Q&A: LAIIKA

Photo credit: Maya Simone

Auckland born & raised female dream-pop duo LAIIKA (consisting of best friends Grace Moller & Heidi Simpson) are new on the scene with an exciting modern take on pop music.

They chat to us about their debut single “Crush” and their latest sophomore single “Any Way You Want It” which they just dropped the music video for today! The video is inspired by powerful and iconic women from various decades who were revolutionaries in fashion and music at the time - check it out below.

“We don’t want to be tied down to a certain genre, sound, or style and wanted to create something that’s eclectic yet cohesive.” Drawing inspiration from groovy 70’s disco, 80’s synth-pop and punchy 2000’s classics, they are more ready than ever to take on the world of pop in their very own unique and significant way.

We’d love to know a little bit about your musical journey so far from when you first started singing!

We’ve both been musicians our whole lives. Neither of us can remember a day where we consciously decided to become singers, we just were! We’ve been writing songs together for over five years now, starting off singing and playing acoustic guitar to experimenting with electronic sounds and producing ourselves.

How would you describe your unique sound, and what are the main influences of it?

We’re influenced by a lot of different styles of pop. We listen to a wide range of genres and like to play around with a lot of different sounds. We don't really subscribe to a particular genre or style. Each song goes in a different direction depending on what feels right. It's fun to dress a song up in a specific sound like we did with “Crush” and the eighties, but each song has its own unique sound.

We’re loving your new track “Any Way You Want It”! Can you tell us a little bit about the meaning behind this song and what inspired you to write it?

“Any Way You Want It” is a concept song. When we were writing this song we weren’t really thinking about who was going to hear it or what they were going to think, we were just having fun and we think that shows! 

What was your main highlight working on “Any Way You Want It”?

There was one day where we were both jamming ideas in the studio and we came up with the synth part that comes in at the bridge. It really added a layer of emotion that wasn’t there before. We put it on a loop in our Logic session and started singing over it the hook “Any way, any way you want it baby” on repeat.

Plus, you’re absolutely killing it with your magical debut single “Crush”! What was the process like for writing this song?

We gave ourselves a funny songwriting challenge to write a song with the most popular BPM, chord progression, and topic from stats of hit songs from all time. We actually sped it up a little and changed it over time but that’s how it started! With the line “I’ve got a crush on you” because that was the most popular topic. The production was influenced by classic 80’s pop. 

We’re super excited to hear more of your music! What can you tell us about your upcoming tracks, and do you have an EP/album on the way soon?

Yes! We have an EP coming out in the next few months. This EP is very dramatic and theatrical but in a super poppy way. The songs have been written throughout the last three years so they definitely have a naivety and youthfulness to them. Each song has an excited, feminine personality but is flipped and phrased in a forward and dominant way. The whole EP boasts thoughts and feelings that you would usually try to hide or keep secret. “Crush” and “Any Way You Want It” are both examples of that. 

Who are your biggest inspirations in music?

One of our biggest inspirations is Grimes. She has such an all encompassing approach to artistry that extends way beyond just a single song. Definitely ABBA! Also from a very young age, we’ve both loved Taylor Swift, no denying that. We grew up in the 2000’s so music from that decade really influenced us a lot. Recently we’ve both been listening to a lot of hyperpop which is such a cool growing microgenre.

If there’s anything you could change about the current music industry, what would it be and why?

Making collaboration and co-writing more common in the NZ music industry.

Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now and are there any songs in particular that you love or connect with?

Yeah there are heaps of super great New Zealand artists that we love at the moment! We have a lot of really cool musical friends that are out there doing awesome stuff such as There’s a Tuesday, Daffodils, Molly Payton, and Park RD! 

What do you love most about living in New Zealand? Do you have any favourite places to travel to or local spots to visit?

We love how in Aotearoa it seems like everyone knows everyone somehow. In the music industry at least it feels less cut throat and competitive and more like everyone has each other's back and is willing to help each other.

What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt as an artist so far?

To stay true to what you believe in and always follow your vision. Don’t change because someone else tells you to. Do what you want to do and be yourself because that’s the best chance you’ve got!

Lastly, if you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?

Go stream “Any Way You Want It”!!!!!

Thanks so much LAIIKA! Make sure to keep up with them on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify & Apple Music.