LÉON, the next big thing

words by: caity hardy

LÉON is her stage name, but Lotta Lindgren is known as “the next big thing” according to popular music artist, Katy Perry. The 26-year-old from Stockholm released her first studio album earlier in March and this summer, will be touring around Australia. COVERED. sat down with the popular music artist to talk about her upcoming tour, plans for a second album and her epic 70’s style.

You come from a very musical family, your mum is a cellist, and your dad is a composer and conductor, what was your childhood like? Well, it was a lot of music (laughing), a lot of going to different choirs, seeing orchestras, having a lot of vocal lessons, cello, there was a lot of music but it was great, my childhood was great.

You’re coming to Australia for the first time on your debut tour! What are you most looking forward to?

First of all, I’m looking forward to doing the shows, it’s been a dream of mine forever to come to Australia. I feel like this is going to be such a classic answer but the weather and the animals are what I’m most looking forward to. I really want to hang out with animals! But I’m also a little afraid because people keep telling me about all the spiders and other stuff you have in Australia. So I feel like I’m going to be checking my bed every night for spiders. I’m just very excited to come over there though.

What should we be expecting from your upcoming tour?

Well it’s going to be a big show, the sets are longer than I’ve done before just because I have way more songs to pick from now because I released my first album earlier this year. I think it’s going to be a solid mix of old songs and new songs from the album. Hopefully people will just have a good time, I’m not bringing in anything crazy but it’s going to be fun!

What’s your favourite thing about performing live on tour, particularly in countries you’ve never been to before?

You don’t really get a lot of time to see things when you’re on tour, but I think I might take some days off when I’m in Australia, so I’m going to travel a bit and see some things in my free time. I don’t know what the best thing is about performing live, I just love touring and I just love playing live, that’s where I feel most at home. I love being back with my tour family and going to all these places.

I’m just very excited to be back on the road again, it’s felt like too long even though it was only a couple of months ago.

When you’re not creating music or performing, what other things and hobbies do you like to do?

Good question! I think when I’m in Stockholm I’ll just hang out with a bunch of friends, or you know, see my family. It’s kind of the same thing when I’m in LA, just catching up with friends. I don’t know, I’m a boring person! I go to the movies all the time, nothing crazy. I wish I had a hobby, I’m into poetry and music but that’s my job.

From your fashion style, Instagram and music, you seem really nostalgic for the 1960’s/1970’s, what’s with the obsession?

I’ve always been very fascinated with the whole era and time of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. It’s weird because I’ve never actually been able to experience it myself. There’s something about how people would dress, all the movies and music. I don’t know, there’s something there. I’ve always just been very drawn to it. It kind of came naturally to bring that into my own musical world.

You’ve created your first album, started your own recording company, you’re going on tour around America, Europe and Australia, What’s next on the cards for you?

So now we’re doing the American tour, and then we’re coming to Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Then I’m just going to go back home for Christmas because that’s the best time of the year. Then, I’m pretty deep in the process of making my second album. So I’m just going to spend all my time in the studio, finishing songs and writing. I feel like I’ve been very stuck in the studio so this tour is coming at the right time. I don’t have to think about songs and writing all the time. But yeah, I’ll be able to finish what I’m working on after the tour. I’m trying anyway!

When do you think you’ll have the second album done by?

So that’s the hardest question because I don’t know when something will be done because it’s one of the hardest things to do. But I’m going to give myself a time limit of spring and summer. I just need to give myself some time to finish it in the first half of May. I feel like there’s a lot of things I want to say but I don’t know, I have so many songs maybe I should start writing now! Hopefully, I’ll bring out some new songs pretty soon. Time will tell. •