Recently we caught up with British-born, LA-based singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Emilie Reid about her debut album, Leopard ~ Sukha. While the album was released earlier this year, we thought that it’s just too good to miss out on. Built on a richly texture vignette of synth, disco, indie and pop, these eight tracks take listeners through a journey of identity, transformation and nurturing ones creativity. No where holds more inspiration for Reid than the past, with noticeably shades of Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin and John Lennon weaved into her time-spanning sound. Although she’s fond of these vintage elements, this doesn’t mean that the whole record is an exercise in nostalgia; this is best demonstrated in tracks like ‘Disco Angel’, which celebrates personal growth, and ‘Forgotten Land’, which is about finding the courage to take a leap into the unknown. For On The Record, we take a deep dive into Reid‘s milestone album, discussing her influences, cross-continental life and what she has in store for us next.

Welcome to Unrecorded! For those who aren’t already familiar with Emilie Reid, can you introduce yourself?

Hey, thanks so much for this interview. I am a British born, LA based singer songwriter and producer.

Congratulations on the release of your debut album! How would you describe Leopard~Sukha in three words?

I am going to go with “Vignettes, passion, pop.”

Your album has a strong storytelling aspect as it follows the journey of a young artist as she navigates life and her own creativity. Was this drawn from personal experience?

Absolutely.

The nostalgic atmosphere is really enhanced by the late ’70s and early ’80s influences, so which bands/artists from that era do you most admire?

Oh wow, so many — specifically for this album, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, and John Lennon’s solo work. In general though, I could talk for hours about the amazing artists of that golden era.

These songs were written at different times in your life, with some of them being penned even years apart, so how did you ensure that there was a cohesive sonic identity across the album?

There were only a couple that were completed before; the majority were started and not finished, or written not too far apart. I think the cohesive sonic identity came from the fact that none had been worked on or produced beforehand, so there was a freshness in the approach and production regardless. Also, although there was some time in between them, to me they sit in a very specific era of my life, so there is undoubtedly a through line.

How has your British identity and Los Angeles relocation also shaped who you are as an artist, and by extension the sound of Leopard~Sukha?

That’s a good question and probably something that other people can discern better than me. I think my early memories of music were based in the cultural richness of London — sneaking out to amazing clubs, warehouse raves, festivals, etc. London summers are so beautifully creative. Musically, the whole city lights up with sound, and that can’t not have had an impact when you’re so young and porous. Los Angeles, on the other hand, is never not inspiring to me; everything about it as a city fills me with ideas, so I feel unbelievably lucky to know each city intimately.

One track that really stands out for us is ‘Disco Angel’, which has a suitably retro-disco vibe. Do you think that this genre can only convey positive emotions or is it more complex than that?

Nothing is ever fixed, in my opinion. If you think a genre is one thing, do the opposite, see what happens — it might not work, but it might! That song, in a strange way, is the closest to me; it charts a certain part of who I am through my adolescence into adulthood. There’s a psychedelia to it that I love.

Closing song ‘Forgotten Land’ is arguably your most vulnerable moment on the album, so why did you feel that a stripped-back approach was right for this track?

I am not actually a fast writer — I usually take time really delving into my songs before they’re finished, but that song was written in one go. I was going through something in my life that was necessary, but I was terrified, so I wanted it to sound like a prayer or hymn, if you like. Nothing but a call to the heavens for guidance.

What else do you hope listeners will take away from Leopard~Sukha?

I truly hope that it means something different for everyone — that there is something in there that listeners can feel resonates with a moment in their own lives. It’s a very vulnerable album, and in that I hope people can know that they aren’t alone.

Following the release of this album, what will be next on the horizon for you?

I’ve been finding my sound more and moving into a different era sonically. I’ve had such fun with my latest two singles that I hope to just keep creating, keep challenging myself, and also, of course, get touring at some point.

You’ll also find ‘Disco Angel’ in our Outsiders Club playlist.

Follow Emilie Reid on Instagram.