@leartnyc
ontop of being a stunning model, Leart is a phenomenal musical. I came across his music a week before this shoot and i knew i had to have him in my first issue. As i do with all of my artist, i had him answer some questions so the article was directly in his words, in addition to his sound cloud. Truly listen to all of his work, for it is one of a kind.
three words to describe your music?
Oh god, this is a little tough considering each one of my songs is a different genre but..
Catchy Melancholic Jaunts.
who or what inspires your music?
Growing up in Albania, I was around a lot of folk music & live home made instruments that would never exist here so I always make sure I incorporate some traditional Albanian sounds in my work.
I love taking sounds from a bunch of genres & adding some foreign flavor in there.
Lyrically, it's what I go through as a 21 year old, like I'll make art out of my own experiences with desolation, love, fashion, mental health, sex, growing up, etc.
But I'm also inspired by random things like city lights & certain smells, VIEWS (I can write an entire song staring at a beautiful view),performance art, old Hollywood glamour & social issues.
If we're talking about artists, I take a lot from Alternative R&B, especially FKA Twigs & Sevdaliza, this European artist Loreen that I'm obsessed with, her sound is the future, she really deserves soooo much recognition, & I have to include Frank Ocean because "Channel Orange" is the album that helped me find my sound.
where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I wanna still be growing as an artist & hopefully be more inclusive in the fashion & music world.
I don't think I'll ever stop experimenting with music... as far as my sounds goes, who knows what I'll be making in 2022.
I just wanna create an army of dope & soulful, sinful kids that appreciate rawness & creativity.
Hopefully they can relate more to my melodies than actual human beings.
what advice would you give to a young artist trying to make their own music?
Don't go broke trying to download the latest versions of all the editing & beat making softwares... My most played song was produced on a free demo version of FL Studio.
Appreciate & USE the hell out of your uniqueness.
Finding your sound is easier than you think, just treat your work as your diary, tell a story with what you're creating & exaggerate EVERYTHING.
what do you think about when you write?
I more so write what I think about, like, whatever's on my mind at the time ends up in a song & I kinda just let my brain get all its demons out on paper.
I think its so much more authentic that way.
One of my most recent songs "Red Decor" is about finding my lover cheating on me & then murdering them both before committing suicide. I mean not that I would ever want to actually do all that, but I just had to think back on that experience & admit every dark thought that went through my mind. My lyricism exaggerates what I've went through in a way that, whatever messed up thing I'm talking about, sounds beautiful.
Any future projects?
My desktop is literally the messiest thing ever at the moment. I'm starting a blog corresponding to songs I'm releasing in my first EP "My Death Will Be Beautiful" & I'm just in the process of choosing which songs I want on it.
Plus there's a lot of different snippets of ballads & acoustic songs I posted on my Instagram page that people want to hear & they are gonna kill me if I don't finish them soon so that's definitely gotta come first. It's a lot of work producing, writing, singing, recording & mastering your work all on your own so I'm definitely taking my time, making sure Ive got the sound right.
In the meantime, I've been writing & producing for a couple of underground artists & I wanna continue working for different people while building on my own music.
Why do you think it is important for young
artist to continuously produce art?
One of the most important things about music is that it gives us a euphoric escape from reality.
I grew up in a third world country with nothing but sticks and rocks to play with, so watching music videos & listening to American music was a way for me to feel understood. Especially dealing with my sexuality in a strict Muslim society, creating gave me freedom & acceptance and I understood from an early age that I wanted to BE that escape for kids like me.