…all our memories they come together: LEILA – By You Now
Leila – By You Now is available at Bandcamp, Apple Music, Tidal.
by Walter Price
Complex and delicate, LA-based songwriter/filmmaker Leila’s new single, “By You Now”, has as much to do with the rise and fail of a relationship as it does with the intertwined dramas one dwells in during the process. And while this performer credits Chopin and Debussy as influencers on her songwriting, this track is more akin to what Carole King and Carly Simon were offering up decades ago.
Soft and dramatic, this single’s lyrics play out like contrasting chapters. The beginning is on the hopeful and perhaps blissful side, as the second set of sentiments get a bit murky. Earnestness that could remind you of a stage-play being sung in heartbreaking truths. Fond memories vs. the actualities of loss.
That time in San Francisco
Where I’d get to know your name
That time in sweet Arizona
Where we’d go to escape the rain
After the fog, after the sunshine
Our trip unraveled on its own
Now all our memories they come together
And they won’t leave me alone
For some firsthand backstory, Leila has been quoted, “Despite how emphatically we attempt to distract ourselves, the reality of heartbreak inevitably sets in. That’s the arc I was going for in ‘By You Now’ with a vibrant upbeat opening that ultimately leads to a somber and lonely ending”.
I wish that I could be by you now
I wish that I could be your good morning call
I wish that I could be by you now
I wish that we could sit side by side on a hill outside this lonely town
Peering down and around at the crowds
Feeling glad I’ve got you with me here and now
Here and now
If you’re a fan of the Pearl Charles, Linda Ronstadt, and/or twisty love songs, then add this one your what-once-was playlist. And you can stream “By You Now” as well as the single, “Missing You”, now at GTC.
Leila’s Tim Carr produced debut album, ‘Glass Highways’, is expected later this year.
LEILA By You Now
+ Missing You
By You Now
Written and Performed by Leila
Produced by Tim Carr and Leila
Mixed by Tim Carr and Leila
Mastered by Phillip Shaw Bova
Vocals recorded at 4th Street Recording, Santa Monica
Artist photo via Spotify
Missing You
Written and performed by Leila
Produced by Tim Carr and Leila
Mixed By Tim Carr
Mastered by Philip Shaw Bova
Additional vocals provided by:
Valecia Phillips
Allie McNay
“I tried not to be too prescriptive in my lyrics, but rather acknowledge the varied and at times dissonant emotions we face amidst heartbreak.” – Leila