LEVV is the electropop duo of Audrey Assad and Seth Jones dedicated to helping music lovers dance through life’s pain by giving voice and rhythm to their own. Together they make pop songs that meld emotional substance with electronic finesse; themes as intimate as the dissolution of Seth’s marriage and Audrey’s escape from a cult are set to a dance beat without sacrificing substance.
Recently the pair shared “Collateral Damage,” the lead single from their forthcoming EP. We had the opportunity ask Seth and Audrey about some of the songs they’re listening to currently that inspire them, including singles from Bon Iver and Agnes Obel. Take a listen below!
Frida Sundemo – Neon
“This is one of the few songs you hear in life that grab you in some unexplainable way and never let you go. There have been a number of LEVV writing sessions that were inspired by this song and other songs of Frida’s. It is the perfect example of how a song can be greater than the sum of its parts. The emotion of chorus melody takes you somewhere familiar you’ve never been.” – Seth
Haux – Caves (Samuraii Remix)
“I love this song because of how simply it accomplishes what it set out to. As a producer, many times you’re tempted by all the tools in your hands. I love tracks like this Caves remix because it reminds me that deliberate production is always better than “noise.” It’s understated but powerful.” – Seth
Banners – Shine A Light
“There’s something about this lyric that continues to draw me back to it. There aren’t any bells and whistles in the track, it’s straight forward euro-dance, but the magic is in the melody and lyric. With Collateral Damage, we really tried to capture powerful emotion in simple ideas. Shine A Light does it to perfection.” – Seth
Among Savages – Start At The Beginning
“Seth and I were both listening to this when we first started writing / recording LEVV songs. The disorienting, daring orchestration and shuffling drums were great inspiration for our first batches of orchestral pop music—it’s elegant and emotive, but not too pretty.” – Audrey
Agnes Obel – Riverside
“Agnes is a big influence on me as a pianist and a lyricist—she evokes so much about the interior journey of life through her visceral descriptions of the physical world and her delicate, yet adventurous piano and vocal work on this song. There’s a really pleasant Scandinavian sensibility to her arrangements—sparse, but lush. This song in particular has haunted me since I first heard it and I’m ok with that!” – Audrey
Bon Iver – Beth/Rest
“Where do I begin with this song? The Chicago keyboard sounds, the saxophone weaving in and out, the aching melody—this song scratches pretty much all my 80s kid itches, not to mention that it makes me want to climb a mountain at sunset and drink til I cry healing tears! I think it’s safe to say when Bon Iver put that saxophone all over this track like chocolate sauce the rest of us felt permission to finally do the same—we certainly took that liberty with Collateral Damage.” – Audrey
Grey/Bahari – I Miss You
“Slightly tribal, with a close and emotional vocal, I Miss You is a one-song melancholy party for all your sad dance needs. We like to think we make sad dance music (of which Collateral Damage is only our first example) and there isn’t enough of it in the world, so this track is right up our alley.” – Audrey
Manse, ft. Jantine – Time Of Our Lives
“Even the saddest dance music nerds (hint: us) would like to let go and have a good time once in a while. This track is effervescent and fun and bubbles over like champagne, with no sad lyrics in sight. We love Jantine’s soft, sweet vocals. I don’t have a big voice so it’s always nice to hear other dance vocalists who have tender voices doing big fun tracks.” – Audrey
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