Q&A: Len Blake

Think about music that sounds like drinking cocktails & red wine in a cozy, intimate bar on a magical summer night, and that’s where you get Dunedin-born, Wellington-based artist Len Blake. The 20-year-old’s effortlessly smooth & sweet vocals mixed with chill, shimmery instrumentation and one part groove brings us the perfectly delicious concoction of Len’s RnB/soul inspired music. She chats to us about her mesmerising debut EP “Honey Blood” and her musical journey so far.

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

I’ve always really loved music - I was very fortunate to grow up learning guitar and singing in a super musical family, both classical and non-classical. My sister plays the bass and we grew up having a lot of family jam sessions so writing music was sort of a natural progression from that. I started writing songs in high school and it became a nice creative outlet to process all my teenage angst haha. Towards the end of high school I did a songwriting development program with Nadia Reid which put me in really creative company and it’s something that I’m really grateful for - it gave me a lot of confidence to pursue music. It wasn’t until I met Nikau Te Huki, my producer, that making music turned into a realistic possibility for me. He really understood the feeling I wanted in my music and how to turn my iPhone voice memos into proper songs! We parked up in his caravan studio for a few months and smashed out the EP.

We’re IN LOVE with your EP “Honey Blood”! Can you tell us about the concept of the EP and how you landed on it’s name?

The EP is a collection of songs written over a couple of years. They’re all sort of about specific time periods or experiences in my life - about growing up - I guess that’s the concept of the EP! The name “Honey Blood” is taken from one of the lyrics in “Rich”, it kind of reflects the idea of being sweet but also strong. As women we have such nuanced personalities and experiences and I wanted to highlight the idea that growing up and figuring out who you are is not a simple process!

“Warmer” is one of our fave tracks of yours! Can you tell us about the meaning of this track and the inspiration behind it?

Thanks so much! “Warmer” was written in lockdown last year and is about missing people you love and feeling a bit lonely. It plays on the idea of nostalgia and anticipation for warmer weather and those good summer feelings. Lockdown was a really unique time, it almost forced reflection, and I think it was an interesting time for creatives - some cool art has come out of a pretty shitty situation!

Another track we’re obsessed with is “Rich”! What was the process like for writing and producing this one?

“Rich” is the real centrepiece of the EP and one that we probably spent the most time working on! My sister, Mia Knott, worked really closely with me on the writing and decision making for this song and we’re so proud of how it turned out. It definitely had the highest level of production out of the songs on the EP, and we went through a lot of different mixes before we settled on the end product. It was really about finding a balance between the right level of energy while still being able to convey the message of the song. The song’s a celebration of the strong women in my life and their inner strength, but also the amazing and supportive relationships that we have with each other. That’s why it was so cool to work with my sister on it, and on the whole project in general. 

What were some of your highlights working on the EP?

I think one of the coolest things about starting this whole project, especially with the EP, is that it’s a completely blank canvas that you can create from scratch. There’s also no pressure or expectations, and everything is a learning experience. I really just figured things out as I went along. It’s been amazing to work with other NZ creatives - Nikau Te Huki has been a great mentor, and has a really refreshing perspective on life in general - you can feel the aroha that he puts into his production. Not only has it been an opportunity to create music, but also to create a little Len Blake world. It’s been so fun working really closely with my friend Beth Washer on design and visual content and local photographers to promote the EP. 

Who are your biggest inspirations in music?

Tricky question! There’s so much amazing music out there. Recently I’ve been mainlining RnB and soul - I love Olivia Dean, Joy Crooks, Corinne Bailey Rae, Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill etc. I’m also really into the OG jazz ladies like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday!

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

Oooh I love LEISURE! I’ve been jamming a lot to their album and they’ve just released a cool single. I love the chill NZ surf sound, like Daily J, Muroki and Marlin’s Dreaming, and of course BENEE and Lorde are queens. I love how they have such unique sounds and visions for their music. Xuzzdoc is a fellow Dunedin artist who’s been putting out some good tunes, and of course Nadia Reid is a huge inspiration. Nikau’s artistic alias Casual Healing is about to put out some fiiiiiine tunes, so keep a look out for his EP “First Born”. 

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

New Zealand is pretty elite! We’re so lucky to live in such a beautiful country. We’ve got a cool music community which has been brought closer from the pandemic - I think it’s encouraged more people to have a crack at the music scene and support local artists. My granny’s house in Waitarere Beach is one of my favourite spots, especially in the summertime with the fam.

What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt in your career so far?

Basically the whole thing’s been one big learning curve, you learn pretty quickly what works and what doesn’t! I think one of the most important things I’ve learnt is to just play music because you love to play music, and stay really open-minded throughout the creative process. 

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

Be kind and do things that make you happy! Every good thing is a little bit scary.

Thanks so much Len! Make sure to keep up with her on Instagram, Spotify or Apple Music.