– Hey Linndsyeah! What’s the story behind your stage name?
Hey there! The story behind my name began a while ago when I searched my name in google. I found some articles my father had published. His name is Louis Damis and he’s a board
certified clinical health psychologist and current president of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. We’re very close and I often joked with him about the pronunciation of our last name,
and how we both have the same first and last initials. So changing my stage name from Lindsey Damis was already an idea I’d been considering. Then one day in 2021, I looked up my name in
Spotify and noticed the name Lindsey Lomis popping up. I’ve heard great things about her music and songwriting! I thought it might be too close for people to differentiate as I was just
starting out. That’s what pushed me to really make the switch. I liked the idea of a one word name. I wanted to make it feel more personal and fun, like I was just your sister having a good
convo with you on the couch or something. My close friends call me Linds and I figured this was a way to create some space from my name while not straying too far. I actually have never been
good at coming up with silly names for my accounts online so this took most of the summer to decide. I landed on Linndsyeah by August and put out my first single, ‘stup!d’, with the name. I
had already been putting out music for a while so I was a little worried people wouldn’t get it or support it. It ended up having the reverse effect: It became easier to brand myself, express
myself, and be even more truthful in my artwork. It was like some part of me was able to perform for real under this stage name and then I could still be myself when it was time to retreat.
Changing my stage name actually helped me connect to myself more as an artist!
– What made you want to pursue a music career?
It was really my love for singing, writing, and producing. My dad was always musically inclined. Before getting into a bad car accident at 16, where he lost nerves in his hand, he would play
guitar and write songs in his band. He ended up switching career paths because of that, but always kept his musical side around when I was young. Growing up I never felt very interested
in anything that society deemed as important or profitable. It took me a while to find my self worth and learn how to improve my skills by singing when no one was home. Then on stage
with friends is where things really started. It slowly grew into songwriting when feelings were too intense to handle by myself. As I felt more and more confident about my songs, I wanted to
share them. Once I put out ‘The Only One’ in 2020 I learned that people really relate to my writing, and the production elements I added helped to tell the story as accurately as it felt.
Once I found that the thing I loved doing also helped others in some way, it solidified my reason for taking it seriously. That being said, all my songs are created with so much joyful energy
because I love the process of creating. I couldn’t do this as a career if I didn’t enjoy it. Producing was something I did out of necessity at first, but it totally grew my love for this artform. Pursuing
music to me also means making timeless work that everyone and anyone could relate to on some level. I just knew from a young age that I had something to share, but I never expected songwriting to be the vehicle for getting my messages across.
– If not music, what would you be doing now?
I love this question because I actually do have another passion job aside from music! I am actually an Astrologer and have been giving readings for the past three years professionally. I
always think that if I lost the ability to sing, songwrite, or produce, I’d just spend more time giving readings and teaching classes. I understand that that kind of work has certain misogynistic
stigmas, but all I know is how to analyze the data of a birth chart and how to help resolve the confusion and uncertainty that comes with life. I just want to give people the confidence to move
through the challenges of life knowing that they find what they’re looking for. I feel it’s an incredible tool that can be used in so many different ways. I love problem solving and this is one of the best ways to tailor the solution to someone’s specific energetic needs.
– Can you take us through the creative process behind your latest single “Don’t Wanna Know Why”?
Late 2022 I was filled with a fire to recommit myself to putting out more music again after a tumultuous time earlier that year. Wanting to release a bigger project I needed more options to
pick from, songwise. I chose to challenge myself by writing and producing one song a day from scratch for a week straight. I figured it would leave me with at least 5 songs to choose from. I
ended up making this song on the second day of that week. It started out with a rock feel to it, with a heavy distorted piano and a strong drum beat. I later tweaked it a few times, after having
a few friends attempt to play various instruments on it. My dad even added guitar to one version of it! I ended up scrapping the song at one point after my film friends pitched a video concept to
me and I still wasn’t feeling it. I realized it wasn’t everyone else, it was the song, I had over complicated it. I muted every track except the lead melody and the most raw piano chords. It
helped me see a new vision for the song by leaning deeper into the electronic feel. I simplified the composition and fell in love with the driving electronic drum beat. Suddenly, the video
concept worked, I could visualize the cover art colors, and I felt ready to share it. It’s not often I am willing to completely rework a song, but the lyrics and the melody felt too good to throw away. I’m still so grateful for everyone who contributed and supported every version of this song. I’m lucky to be surrounded by so many creatives willing to expand on my ideas. This song truly almost got left behind but I’m glad I gave myself time to find its most accurate expression. It HAD to evolve!
– Who would you like to collaborate with? (Who knows they might read this.. ;))
I honestly haven’t really thought that far ahead, I think Rachel Chinouriri, Steve Lacy, Yves Tumor, or Mia Gladstone would make some pretty cool collaborations. I’ve always wanted to
land in a writing session with Victoria Monet since I discovered her in 2019. That would also be a dream collaboration of my life! I feel like when it comes to collaborations for me, I go based on
the song at hand and if I don’t get that light up feeling or ideas flowing, it’s not so easy for me to jump on board.
– What’s coming next for you?
What’s next is my debut album, ‘How Does it Feel’, set to release in March of this year! I created 12 songs that are here to deliver the truth that comes from ending relationships: Romantic or
platonic, close to home or long distance, it all feels the same in the end. I’m excited to share my stories and hopefully continue to find the people who appreciate hearing what I needed to hear
in order to get through those moments. I think we can all agree that it’s not easy to embrace the change that comes from separation, but it’s freeing to be honest about how messy it is. Feelings
are not logical but they hold their own truth and fact. By taking a step back I was able to ask myself how it feels along the way, and I am bursting at the seams to share what it was like. ‘How Does it Feel’ goes into the darkness of loss and asks what’s on the other side of it.
Listen to “don’t wanna know why”:
