Lucy Park's 'Before I Speak' EP Will Leave You Speechless
Lucy Park’s Before I Speak EP will leave you speechless. The lyrics are poised and the vocals are polished. Lucy Park is one to watch. The 22-year-old London and LA based artist is doing all the right things. Her latest EP is sentimental and sure to stick. I got the chance to ask Park a few questions about the new project. Read our interview below.
Before I Speak IS OUT! HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
Blessed! I have so many lovely people on my team who helped make the whole project come to life, so I am mainly just feeling grateful for all the work that everybody put in to make this happen.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST START WORKING ON THE EP? HOW DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE READY TO PUT OUT A BIGGER PROJECT?
I wrote this record with my After Dinner Records team in about a month last November, but “On God” was a song that we had revisited from about a year earlier, so the sentiment of that one was from earlier on than the rest of the music. I knew I was ready to put out a bigger project because I was in the studio every day making music that felt like it was part of a larger story rather than a bunch of singles.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO TITLE THE EP Before I Speak? IS THERE A REASON BEHIND THE NAME?
“You take my words before I speak” is a lyric from the song, “Somebody Else.” It was the song I resonated the most with when I began thinking about a name for the EP, so using that lyric felt fitting.
YOU’RE BASED IN BOTH LONDON AND LA, DOES BEING FROM THOSE TWO PLACES INFLUENCE YOUR SOUND IN DIFFERENT WAYS?
I listen to a ton of British artists like Joy Crookes, Jorja Smith, and Hope Tala, but I make most of my music in LA, so there is always an interesting mix of influences that end up in my music.
THE EP IS REALLY CONSISTENT. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE SOUND OF THE PROJECT?
I would describe the sound of this project as reflective and intimate. It leans a lot into R&B and is also meditative and warm.
WHAT WERE YOU READING/WATCHING/LISTENING TO WHILE MAKING Before I Speak?
I grew up listening to Amy Winehouse, so her melodies definitely inspire a lot of my writing. Tierra Whack was an influence for the song, “True to You,” and Frank Ocean was a big inspiration for “After All.”
WAS THERE A SONG THAT WAS SUPER FUN TO MAKE?
Definitely “True to You” because everyone in my band was there! There was great energy in the room that day and we tried our best to capture that in the song.
WHAT WAS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS LIKE FOR THE PROJECT? ANY SPECIFIC STORIES BEHIND THE MAKING OF ANY OF THE SONGS?
I wrote this EP with Anoop D’Souza, Dylan Neustadter, Cam Johnson, and Rob Aragon. We wrote most of the tracks at Tell Bower Studios in LA, but I wrote “After All” in my living room with Anoop, and that ended up being my favorite of the tracks. Also, all the vocals for “Cold” are iPhone voice memos!
FAVORITE LYRIC OFF THE PROJECT?
“Somber cranes will fly” from the song “After All” might be my favorite lyric.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND LAST SONGS ON THE EP?
The first songs on the EP reflect a younger version of me, but the last song is closer to where I am at now, because it reflects on everything that came before.
WHAT’S THE BIGGEST THING YOU LEARNED FROM MAKING Before I Speak?
I feel like I grow more as an artist and as a writer with every song I work on, but finishing an EP really taught me to think about the big picture, and how to make a collection of songs tell a cohesive story.
WHAT DID I MISS? ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT THE EP OR YOUR MUSIC IN GENERAL?
While making this EP, my bandmates and I started our own record label called After Dinner Records. The music industry isn’t always an accessible place for young POC so we decided to go about things our own way. Keep an eye out for After Dinner Records projects coming out soon!
YOU CAN LISTEN TO LUCY PARK AND HER Before I Speak EP ON STREAMING SERVICES LIKE SPOTIFY AND APPLE MUSIC. STREAM THE SONG AND MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW @twentyminuteslater TO STAY UPDATED ON FUTURE POSTS.
