We had a chat with singer-songwriter and contortionist Lyra Star about her stunning and uplifting new single ‘Scars’
LA-based singer-songwriter and contortionist Lyra Star is an artist who has earned a reputation for the thoughtful and immersive nature of her sound and narratives, and latest single ‘Scars’ has taken on something of a life of its own thanks to its multi-faceted appeal and the depth and power of its hopeful narrative.
The track has an ethereal atmosphere that surrounds it as it seeks to find light in the darkness that 2020 was for so many people, looking to salvage beauty and inspire in even the most trying and difficult of circumstances. The end result was a track that does exactly that, and continues to showcase the power and personable charm of Lyra Star and her intoxicating sound. We had a chat with the artist to find out a bit more about the track and how it came to life.
Hey! We love your new single ‘Scars’, what more can you tell us about it?
I wrote the song during the pandemic when all of the fires were happening… things were feeling pretty apocalyptic and bleak in many ways, but I believe that humans have the power to create so much beauty. We all have various scars, both physical and emotional, from life experiences, but there is always an opportunity to find light. The song is essentially about what unites us as humans and how powerful we are as beings to create and manifest and open our hearts… it’s about hope and finding light in darkness.
What was the process like putting it together?
I started by just sitting at my keyboard and crafting the song with voice and keys… from there, I took it to my producer, Sam J. Garfield, and we worked together to create a full sound with lush harmonies, dreamy effects, and cinematic drums. I’m very grateful to work with someone that has such great ideas and understands my sound.
Who or what were your biggest influences when creating the track?
I really love what artists like Ayla Nereo and Imogen Heap do with layering vocals, so that’s something I always keep in the back of my mind when recording vocals. I also love Lana del Ray’s vibey, moody sound. We used reference tracks from artists like Sigur Ros and Mum to get an idea of some good atmospheric elements to complement the vibe of the song.
How much did you feel that your medical scare following the writing of the track affected its meaning for you?
Well, the medical scare did inspire the idea for the cover art and the gold foil makeup, so that ended up being a positive thing. It was also a big wakeup call for me to really be okay with having a massive physical scar on my body and find the beauty in it, especially knowing that people will see it when I perform.
What else do you have planned for the near future?
The full EP is releasing next month on May 19th, and I just wrapped up the editing for the ‘Scars’ music video, which I’m super excited about. I’m working on putting together a big release show on May 20th at Molly Malone’s here in LA, which will include a special screening of the video, so all of my energy is mostly focused on that at the moment. Once all of that is done, I will need a moment to breathe and reset but will eventually dive into my next song or doing another music video.
