LHĒON is a Neo-Soul singer from Melbourne, Australia who floats like a butterfly and sings like a bee: her May release, Full Disclosure Pt. II, is anything but boring. The EP is her follow-up to Pt. I, released in March. Eloquent Mag asked the singer about the project in full, her inspirations, and more below:

Q: Sonically, what were you going for on Full Disclosure Pt. II? Love the musical embellishments and rich tones in the instrumentation so much!

A: Thank you so much! I believe in this song’s first incarnations, it was more of a ballad and at some point also a rock vibe! When my producer Lee started re-working it for my project, he knew that it would work really well if we put that Motown drive, and spin to it. The grittiness of the drums as well as the vocals. With some really rhythmic horns and the bold organ sound…since I absolutely live for the old-school Soul music from the 60s, it was a match MADE.

Q: How do you think Full Disclosure Pt. I compares to Pt. II artistically/sonically?

A: Pt I has a modern flair, neo-soul, R&B with jazz and electronic twists, a concoction of all those genres with a pop flow. Pt. I was looking forward to my newer influences. I was able to experiment a lot with the harmonics by bringing together genres that might not necessarily be meshing together naturally and making them do that. Pt II is more “looking back” and paying homage to the music I grew up on, the old school Soul and Motown with big horn parts, heavy driving drums and infectious hooks. I got to really spread my wings within my voice and my producer pushed me, in a good way, to really go for it with these songs, no holding back and baring it all.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the track “I Hate The Way That I Love You” on Pt. II and what was recording the track like for you?

A: A relationship gone wrong. Where you put all of yourself yet getting little to nothing back. You’re committing fully because you love this person with every inch of your being but they are not capable of loving you back. Somehow you can’t leave, although you know that’s what you probably should be doing. It was incredibly cathartic recording this song because I had to channel sadness and anger I hadn’t done previously. It was one of the first times I felt I completely let it all go and just went for it…and in the last couple of choruses, I think you hear the actual desperation I felt, because the story and the lyrics really got to me. 

Q: Who are your musical influences?

A: This is always hard to answer since it’s ever-evolving for me! Here are some of them: Aretha Franklin, Jill Scott, Joss Stone, Adele, Emily King, Sara Bareilles, NAO, Emeli Sandé, Frank Ocean, Eryn Allen Kane, BANKS, Melody Gardot and more!

Q: Any up-and-coming bands or singer-songwriters you love right now?

A: You should definitely check out SKŸE, he has such a beautiful way of expressing himself with his voice, lyricism and melodies. I’m in awe of him. I also think you should check out Grace May is another beautiful artists. Very soulful and warmth, when I listen to her songs I feel almost embraced. Lastly, check out Cosima Olu. She is from Sweden. I’m always excited to rep great musicians from my home country. She creates music that’s so so fresh and incredibly unique. I’m mesmerized by her voice and songs, and she produces a lot of it (if not all of it) herself! 

Listen to Full Disclosure Pt. II now and tell us what you think in the comments: