Linndsyeah, visionary singer, songwriter, and producer just dropped her debut album, ‘How Does it Feel’. Representing the culmination of years of introspection and creative exploration, Linndsyeah invites listeners into her universe of raw emotion and profound vulnerability. We sat down with Linndsyeah to discuss her favourite tracks, and how they lend her inspiration.
1. Crystal Clear - Hayley Williams
"Hayley Williams has been one of my favorite vocalists and song writers since I can remember, growing up listening to Paramore was a staple in my childhood. But growing as a writer myself I found that this song embodied such a strong specific feeling, it inspired me so much. When I first listened to this song I was driving on the highway, dreaming of the kind of love that destroys the fears that come along with it. While still reflecting on how much of an uphill battle it can be to really open yourself up again after being let down in the past. The kind of optimism it rang in me was surprising and I realized just how deeply you can connect positive feelings to music too. I listen to this whenever I want to be reminded of how good it can feel to fall in love, despite how scary it can be to trust someone else."
2. Read Your Mind - Tayla Parx
"Tayla Parx is one of my favorite songwriters of all time. Her lyrics on a chord progression are sensational. This song found me at a time when I needed to hear it the most. The way she gives all this context about her past relationships within the verse and lays out what her needs are in the chorus, really breaks down what clever storytelling can be. She changed the way I was writing and stopped me dead in my tracks after I found this whole album. It’s a complete sonic masterpiece to hear all these little side stories fit into a bigger message."
3. Thunder - Lana Del Rey
"I love this song so much because I found it to be SO deeply validating. I think Lana’s songwriting comes with this level of painful truth that not everyone can express. There’s such a blunt and clear delivery that cuts right to your soul. I truly understand this feeling so well and must’ve listened to it about 100 times right before my last break up. My favorite line is probably “You act like f*cking Mr. Brightside when you’re with all your friends, but I know what you’re like when the party ends.” Everyone knows that feeling, we’ve all experienced that shift in someone’s facade as soon as they don’t need to uphold being chill or cool for their image. What someone is like alone is who you’re really left with in a relationship, and that line alone made me want to throw up. It was so real. The simplicity of the chorus where she’s just begging to be set free, matched with the strings that move through the verses add this chilling feeling to the overall song. It’s truly a masterpiece that really encapsulates what it feels like to love someone who’s not good for you."
4. The Boat I Row - Tame Impala
"This song is one of my favorite Tame Impala songs. I’ve been a fan since I was a senior in highschool listening to “Currents” with friends in the choir room. I have followed his career since I learned about the album. How someone could explain such specific feelings that are so vulnerable. I love how he writes and goes into these topics that most people could find uncomfortable to admit, but I think that’s what makes his music so much more impactful. This song is another helpful lesson I feel he shares along his journey of life. I relate so much as an artist who chose a path that not everyone sees as clearly as I do. This song to me paints such a specific picture of what it’s like within any industry fighting your way through trying to prove yourself, even to yourself. There’s a deep sense of imposter syndrome we all go through when navigating paths that don’t guarantee anything at the end. This song reminds me that everyone is working to fight off something they don’t always even understand. The road to self fulfillment is normally one accompanied by some confusion of the ego,I love the way this song touches on the mess it really is."
5. Passion and Pain Taste the Same When I’m Weak - Tove Lo
"I fell in love with Tove Lo around 2018 when I realized music could be fun and serious at the same time. I was just getting into music production and beginning to listen closely to songs I liked for different elements. This was when I began listening with my producer ears, as I like to say. I remember listening to this song obsessively before and after class when I was in college. I learned that Finneas had worked on the production and it inspired me to listen closer. The way this song builds with each passing chorus down to the beat inspired so much of my own production. There are a lot of songs out there that caused me to re-evaluate what I was doing and how I could improve as a producer but the subtlety of this song opened my eyes to a new kind of song building. That aside, the writing is just so relatable and real. Passion does have a thousand faces and sometimes it hurts. The building of the music and how the intensity of the vocals match the pace really connect this song to my own experiences when I listen. And that’s what makes a great song."
Listen to Linndsyeah's debut album