Q&A: Rising Indie Pop Star Lexie Carroll Reflects on Mental Health With New Single “violet”
INDIE POP HAS A NEW STAR, AND SHE IS ONLY 18 — London-based artist Lexie Carroll is known for songs such as “the sky looked nice today,” “christmas day,” and “annual birthday cry.” Carroll’s sweet voice, sensitive lyrics, and stripped-back indie-folk music has established her over 150K Spotify listeners and counting. But her newly released single, “violet,” out today, showcases how her range and ability effortlessly blends into the indie-pop genre. With the faster pace of swelling guitars and drums against her intimate tone, Carroll creates a motivational anthem for those struggling.
“I wrote ‘violet’ because my friend was going through a difficult time and it was hard to get through to them,” she shared. “So in the song I'm just saying, ‘Hold on — I know your brain’s saying it won’t get better, but it will.”
Carroll and her all-female band have supported artists such as Tom Odell, Maddie Zahm, and Tommy Lefroy, and have hosted a sold-out headline show at The Grace in London last December. Carroll and her band can also be seen in the music video for “violet,” directed by Tiara Westlake, in which Carroll is seen struggling to carry a heavy sack until her bandmates help her. They all begin to play in the snow and visibly have a good time together, a metaphor for friendship and the need for support when you see those struggling.
A catchy song with a sweet and important message, this bolder sound from Caroll along with the refreshing honesty from her lyrics make “violet” a memorable addition to her already popular repertoire.
With a new EP set to release in May, which Carroll shares is the most “her” EP she has made, will no doubt solidify her incredible growth as an artist. Read more below to learn more about “violet” and how mental health plays a role in Carroll’s music.
LUNA: First off, congrats on your new single! You’ve shared that you wrote this song for a friend who was going through a difficult time. Did this source of inspiration make the lyrics come easily to you?
CARROLL: Yeah, I’ve just had a couple of people close to me really struggle with mental health stuff, and I always seem to go back to writing songs about it because it just makes me feel so much. Coming from a place of having had my own difficulties, it can be so scary to watch and feel like you don’t even know what to say to them or do to help, despite understanding what they’re going through. But I guess the separation of writing it in a song makes it a lot easier haha.
LUNA: “Violet” is a beautiful song. It feels quite encouraging and accepting, and there is an innocence to the lyrics and tone. While many of your songs feel gentle and sweet, the swelling guitars and drums make “violet” feel stronger. Was this an active choice when working on the song?
CARROLL: Definitely. I love music that has more electric guitars and fun drums — it’s what I listen to most so I’ve always wanted to start making music that has that in it. But also I think with the lyrics and the topic of the song, it felt natural for it to be a bit less gentle then the sounds of my other songs — there's almost a bit of anger, I think, in the lyrics of the verses.
LUNA: What do you hope people feel when they listen to “violet”?
CARROLL: I feel like it’s really pretentious to say I’d like it to be empowering, but the song has just really helped me — like, when I sing it live I just get this overwhelming feeling of energy. The idea that the things going on in your brain don’t define who you are is really important to me.
LUNA: I love the imagery of the music video and the themes of friendship and support you share. Did you have a vision for the music video going into creating it?
CARROLL: No, it was all created by the wonderful Tiara Westlake — we just talked about the song and then when she sent me the idea it felt so perfect.
LUNA: Can you talk me through the process of writing and producing “violet”?
CARROLL: It was very choppy — I had most of the chorus in a voice memo on my phone for months and months, and then I went in to work with Josef Page and we decided to work on it. It was so great, though, because Joe started laying down drums and guitars and I wrote the verse super quickly whilst he was working on the instrumental. I think having that rocky sound being made in the background really got me to write in a more rocky way, and that was really fun.
And then I got so stuck on the second verse until probably a couple months later, [when] I had the idea about the “fighting fires with a dishcloth” line — I don’t know where it came from. It just popped into my head one morning and then I worked the rest of the verse around that. It was “fighting fires with a toothbrush” at first, though, which makes me laugh now. And then I played it live at a little solo slot at a BBC introducing gig, literally right after I’d written that second verse, but I was so desperate to play it and I just sort of sang the bridge part naturally, and it felt right so we just kept it like that. I went back in to finish the production with Joe and it was so fun making it really rocky (well relative to my standards!), especially the bridge! Once [we were] done, I must've listened to it on loop for a good few weeks — I was just so so so so happy with it.
LUNA: At only 18, you have already released multiple singles and EPs, an incredible achievement. Do you think you have found your “voice” when it comes to your music?
CARROLL: Thank you! Ooh, I don’t know, I like to think it’ll just keep growing and I feel like nowadays it’s so okay to put out a big mix of things and not be confined to one sound. That’s really exciting to me. But this EP that’s coming out at the moment definitely feels like the most “me” for right now.
LUNA: With a large following on social media and over 150K Spotify listeners, why do you feel that your music has struck a chord with so many people in your generation?
CARROLL: Ahh, I don’t know, that’s a nice thing to say. I find so much comfort in lyrics, both listening [to] and writing them, and I hope that comes across and people can tell it’s coming right from my HEAAART. (Sorry for the cheese)
LUNA: Blending so many genres in your own work, I am curious about who some of your musical inspirations are?
CARROLL: I think, like everybody, I’m so inspired by Phoebe Bridgers. And then I also love love love Cavetown and Aurora — I think those are the three that I’ve been most influenced by.
LUNA: Did you tell your friend you wrote this song for them? And if so, can I ask how they reacted when they first heard it?
CARROLL: Sort of — I think she knows (laughs), and I hope she likes it.
LUNA: I hear you have a new EP set for release in May! Is there anything you can tell us about this new project?
CARROLL: I'm just SO EXCITED! Like I said before, it just feels the most “me” EP that I could possibly make.
CONNECT WITH LEXIE CARROLL
SPOTIFY
-
weekly tunes playlist has been updated! new tracks from @furtradeband, @pecqband, @garryfool & more! check it out! https://t.co/ToFU0R6YGo
