character and can add so much depth and context to the story being told. I’ve hidden lyrical nods to other songs using background vocals on this album and even used them to answer questions posed in other songs".
I asked to Allison to share a bit about the fresh new songs released with the album because I was curious to know more about the background stories, and that's what she said: "constellations" is a really special song to me. I wrote it 6 years ago while sitting in my college dorm room on my bed, in a moment where I felt so lonely that I turned to the sky for comfort. The song can apply to missing a loved one, grief, loss, and so much more. With the imagery in the song, I really wanted to paint the picture that you’re turning to the sky and the elements for answers and you can find comfort in the fact that you and the person you’re singing to are among the same stars. Overall, this song is to remind yourself that no matter what, you’re not alone. And to ask the person you’re singing to, "Are the stars comforting you the same way they’re comforting me?". Beyond this song, there’s an underlying motif of stars throughout the record (“24 years down”, “i gave u my number”) and so I loved using this song to tie everything together".
The last song of the EP "better off numb" is also the one that give the title to it: "Easy to get hurt when you feel so hard, now I’m less attached to the weight of my heart". The closing track on the record is a flippant look at the five songs that came before it, as well as the past few years as a whole. I now paint a sarcastic picture that "maybe I’m better off numb". While this song is intended to poke fun at myself, it also carries some lessons. In verse 2, the lyrics are, "I’m looking back on that day I lost my head, can’t remember what she said". This serves as a reminder that some situations that once seemed like the end of the world won’t matter in the grand scheme. The juxtaposition of this reminder, paired with toy sounds, bells, whistles, and laughter, is to serve as a reminder not to take life too seriously. Perhaps the most on-the-nose part of this song is the fact that the percussive backbeat in the song is the sound of a book slamming closed. This quite literally closes this chapter of my music, leaving room for what’s to come".
"better off numb"
Old conversations , Weighing heavy on my heart
Now I don't bat an eye , Fed up with chasing
Every feeling in my head , And some got left behind
Was I right back when I felt so much? , Is it better for me to close off?
Easy to get hurt when you feel so hard
Now I'm less attached to the weight of my heart It's getting colder every day that I grow older and I I think I'm better off numb
Overdramatic , Overthink every word you say
And let it get to me , I'm looking back on
That day I lost my head , Can't remember what she said
Easy to get hurt when you feel so hard
Now I'm less attached to the weight of my heart It's getting colder every day that I grow older and I I think I'm better off numb
Take a step , Take a walk outside
You need to clear your mind , Feel the weight of the self that you left behind
Take a step , Take a walk outside
See yourself in a different light , Who do you wanna see when you close your eyes?
Easy to get hurt when you feel so hard
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| Allison Leah |
Instagram: @allisonleahmusic
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