Awir Leon – Love You, Drink Water

By starrymag | June 9, 2023

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) I like to think my sound is as free as possible, not limited by genres and calculations.

I take music as a way to translate whatever I’m going through in the rawest way, just having fun with it

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I have a looot of them, but I can say Flying Lotus, James Blake, the whole cannibinoids scene from back then (Erykah Badu, the Roots, d’Angelo, etc.) Frank Ocean, Thom Yorke – I grew with a lot of traditional West African and South American music, too.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “A Million Other Days.”

 

A) This song came out in one burst. It was during this writing residency I organized with my friends. We started playing just with drums and the vocoder, the melody started showing and suddenly the whole song was there. We recorded it in one take two hours after we started. It makes sense that it happened like that because it’s such an open hearted song, I don’t think I could have made it with too much time to think. It’s like when your drunk friend suddenly tells you everything that’s on their heart. [laughs] Except now it’s on Spotify. 😂

It’s basically a song about desperately wanting to fix a relationship I have broken, like waking up from a bad dream but realizing it’s all real, and you made it that way.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) Probably most people have been through a breakup they didn’t want, and knew it was because of them but didn’t know how to grow to make it work. Also, I think 100% of us have done shit we regret, it’s all just human.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) A lot of the stuff I did that harmed my relationship happened through my phone, and it felt like writing that song was the closing of that chapter, felt right to do it on my phone too.

I spend so much time writing my thoughts on that memo app that I thought the most open thing I could do was to share that.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) Not necessarily, no. My process takes a lot of different forms. Sometimes it starts with making a beat, sometimes by sitting at the piano or with a guitar, sometimes with the words or with a melody. I guess I’ve worked on a lot of tools over the years, and this gives me a lot of doors to try and enter the room. At the end of the day, it’s whatever makes a song happen.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) [laughs] More than a hand. It’s both my arms and legs in there. [smiles] I started out as a musician and producer, the rest came after. There’s no denying the huge input my team has on the music but yea I’m all in there!

 

Q) What are some themes you’ll be exploring on your new album Love You, Drink Water?

 

A) Anything I went through during the making of the album – chaos, trying to grow out of it, understanding my flaws, understanding what love is and accepting it, and also some more abstract stuff that resonates with me but is harder to describe

 

Q) What track(s) on the album hold a special place in your heart and what makes it so significant for you?

 

A) They all do. they wouldn’t be on it otherwise. I have a soft spot for “Neelam Stone” at the moment though – just the vibe of it

 

Q) Was there a specific song that challenged you the most creatively for this album?

 

A) “A Million Other Days” actually. I didn’t know if I was ready to put something so vulnerable out there. I’m glad I did.

 

Q) What do hope lingers with listeners who explore Love You, Drink Water? (other than to hydrate)

 

A) [laughs] Yeah, hydrate. It’s important. And then open yourself up, for real, not through all the stuff you see on socials or in PD books. They’re just other masks. Like make room for your flaws, make room for your darkness, and make room for them to transform into what you wanna be. Don’t let anything you’re carrying ruin your time here.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) I love performing in Lille, Paris and Amsterdam because they’re my hometowns, but I gotta say I’ve had really great times in Berlin, Istambul, Montreal, and so many others. There’s great people to meet everywhere

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) Ok, not gonna hold back – James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, Rosalia, Wesley Joseph, Tyler. That’s my list. [laughs]

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) I’m loving Wesley Joseph and Obongjayar at the moment. I feel like they’re looking for the same freedom I’m looking for. Also Tems I just love her voice.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) It’s an important way because it’s direct. There’s no middle guy – I can talk to the people directly and that’s great.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) I would say thanks a million, there’s no feeling like knowing my music is part of your life.