Dunedin-born, London-based artist Len Blake is making waves with her UK debut single, “Like That,” following the success of her previous releases in New Zealand. In this exclusive interview with Pop-Cultr, Len shares insights into her musical journey, creative process, and aspirations for the future.
“Like That” is your UK debut following the success of “Te Piringa” in New Zealand. How does this release mark a new chapter in your musical career, and what aspirations do you have for introducing your music to a wider audience in the UK?
As my debut UK release, I really wanted something fun with a lot of energy to react to the vibrant music scene here. It was a lot of fun exploring the chill dance feel with this track! This year I’m hoping to do more live music and have been working with some great UK producers whose work I’m a huge fan of.
What unique elements do you bring to the table with this “Like That”?
The track originated from a beat that Josh Fountain showed me in our first session working together. It flowed pretty easily after that and we leaned into a fun, dance-inspired track!
The contrast between the musical scenes in New Zealand and London is likely significant. How do you adapt to these different environments creatively, and do you find that your approach to music-making changes depending on where you are?
Great question! I still feel as though I’m only scraping the surface in both of these scenes but so far my experience moving between the two has been really positive. When I first started making music in 2021 the NZ community really embraced me and were very welcoming. I recorded my first EP in a caravan parked by the beach, produced by the wonderful Nikau Te Huki – it was a very gentle and warm introduction into music-making.
I’d always wanted to come to the UK as most of my influences and favourite artists were coming out of the female neo-soul scene here in London. As soon as I started working here I felt super inspired. It’s a big energy shift and was an exciting change for me. I’ve had some amazing opportunities here already and am grateful to the people I’ve been working with and everything they’ve been teaching me!
If your music could teleport people to any place or time, where would you want your listeners to go when they play “Like That”?
Oooo another goodie! With any of my music I hope that people can find personal meaning in the songs and their own interpretation that can be special to them. If I’m drawing from specific feelings or experiences, I like to think that the energy can transport the audience to a certain time or place in their lives – almost a memory montage. For ‘Like That’ I’m crammed into a room with my friends, getting ready to go out, drinking cheap wine out of mugs.
Looking at your musical journey from Honeyblood to “Te Piringa” and now “Like That,” what progression or growth do you see in your sound, and how do you envision your future releases building upon this evolution?
Over the last couple of years writing and recording with different people, I’ve learnt a lot which I hope has reflected in my sound. I approach a lot of my music with story-telling and really enjoy the process of turning poetry and personal experience into lyrics. I think it’s cool to maintain strong lyrical narratives while being open to a range of different music styles. I’m still in quite an experimental phase of my music journey and my sound is definitely evolving. But, my love for truthful lyricism will hopefully remain throughout.
I’m currently working on an EP which will be released later this year. I can’t wait to share it with my audience and it’s been really exciting bringing it to life.
Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals in the music industry, and how do you envision your sound evolving as you continue to explore new musical territories and collaborations?
My music feels really connected to my own personal growth and since I’m still doing lots of growing (in my angsty twenties…) I hope my music will stick with me on the journey. I can’t wait to release the new tracks and play them live! I think the best part is performing your music to an audience and getting to experience their reactions in real-time. I was lucky enough to work with Jordan Rakei on my upcoming single, which was a really special collaboration for me, being really influenced by Jordan’s music! Stay tuned 🙂
Thank you for joining us for this insightful interview with Len Blake. Be sure to check out her latest release, “Like That” and its 90909 Remix, stay tuned for more exciting releases from this rising star.
