INTERVIEW: Leilani Patao Builds Community, One Zine and Song at a Time
Brooklyn artist Leilani Patao is determined to get out of cyberspace and into the real world, one zine and one single at a time. We talk their upcoming EP daisy, and how they are building a world we all want to live in.
Leilani Patao doesn't mind things taking a while. That's obvious from their meticulous layering of sounds in their indie pop, creating catchy audio collages that evoke wistful melancholy – and a stubborn optimism. With the upcoming release of their EP daisy, Patao spoke with us about their approach to making music and their orientation towards community.
""I’m putting together a community event centered around physical media and community on November 8th! I’m an independent artist who has chosen to keep my music off of streaming as a stance against unfair wages and AI use, and I’m trying to focus on tangible connections in the local nyc scene. For my EP release show, I wanted to do something where live music, physical media, and some of my favorite zines could be in one spot for the night."
The EP launch will be at The Living Gallery in Brooklyn, NY (Tickets)
Explain the title of your EP daisy.
Daisy is the name of my childhood dog who sadly passed last year. Unfortunately, it is kind of a downer. But when Daisy passed, I had already been using dog metaphors in my music, and then I started using her dog barks in my production, and soon it felt like she was all over this music a little bit, even though she wouldn’t ever hear any of it. The first track of the album, "Branded" is about how sometimes I wish we could have swapped for a little bit. She could have been going to college in New York City, getting all wrapped up in music and school and making friends, and I could have been the one to endure the pain she was going through at the end of her life. But I have her with me always, my mom and I have matching tattoos of her that I designed.
What's the best way a fan can support you?
For this EP, I’ve decided to not put my music on streaming going forward. I don’t think my art should contribute in any way to AI military tech. And I wanted to see if I could release music, share it with people and get paid properly without centering the parts of the music industry that make me miserable. So the best way to support me right now is just to keep listening! My music is on Bandcamp, and all the music videos I make go on YouTube. And I write a lot, I’ve got a Substack, and I make zines for every release I make, you could check those out.
But I think, most of all, I like talking to people, and meeting the people who have taken the time to see me. I feel so much support from the people around me, the people who I’ve met at gigs, and I think that’s what really keeps me going.
Who are some of your musical influences?
I think for this EP, my influences are a bit all over the place. I went through a break up right before I wrote most of these songs, and during that time I physically could only bring myself to listen to Caroline Polachek. And honestly, I think that’s one of the most apparent influences. I’m also a big Le Tigre fan, which I think really shows up on this project, and same with MUNA. I think those 3 are honestly my big 3, I’m truly a MUNA sun, a Caroline Polachek moon, and a Le Tigre rising.
I do have to say, a lot of the way I cut up my drums and hear rhythm tracks comes from my girlfriend, Nat Yew, who is the front person of Prophet Tree. I think working with her has made me hear my ideas way differently. And I’m really lucky to get to show her my music and work with her.
How do you feel your queer identity ties into your performance style or music?
I honestly think my queerness is in everything I do. I don’t think I ever stood a chance. I couldn’t sit still as a kid, and so my mom put me in theatre camp, and I was doomed to be gay forever lol. My queerness colors my experience as a person, and I think that shows up in my songs. And I think that ranges from songs of mine like “LABEL,” which is about struggling with fitting myself into a box, to a song called “portrait” on my new EP, which, to put it carefully, is about being loved really well by a lesbian.
I also think I search out for community everywhere I go. Whether it’s searching for queer spaces to perform in, or trying to not play all-white bills, or seeking out collaborators who understand my complex identities, I think I care really deeply about connecting with the scenes I’m a part of. And whether that’s from queer culture, or the punk scene I grew up in, or from just wanting to make the music scene around me a little better, I feel a deep responsibility to do my part to make myself and others feel safe.
What would you like to say to people who are currently questioning their identities?
I think everyone should explore their gender and sexuality!! Everyone should try everything! I genuinely think examining your gender, and actually finding what you want to look like is the most freeing and healthy thing someone can do. Even if you figure out something wasn’t for you, now you know that. You know where your boundaries are and you know a little more about yourself now. There’s such an unnamable uncomfortability that comes from feeling separate from how you feel inside.
And, for me, I didn't know that that deep dread and anger I felt came from boxing myself in and forcing myself into a vision I thought I had to be. When I first came out as a lesbian, I was terrified that I would be leaving something behind, that I wouldn’t be the best version of myself I was taught I could be. But I’m grateful that I had the support of my friends and my family to try the label out. It’s just a word, it’s not permanent, I could have changed my mind whenever I wanted. But I found so much joy from the label of “lesbian,” from being a lesbian and surrounding myself with lesbians.
It felt the same when I started using “they” pronouns. I felt this current inside of myself that I wanted to try to give a name, and I found “they” pronouns made me feel so myself. And I feel so wonderful being a non-binary lesbian. They’re just words at the end of the day, and if they make me feel good, and they signal to the world even a little bit of what’s inside of me, then that’s beautiful. I think wanting to get to know yourself better is a good thing, and I can’t imagine why anyone would ever feel otherwise.
The EP launch will be November 8th @ The Living Gallery in Brooklyn, NY (Tickets)
