Interview: Ley Line to share stage at Paramount Theater Friday with Nané
Acclaimed Austin acts, Ley Line and Nané will share the stage this Friday (May 21) evening at the historic Paramount Theater for a special dual screening of their films, “We Saw Blue,” an audio-visual Journey through Brazil” and “Don’t Let This Love Go to Waste” along with live performances by both bands for a socially distanced live audience.
Both documentaries are gorgeously shot. Ley Line’s film not only highlights music from their 2020 release We Saw Blue, it also shows the audience the beauty of Brazil and its people as band members Kate Robberson, Emilie Basez and twin sisters Lydia and Madeleine Froncek traveled across the stunning South American landscape with their latest record as the soundtrack. It begins by posing a question: Why don’t we (the collective we) use the protective energy of our blue planet in a more constructive way? The group then sets out to answer that question through their work on the film.
The beauty of the harmonizing quartet’s music is intertwined with the images of the film in a way that make the presentation of this work seamless to the viewer. We watched it more than once, because when you see pictures that beautiful, you just want to revisit as much as possible. Those lucky enough to snag tickets to the show Friday will get to see it in all its glory, on a huge screen, the way it was intended to be seen. A very limited number of tickets are still available.
The Cosmic Clash: The film y’all made is gorgeous. What prompted the making of “We Saw Blue?”
Ley Line: Thank you so much! The film was mostly edited throughout 2020, so that is one way we try to see the pandemic as a blessing. In 2017, we decided to travel together as a band through Brasil because it is a country that has been so influential in the lives of Kate and Emilie not only as musicians and artists, but has shaped them into who they are. The two met in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 as acquainted friends back from Austin, and found themselves on an endless journey for the next 6 months that was guided by their singing together. Upon coming home they began a duo project that eventually evolved when twin sisters Lydia and Madeleine Froncek joined the band. Many of the songs we sang together were traditional folk songs from Brasil and we really wanted the entire band to have a chance to experience the places and cultural traditions that influenced the music. We decided to tour the country as a band and brought cameras along to document the journey. We always knew we wanted to make music and a film inspired by the experience of traveling through Brasil together but it wasn’t until we got home and songs began to take shape that we found a way to tie all of the footage together into a cohesive vision. This year felt the time to put it out into the world because we are all missing travel and human connection and we knew people needed to feel the joy and beauty that the film emanates.
TCC: Did y’all already know Daniel Sahad? Your partnership with Nané seems like a no-brainer now that the Paramount show has been announced. How did the collaboration between the bands develop?
Ley Line: The two bands have been circling around each other but we’ve never actually shared a bill. We are both Black Fret artists, we’ve played many of the same venues. The funny thing is, it’s been a dream of ours to premiere our visual album at the Paramount but we figured with the pandemic still going strong, as we were planning the release we would just keep it virtual. Just around the time things started looking up in Austin, Daniel sent us his completed film to preview and asked if we wanted to share the Paramount with him. I’m pretty sure we all watched the film and cried because it’s so beautiful and so perfectly matched to our own film. At that point it was a definitive yes.
TCC: Ley Line and Nané have announced The SIMS Foundation as a charitable beneficiary of the event. How did you choose SIMS and why is the music industry mental health organization important to you?
Ley Line: We are big advocates for SIMS and especially since the start of the pandemic have taken every opportunity we could to partner or promote their organization. We all benefit as individuals and as a band from the mental health services SIMS offers. This past year and a half has been such a difficult time for so many and having a space to talk about our worries and anxieties as a band going through such a period of upheaval was a crucial part of what allowed us to make it through the pandemic intact. We want to continue to normalize the conversation around mental health and encourage our community to support each other during times of struggle and isolation.
TCC: Before we ever heard your beautiful music, musicians in Austin recommended Ley Line to us. Do you consider the group commercially accessible or is Ley Line a musicians favorite? How do y’all see Ley Line’s public image currently?
Ley Line: That’s awesome to hear, I think we really make a point of getting to know Austin musicians and finding ways to uplift each other, whether that’s sharing bills or organizing a compilation album. But I’ve found our fan base to be quite diverse. We’ve played shows to packed audiences of young people that feel more like a rock and roll show, and shows at the Cactus Café to an over 50 crowd that sits silently with their eyes closed. The common thread in the many spaces we occupy as musicians is that our audiences feel a sense of connection with each other, with nature and often with their spirituality. We bridge genres and languages but overall I think fans experience our music and performances as uplifting and genuine. I think as we continue to branch out musically we will catch even more diverse listeners in the Ley Line net.
TCC: Besides Nané‘s stunning debut, what Austin artists are you listening to? Tell us why you like their music.
Photo: Brittany Hallberg
