We spoke to the 22-year old Berlin artist LIE NING about his new EP Traffic songs for the inbetweens, his thoughts on home and the best and worst thing about being young nowadays.
You have an amazing voice. And to me your voice sounds older and more mature than from someone who is 22. Do you have any classical training or how did you start singing?
Thank you. I actually hear that quite often. I don’t have any training, but a lack of male role models. Early on I had an idea of how I would love a male singer to sound like. To have this earthy warmth, power but also soft energies. I am trying to follow that idea with my own voice.
How is your song writing process?
My writing process is always different. Sometimes I wake up and I know exactly how I want everything to sound and how I wanna put the lyrics. Sometimes I feel an urge, an emotion, something inside of me that needs release. And then I start exploring what that is and how I can vocalize it. I love working with other lyricists and musicians. They have their unique take on my personal issues and together we create a broader view on the topics. I am L is one of these writers, friends that I love to work with. When it comes to production I found an amazing team `dasmomania‘. They know how to record my voice. I feel comfortable showing all my vulnerability. Which is rare.
“Early on I had an idea of how I would love a male singer to sound like. To have this earthy warmth, power but also soft energies. I am trying to follow that idea with my own voice.”
Why did you chose LIE NING as your artist name?
It is my name. Actually. And it always felt right.
Main inspirations for your EP?
Water is always one of my biggest inspirations. But also visibility, warmth, community, silence and time. My friends and relationships. Patrick Watson, anthony and the johnsons, jorja Smith, they all guide me through the process through one way or another.
What is the meaning/ story behing the track „Alright“?
At the time I started writing alright with Craig Walker, I found myself trapped in a very toxic relationship. The person I was seeing, didn’t see me for who I am, but as some reduced, stereotyped version of me. In every touch, every conversation I felt that they were not really interested in me. They wasted their and my time on false pretending. But I´d rather have a broken heart, that will learn to trust again then a betrayed, foul lie that I am stuck in. It’s ‘alright’ not to love, as it is ‘alright’ to love.
“But I´d rather have a broken heart, that will learn to trust again then a betrayed, foul lie that I am stuck in.”
Your favourite or most personal track on the album and why?
My favorite song is ‘tonight’ . Whenever I perform this song in front of an audience, I relive this very special memory. The song birthed out of me after a magical, truthful, trustful night. It basically wrote itself, reflecting on all the love, the warmth I received from a wonderful person in my life. Moreover singing ‘tonight’ makes me realize how much love I myself am able to give.
Who are your musical influences?
As I said before, I listen a lot to Jorja Smith. I admire and adore Patrick Watson and Anohni. But I also love classical music, rap – little simz comes to mind – rnb, rock. But I am mostly inspired by the artists of Berlin like Mikey Woodbridge, Marshall Vincent, FHAT, K.ZIA, Lxandra and more.
One song is called home. Is home for you in Berlin where you grew up? And what means home to you?
Berlin definitely is a home to me. I feel free to explore and express myself at all times, I learn from amazing human beings that accumulate in this strange German capital. But my definition of home is not bound to any specific geographic location. I recognize home within people I love. It is the reflection of how close to myself I can be in the presence of an array of characters. Home travels, transforms and always questions. And eventually home shows itself within ourselves.
“Home travels, transforms and always questions. And eventually home shows itself within ourselves.”
When you grew up you lived with your mum in a creative housing project with other various characters from all walks of life. How has this influenced you?
Greatly. Especially in my childhood, the impact my surrounding had on me was grant. I am so lucky to have seen all these people follow their dreams, whatever they were. Understanding that creativity is found in any profession you chose, as long as you stay curious, invested and open-minded. That you enjoy your own work the most, when you can share it. Even collaborating with people that come from a completely different background; and with background I mean everything that a person takes with them throughout live, willingly and not. What happens then, is magic. A bunch of creatives, building their dream, living in their dream.. of course this inspired me.
Where can we find you on a Friday night?
I follow the water.
The best thing about being young these days?
Is that I don’t really care. I just spent a weekend with my grandma, we had the most amazing exchange. We talked lots about how her body has transformed within the past years, how she sees the world. She even let me massage her feet. Which was such a precious Moment, touching this beautiful, fragile, soft skin. I just wish for the future that there is gonna be a more open dialogue between generations. We all live now.
And the most difficult part about it?
Constantly being reminded of it.
True happiness is…
To be defined individually.
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Photo Credit – Ben Wolf
