equality factor: empowerment through openness and honesty
our favorite song: "Wolf"
based in: Switzerland
Swiss singer-songwriter, Lea Lu, is an artist who truly believes in equality and empowerment for women in music. Her newest album, “I Call You” is finally out! Her previous EP, “Rabbit” was recorded in isolation, so for this album (while most of the world was in isolation), she made it her mission to make it as collaborative as possible. She worked with a range of artists, including Mocky, Nils Wogram, Daniela Sarda, Claudio Strueby, and David Zincke. When asked what makes music her passion, she shared that for her it is, “Making music with my great band. Music becomes even more precious when we share it.” As a result, this album is a mix of joyous and melancholy music, topped off with her effortlessly smooth vocals.
The album features hit songs like “Everything Is On Fire”, “I Call You”, and standout “Wolf.” Recorded in the remote Swiss Alps, the song captures the raw emotions that come with loneliness and the lyrics are a great representation of her songwriting process, which she explains, “I try to be as honest as possible in the way I translate it into a song. I’m convinced that when a song comes out of honest emotion, it can be understood even if we don’t speak the same language. It speaks for itself.” In contrast, “Everything Is On Fire”, is an upbeat, playful song that showcases her desire to work collaboratively and with a band. Lea Lu is a multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, violin, and guitar, and plays every instrument in the music video, which required her to learn the trombone!
“Until there’s no equality, there’s no democracy!”
For Lea Lu, equality and feminism always come into her music and everyday life. She shares, “Feminism is not a choice for me, but a clear must. Equality is a human right. Equal pay and equal opportunities for all genders are the logical consequence of this.” As a woman in music, she has also been subject to sexism and not being taken seriously because of her gender. “What drives me crazy is when, for example, the sound engineer at a soundcheck doesn’t take me seriously when I have some inputs for my monitor sound. In these moments I would start talking in a precise technical language about the exact frequencies.” Her experiences are a great example of why there still needs to be a lot of work done to ensure an equal music industry for everyone. Lea Lu embodies the goals of music is her passion, and states that “Until there’s no equality, there’s no democracy!”
“I Call You” is available now, both digitally, on vinyl, or even in soap form! She will be on tour across Switzerland in late November and hopefully soon across Europe.
