Artist of the Week No. 273 – Leonie Biney – When The Horn Blows

Hey Leonie, how are you? Your debut EP is out now – how does it feel to have it out there?
Hi, I’m fine, thank you! It’s so exciting that “It Could Have Been Nice” is out in the world now, especially because it’s my very first effort. I’ve been working on this project for almost a year now and it feels so, so, so good to have it out in the world and to hear the beautiful (and often crazy) reactions from listeners. I really wanted my first project to showcase exactly who I am as a songwriter/producer and I think this EP does just that! It’s nice too because now that the songs are out there, I can’t change anything about them because I’m a huge perfectionist and always, without exception, find something to edit. That’s something I’m really trying to get over.

They say “It could have been nice” – what’s behind that?
The title of the EP is actually a lyric from one of the tracks on it called ‘I’ll Be Fine’. I really liked the idea of ​​using one of my lyrics as the name for the EP and spent hours going through each song and coming up with different lyrics that I thought could tie the whole project together. I’m pretty sure my shortlist was ‘Not Like Before’, ‘Comedown’, ‘Summer to Summer’ and ‘It Could Have Been Nice’. I ended up posting those options on my TikTok story and asking my followers to help me choose because I was too indecisive! ‘It Could Have Been Nice’ won and ‘Summer to Summer’ came in a close second so maybe I’ll use that for the next project who knows. I like how that lyric relates to each song because they’re about situations in life where something doesn’t work out and how beautiful it could have been if it had. The longing within me could not resist such a name.

Where was it filmed? Are there any behind-the-scenes stories you’d like to share with us?
I start 99% of my demos in my bedroom under a blanket to block out all background noise (sorry the story isn’t more interesting) and then I take the demos to producers I like and work on the songs from there. I wish I was the type of person that could knock out a song in one sitting, but unfortunately (and my producers can attest to this) I’m the type of person that works on a song until the day before release! I’m not sorry!

What are the main influences behind the EP?
Thematically, it’s pretty much about longing and over-the-top disclosure, usually hidden behind a sweet bossa nova beat, twinkling synths, or over-the-top harmony stacks. It’s kind of about how I felt between 15 and 18 (maybe a bit over the top because I love drama) or how others around me felt at the time. I’m just glad people can relate to my songs and find comfort in them. Sonically, I took a lot of inspiration from Jeremy Zucker’s album Love Is Not Dying. The attention to detail in his work is something that really inspires me and something I try to apply to all of my songs, even if it’s just a little bit. I’ve also taken inspiration from Beabadoobee, Laufey, and Keshi.

If the EP could be the soundtrack to any movie – which one and why?
I can’t think of a movie right now, but I’ve been told that some of the songs on the EP feel like running through tall grass in an A24-esque, cinematic way, which is honestly the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I’ve also been told that other songs on the EP feel like they belong in Steven Universe, so if I can say a TV show instead of a movie, I’d say Steven Universe. Or maybe Adventure Time. Or both.

Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP? If so, which one and why?
I have soooooo many favourite lyrics! The one that immediately came to mind was a lyric in the first track on the EP called “Love You So”, and it goes, “If I loved you less, I could explain it better.” I get a lot of my song and lyric ideas from books, and when I saw a quote from Jane Austen’s “Emma” that went, “If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more”, it almost killed me, so I put it in a song! A lot of people like that line, which is nice.

Now the EP is out – what’s next?
Definitely more shows, more bossa nova, maybe some orchestral stuff, who knows! I have plenty of happy songs that deserve their time in the sun, so maybe a happy record? So out of character for me. I’m just looking forward to using this summer to work on new music (if my student finances allow it) and show everyone a new side of my music!