From covering songs in her bedroom to now writing music for listeners all across the world, liesl-mae is every aspiring artist's dream come true.
The Malaysian singer-songwriter, who is one of the talents under Sony Music's Southeast Asian label OFFMUTE, started trying her hand at music as a hobby, sharing covers of popular pop songs on YouTube. Since then, liesl released her debut single 'Headspace' and has been on the journey of becoming a full-fledged artist—all while pursuing a Master's degree!
Taking inspiration from the likes of Bruno Major and Lizzy McAlpine, liesl makes the type of music that feels like a warm embrace and that show you that hope isn't that much of an abstract concept. Hoping to revitalise her listeners with not only her sound but her message, the singer has an exciting journey ahead of her and she wants to take everyone along for the ride.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would even be a possibility for me. I've met so many great people and talents along the way and I think I'm still really just soaking it all in. It's been a crazy ride but I'm always excited for what's to come," she tells Bandwagon.
In the middle of her uni days, Bandwagon caught up with liesl-mae to talk about her musical inspirations, the process behind 'Headspace', and arts & crafts.
Hi liesl-mae! What have all of you been busy with lately?
Busy with my Masters! I'm so close to graduating so I've just really been putting in a lot of time to try and finish it so that I can focus on other stuff like my music!
Let’s start from the beginning, when and how did you know that you wanted to pursue music as a career?
I didn't honestly. To me, music was always going to be a hobby, something I did on the side. I enjoyed it a lot, but I never really expected that anything would come out of it, much less as a career! But OFFMUTE reaching out to me has definitely been a very pleasant surprise.
How would you describe your sound and the influences behind it?
Coming into music so recently, I feel like I can't really define my "sound" right now. I feel like I am still in the experimental phase of my musical journey but some key influences would definitely be artists that have a more soothing, occasionally slow, indie vibe, with more emphasis on the lyrical aspect of the song.
Who are some of the artists that inspire you?
Dodie, Lizzy McAlpine, and Bruno Major. These artists have such inspiring musical talent and the way they write their lyrics always has me in awe like... how does your brain do that?
Tell us more about your debut single ‘Headspace’. What story did you want to tell through the song?
I wanted 'Headspace' to take my listeners through my journey of struggling with staying present, always finding my head in the clouds, and wanting desperately to find someone, someplace or something to bring me back, to bring me peace.
‘Headspace’ is the first song you’ve ever written, what was the songwriting process like?
It was so long ago, it's actually a little difficult to recall. But I can say that I needed it, it was therapeutic and contributed so much to my healing process. The lyrics weren't difficult to write since I was actually going through it at that point in time, but the instrumental part of it was definitely a little more challenging.
You started your music career by sharing covers on YouTube and now, you’ve started the year debuting under a label. What has the experience been like so far?
It's been soooo surreal! Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would even be a possibility for me. I've met so many great people amd talents along the way and I think I'm still really just soaking it all in. It's been a crazy ride but I'm always excited for what's to come.
What are some goals and dreams you have for yourself and your music?
I'd love to release an EP, and then maybe a full-length album sometime in the next few years. I also really hope to be playing live shows, hearing the audience sing my lyrics back to me. I think that would be a really cool thing to experience as an artist.
Who are some artists that you want to collaborate with?
Off the top of my head, Lizzy McAlpine. Bruno Major. And my OFFMUTE labelmate Clara Benin!
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Outside of music, what do you enjoy doing?
I love to workout, it's part of my self-care routine. I love watching Modern Family, and getting my hands dirty with arts & crafts. Don't get me wrong, I'm not artistic at all in the crafty sense, but I love creating things, like mini DIY houses, diamond paintings. Oh and also experimenting in the kitchen!
What other plans do you have for the rest of the year?
The main priority is to graduate and finish my Masters. After that, anything is possible! Release more music, hopefully, travel, just do things without being held back by my role as a student finally hahaha.
Get into liesl-mae's 'Headspace' here.
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