‘Goodnight’ is the debut release from BIMM Dublin Alumna Leah Rose.
Take a listen, and discover more about the track below.
What was your inspiration when you began writing the track?
I wrote ‘Goodnight’ back in October 2020, in the middle of the second lockdown. I became quite introspective having all that time alone and often found myself thinking about the friendships in my life. I would also think about being in my 20s and how I felt like I was losing some of the years in my life I thought I would have the most freedom to just be young and relatively carefree. I think the catalyst for my line of thinking was having to cancel a small trip I had planned with some close friends for Halloween. We were really looking forward to seeing one another again and being able to spend time together, as it had been a long time since we were last able to do that. I became very nostalgic for the nights out I had with them prior to the pandemic, nights I have definitely romanticised over time but continue having strong and loving memories of. I’ve wanted to put those memories to music for a long time, but I never quite managed to get it right until I wrote ‘Goodnight’. I think feeling so removed from those days and those people actually allowed me to write the song I had been trying to write for years.
Are there any artists that inspire you when writing?
I was listening to a lot of Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado around the time I was putting together a demo for ‘Goodnight’, so production wise Timbaland was an early source of inspiration. In general I’m always inspired by artists such as Lana Del Rey, The Weeknd and Lorde, I really like exploring the darker sides to pop music, and these artists do that extremely well.
What is key to your sound and how do you make your music stand out?
I find I put a large focus on melody when I write, whether its a vocal top line melody, Harmony or synth line, I think it’s the aspect of songwriting I enjoy the most. I’m greatly inspired by cinema and movie soundtracks, something like the soundtrack Daft Punk did for Tron Legacy or the Blade Runner soundtrack are pieces of music I take a lot of influence from sonically. I love the idea of being able to make a three and a half minute pop song sound like something that could also be in a film score.
How does your songwriting process work?
I generally start with the music, I love writing on logic and seeing where that takes me. From there I usually come up with the vocal melodies and I tend to leave the lyrics till the end. I always keep a notebook and pen with me to write down any thoughts and ideas I have when I’m out and about (I’m old fashioned I don’t love writing lyrics on my phone unless I have no other choice). I find it useful to have a notebook of lyrical ideas I can refer to when I’m writing a song.
Describe your sound in 3 words…
Whimsical, Dreamy, Abstract
How has studying at BIMM helped you develop as an artist?
I think being an independent artist would be a lot more difficult if I hadn’t gone to BIMM. Being able to study the music industry gives a lot of power back to artists because there is significantly less mystery surrounding how you should go about starting your career. It’s much easier to be taken advantage of when you walk into something without having a good comprehension of what you’re getting yourself into. I’m currently in the early stages of my career and still have a million things to learn in this ever-changing industry, but studying at BIMM really helped me learn what I needed to know in order to begin my career as an artist.
What’s next for you?
Going forward I have more music that I plan on releasing during the summer which I’m really excited about. I’m also keeping my fingers crossed that playing live shows will become a possibility again and I’ll get the chance to play my new music to an actual live audience.
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