MANILA, Philippines — Rising electropop artist and music producer Lesha has long since operated on the foolproof concept of passion and hard work to manifest and build your dreams after, leading us all to the launch of her debut album entitled “Sun Moon Rising”, dropping tomorrow, August 6, with the title track of the same name. This album release only serves as a fitting preface to a lot of exciting things that is yet to unfold as other album tracks with different global collaborators are set to drop in the next coming months.
“I started realizing this gift as soon as I was learning how to write my own songs at 13 years old. Majority of the songs that I’ve written in the past were predictions that I’ve manifested or possibly just about to manifest into my life.”
She adds, “The way the universe communicates with me is through my songs and that’s basically why I chose to name this album ‘Sun Moon Rising’ because it is in relation to the entire concept of astrology and how the universe works to communicate with us human beings. All of the songs in my upcoming album are an artistic manifestation of my different walks in life and it also touches on how I see the world from my point of view which I feel hasn’t been expressed that well in my previous releases.”
On being a creative standout
“I guess what sets me apart from all the other artists out there is that I’m not just your typical singer/ performer. I am also my own music producer, songwriter, director/editor, and marketing strategist. Something that isn’t normal for many rising female artists today especially in the Philippines. Ever since I started pursuing music as a professional career, I always told myself that I aspire to be an inspiration to the youth or aspiring artists through my artistic process and of course, my music.”
“From the beginning I knew I wanted to be in control of my sound and my songwriting. I hated the idea of not having creative control over my work or me having to rely on other people to help me make music. Although I still experience a lot of trial and error along the way, but this is how I grow as a producer and really find ways to mix and match different musical styles & genres that inspire me and integrate it into my music which is how I get to create music that is unique to me and distinct to my listeners.”
On finding her own beat and harnessing a global sound
“I started releasing my original tracks and song covers on Soundcloud and YouTube back in 2013. I would play around with GarageBand, a bunch of iPad apps, and I would write songs for fun and post them! In every song I covered, I added my own twist by chopping up my vocals and create an EDM-ish drop which quickly became a signature sound of mine. My unique remixes of my song covers is what made me gain popularity as a cover artist on YouTube. This later on lead to winning local and international talent competitions and has opened opportunities for me to work with many international producers who are good friends of mine and involved in the making of my album.”
On working independently
“I’ve always been known for being very DIY with my entire artist process because aside from being self-taught in music production, I did the same with film. As a budding artist back then, I knew I had to find a way to also know how to shoot and edit my own music videos to help me promote my music in the future. Being the very geeky techie person I am, I again started learning how to work with cameras and editing software through tutorials on YouTube.”
“All of my music videos uploaded on my YouTube channel are filmed in my house and edited by me with a little bit of help from my family. For college, I took up Marketing Management because I know this is also a very crucial part of being successful in this industry. I did social media management freelance and also interned as a digital marketing strategist. I basically had to learn all the loops in my career so I don’t get taken advantage of in this very brutal industry.”
On building global collaborations
“On this album, I was able to bring in my collaborators from all around the world (producers & artists from the UK, USA, Seoul, Barcelona, Bahrain, and Italy) to work with me on this very special project. It was a very collaborative process and it was a breath of fresh air working with these insanely creative minds. Through this record, I was able to mold my sound and really showcase my capabilities as a music producer and songwriter. I worked on this record from the backend to the front and I’m really proud of myself for that.”
On pushing one’s passion
“If being in the music industry is something that you really want to pursue, by all means go for it and put your heart into it. Artists that have that grit and passion for what they do will definitely make it farther, so be prepared for the struggles you’ll have to face cause this industry is tougher than it looks.”
“I myself started out DIYing everything as an artist (which I still do to this day) so I believe anyone could do the same as long as there is willingness to learn and there is a clear goal. There will always be people who will have opinions about you or your work which is something I learned the hard way. You have to know how to segregate the hate from constructive criticism. Keeping this in mind really helped me grow and give myself a reality check from time to time. Sometimes all you need are people who truly believe in you and your capabilities in order to succeed.”
SUN MOON RISING Album under Star Music is coming soon with the first track “SUN MOON RISING” (carrier single) dropping this August 6, 2021 on all digital music streaming platforms! Watch as we unveil each track included in the album every month! You can check out Lesha’s music on Spotify or watch the official music videos, covers, and learn more about music production on Lesha’s YouTube Channel. Check out Lesha’s official page to know more updates.