The first single from the upcoming EP Fixation, which will be released later this year, is titled Blue Crystal and will be released on April 11th, 2023. Linnèa is bringing back the more genuine pop/rock sound of the 1990s. Blue Crystal places a strong emphasis on desire—wanting something you can’t have but believing you can. You discover yourself trapped in a never-ending minefield. But this is just the beginning of things to come! She will go deeper with her debut EP Fixation, plunging right into the gloomy realms of mental health and heartbreak. Guiding the listener on a journey of overcoming obstacles and realizing one’s value. Check out the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
LINNÉA: I am a singer / songwriter from the City of Chester, UK. Growing up, music was always very present in my household. My Mother is very musical; She plays Jazz & Classical piano, clarinet, is a writer too. Most evenings you’ll find her sitting at the piano I was very drawn to music at a young age. It always felt very therapeutic for me, especially in hard times. Blasting emotions through the speakers or writing things down is how I release whatever TF is going on inside my head. I’m terrible at expressing my thoughts and feelings in the real world (unless there is a bottle of wine on the table, then I am an open book!) but in the world of music, I fear no boundary. I bare it all! I think my parents could always tell what I was feeling and what sort of mood I was in from my song choices at times as well…
2. Who were your first and strongest musical influences?
LINNÉA: The first music I remember being exposed to were iconic singers, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. ‘It’s All Coming Back to Me’ and ‘The Greatest Love of All’ were my childhood anthems! Later, I discovered the likes of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. That’s when I really felt like that’s it, that’s what I wanna do when I grow up! As I entered my teens I was exposed more to rockier music. I loved Evanescence, Paramore, Avril Lavigne & Pink’s earlier stuff and I had a little bit of a guilty pleasure for Simple Plan… But it was the discovery of Nirvana, PJ Harvey, Garbage, Grace Potter, Led Zeppelin, Joan Jett, Alanis Morrisette & The Dead Weather when I really found my love for rock music. I was drawn in by the dark tones and the heavy riffs that rock music had to offer. When it makes your face scrunch up in oofts and pulls at your musical heart strings. It’s a different kind of awakening of the soul. The lyrical content oozes fearlessness & aggression, sassiness & rebellion. It’s a very alluring sound to draw in an adolescent teen! I also really love Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Cash and Shakira! I was shaped by Rockers and Popstars, now I get the best of both worlds with Pop-Rock.
3. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
LINNÉA: A bit of both! I studied music at West Cheshire College for three years and then I went on to attend university at Brighton Institute of Modern Music for another three years. I remember I started off as a very shy performer but when I met my now guitarist and bestie, Mark Docherty, (we met at uni) and saw how energetic and completely fearless he was as a performer, I thought to myself, I can’t just stand here because he is going to steal the spotlight! Ha! At that point, I stopped caring about what people might have thought and I just let myself zone out into the music. Performing becomes so much more natural and spiritual when you’re just focusing on the music and living in the present moment with it. If it is something that you love and that awakens your soul, why be afraid of it?
4. Why the name ‘LINNÉA’?
LINNÉA: The name Linnéa belongs to one of my closest friends, whom I actually refer to as Linnie. When I decided to venture out as a solo artist, I wanted a standalone name and her name just kept popping into my head. My name is Madeline, so I liked that Linnéa had some sort of resemblance in a way, it wasn’t too much of a stretch and I didn’t feel like a stranger to the name. She was totally cool about it as well!
5. Do you hope that your music will give back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
LINNÉA:
Music requires taking up somebody’s time. It’s not just a quick glance at a picture, like and keep scrolling, people invest their time to listen to you. I don’t expect everyone to listen to or to like my music, I will just be thankful if they do! The reward is how I feel about the song after it’s finished and that feeling you get when it has reached full potential, that is the fulfillment and all the validation you need. Whatever follows, good or bad, is all part of the process and you’ve just gotta roll with the punches!
6. You’ve just released your debut single “Blue Crystal”, tell us about it!
LINNÉA:
Blue Crystal is the first track to be released from the upcoming EP Fixation. The song is about desire, wanting what you can’t have but being under the illusion that you can have it. You find yourself stuck in an endless minefield! No one likes to be given false hope or to feel rejected. “You show yourself to me, just to take away my sight” is the concluding lyric of the song and it is the realisation that the person you desired the most didn’t desire you back. Ouch! That one hurt for sure, hah!
7. What can we expect from your first EP Fixation, when can we expect it and what inspired it?
LINNÉA:
The EP is heavily based on experiences from around five years ago. I experienced a lot of loss, grief, anxiety & heartache all at once and I don’t think I really tried too or even choose to cope well with it all, so inevitably, things got very chaotic very quickly. With this EP, I want to take the listener on a journey, from the downfall to the rehabilitation. I do believe it is important for music to always have an underlying resonance of hope. As the listener comes to the end of the EP, they will definitely begin to feel a change within the music. Fixation will be released later this year and I cannot wait for you to hear it!
8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
LINNÉA: I write down anything and everything I hear or see or think, anything that inspires me to go ‘that would make a good song’, ‘that’s a good idea for a song title’ etc. Anything that strikes a chord, I write it all down in the notes app on my iPhone and delve into them once I’m in writing mode. I play piano, only well enough to write the basis of a song though. Not well enough to play in public! So, once I’ve got the lyrics, a basic structure, and an idea of a melody down, I send my demos to my talented musical friends to produce the backing tracks for me. Currently, I am working with Mark Docherty, and he is producing all of the tracks for my upcoming EP. We’ve known each other for nearly 10 years and have been playing music together for the majority of that time so he knows me to the T! He knows exactly what my vision is musically and always delivers way past my expectations. He’s an incredible guitarist and musician! He breathes so much life into any project he invests in so I couldn’t be happier to be working with him on this EP.
9. Do you think it is important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
LINNÉA: Having an understanding of what a song is about can help create a strong connection between the artist and the listener, for sure! But I like the fact that people can listen to my music and make their own interpretations and find their own meanings. Once I release a song, it’s for them, the listeners, it’s no longer just for me.
10. Will you be releasing any other tracks from the upcoming EP before it’s official release?
LINNÉA: Yes! I can’t wait to share this next track with you all. I think it’s probably my favourite track from the EP so I’m really excited about it! Stay tuned…
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