Lev UFO Has Landed
Photos by Htet Wai
There are certain people who can brighten a room with their presence, Lev UFO is one of them.
We met last summer at one of the These Days picnics; a brief introduction turned into a spirited conversation. We got to hear how his pursuit of music led him from Michigan to Chicago to attend Columbia & learned of a batch of demos he was working on that had already earned a place in the hearts of a handful of heavy hitters in music & skate culture. Intrigued to hear more, he informed us he’d be moving to LA, and if we wanted to get the true experience of his music, we needed to see it live. Our last opportunity to do so for quite a while resided somewhere in a backyard in Cicero in a week’s time.
There we were met with a magical evening - familiar faces & a lineup of some of our soon-to-be-favorite new acts in the city (including S/S ‘22 Artists to Watch selectees Heartgaze & Ebony Loren). When Lev went on, the place transformed. Having no idea what to expect musically, we were presented with a sound that balanced an endearing brashness with an undeniably catchy set of anthem-like choruses. Even more impressive was how the crowd was reacting. None of these songs were out, but everyone knew all the words & were shouting them back at Lev as they were jumping (LEVitating?) literal feet off the ground. We have been fans since.
The first taste of that sound was made public last week in the form of Lev UFO’s debut single “Hate Today,” - which receives a visual pairing this afternoon that further illustrates the unique style + energy that defines the artist’s work. Get more familiar down below with our latest Q+A & be sure to add this one to your summer playlist.
For those not yet familiar, who is Lev UFO?
Lev UFO is a feeling, a sensation, a taste.... just kidding, I’m a kid that loves to create things, principally music! I play guitar and a bunch of other instruments and produce a ton. I also love to make videos and take pictures. I direct all of my own videos, edit my covers, and some of my covers I even shot by myself with a tripod hahaha.
Our first experience of your music was at a DIY show & I can’t express enough how contagious the energy in your performance was, where does it all come from lol?
Before all of my shows I get crazy anxious and out of it, and then when I go on, everything just disappears and I just get lost in the music and energy. It’s one of the best feelings honestly.. it makes all of the anxiety worth it. I love playing live.
“Hate Today” - your debut single - is out now. How does it feel?!
So good. I’ve been working towards this for so long, and it feels great to have my first song out in the world for people to listen to. I think I’m gonna grow a ton over the next few months now that the cap has been taken off the bottle, or now that the UFO has taken off!
The music video is awesome too, tell us about how that came together…
We had to shoot it early in the morning because I wanted my best friend and the producer of the song to be in the video but he had to leave at noon to go to the next tour stop with our friend Victor Internet! The night before I told one of the two filmers not to come because I didn’t want to make him drive 2 and a half hours in because we were gonna only have like 2 hours to shoot. When I woke up he had texted me at 5 am saying he had just left and he didn’t care and just wanted to help! He ended up getting one of my favorite shots in the video. HUGE thanks to Htet and Laly for the help on the video!
Can you share a bit about your time in Chicago & the creative collaborators you have here?
Oh wow... I wouldn’t be who I am today without Chicago and my friends/creative collaborators that I met in Chi! I went to Columbia and grew into the scene in Chicago. My first house shows and real exposure to music has all been in Chicago. I definitely see myself as still a rep of Chi because of how much I’m back and forth between LA and Chicago. I’m going to keep splitting my time between the cities.
On your IG live you spoke about an upcoming project, anything more you’re willing to share?
Without saying TOO much, I’m going to be putting out singles that are going to lead to something... I feel that it captures my introduction very well and I’m super proud of it!
As people begin to keep up with you & your work, what would you like them to keep in mind?
I’d like them to know that at the core of what I’m doing, my intentions are to have fun and spread that. I’ve been writing more vulnerable songs recently which might feel less fun haha but if that can get people lost in the music then my goals are achieved. Don’t ever take life too seriously!
What are a few things you’re currently working towards?
First off I want to keep making better and better music and art... I always want to keep growing
and improving, creating awesome things that feel genuine to me. Boy I’d love to tour and I know it’s coming. One of my dreams is playing on a late night talk show. I also want to grow and expand through my music to film as well. I’m manifesting all of it now!
Any parting words for our readers?
This is just the beginning! Thank you so much for your time and for caring about what I’m doing!
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