Lenii, the Irish-born and LA-based multi-instrumentalist, is back with another delectable serving of her twisted pop sensibilities. On her sophomore EP Zero Sympathy, Lenii continues to break new ground for female producers with her unique flair and style. Released earlier this month, the project is a testament to her incredible talent and versatility.
“Good Life,” the opening track of Zero Sympathy, instantly grabs your attention with its electrifying synth-pop groove and Lenii’s rapid vocal flow. The track showcases Lenii’s dark Irish humor and life-affirming lyrics as she celebrates the “giant ball of fire” that sustains our existence. Throughout the EP, Lenii’s razor-sharp wit and top-notch production skills shine through in tracks like “Already Famous,” “Take The Money,” and “Cherry Gum.”
Having produced for the likes of David Guetta and Suki Waterhouse, Lenii is no stranger to challenging industry norms and shattering stereotypes of what is expected from a female artist. With this particular project, she crafts an empowering message for Gen Z, encouraging listeners to defy boundaries and break free from the constraints of a toxic, success-driven society.
Stay tuned as we catch up with Lenii to discuss her latest EP Zero Sympathy, how producing music blends in with her artistry, and much more. Get ready for an insightful conversation with a multi-talented artist who consistently pushes boundaries and raises the bar for pop music.
Congrats on the release of your new EP, Zero Sympathy! How does it feel to have this new body of work out in the world?
Amazing! I’ve held onto it for almost a year so it feels great to finally show what I’ve been working on.
The opening track “Good Life” is such a fun, upbeat song. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind it?
Honestly, I had written so many songs tackling social issues or heady topics that I really just wanted to write something fun and not think too much about it. At one point in the session, I asked my co-writers Ryan and Nick to just list things in life that made them feel good and we ended up talking about cupcakes and toothpaste. They don’t feature specifically in the song but it just ended up being super light-hearted and not too deep.
Your EP features a variety of sounds and genres, how do you go about creating such diverse tracks while still maintaining your signature style?
I think it’s just about making sure that I mean everything I sing about. I listen to so many different genres and love mixing musical styles so as long as I’m always writing lyrics in my voice the songs still end up sounding like me.
“Already Famous” is a standout track on the EP. Can you walk us through the production process for this song?
Already Famous actually went through a few productions! I first wrote it on Zoom with Mr. Hudson and Bill Maybury and we wrote over a track Mr. H had on his laptop. A few months later it turned out we couldn’t actually use that production so I sent the topline to my friend Stavros, who produced “Black Bow” on my first EP. He completely reinvented it and actually made it ten times better. Stav sent me the stems and I just sprinkled a few finishing touches on the production and voila,
The lyrics in “Take The Money” seem to explore the topic of ego and success. How do you navigate those themes in your own life?
When I first moved to LA I definitely felt a lot of pressure to prove myself, especially around people here who talked themselves up a lot. The kind of desperation I felt was really icky and eventually, when I found my real friends here, I realized the people you’re meant to work with and have in your life don’t make you feel like that.
It’s impossible to totally squash your ego but I’m definitely happiest when I don’t tie my self-worth to “hype” in the industry.
You’ve produced for some big names in the music industry like David Guetta and Suki Waterhouse. How do you balance your own music career with producing for others?
I feel so lucky that I get to meet and work with people I admire and look up to, and I think it inspires me more than anything to work toward my own goals as an artist too. I love producing for different artists because it lets me use a totally different skill set and takes me out of my own head. When I’m working on someone else’s music it’s all about them and their story, and everyone’s life is so different, I love hearing about their own approaches to music, relationships, etcetera.
That being said, who are your biggest musical influences at the moment?
Right now I can’t stop listening to Raye’s album My 21 Century Blues. She’s such a storyteller and the mix of genres is so cool to me.
With Zero Sympathy in the rearview, what’s left on your bucket list for 2023?
I’m dying to play more shows!! I have one on April 15th at the Peppermint Club in LA and just want to perform every day for the rest of the year. I’m also almost finished with my third EP and am so impatient to keep releasing music.
