
Lester The Fierce is the brain child on Anita Lester, a dark and poetic musical talent from Melbourne, Australia. The AU Review caught up with her to discuss her new EP The Summer Deluge and her new music video "Holland".
How different is Lester the Fierce from Anita? Where does Anita end and Lester the Fierce begin?
Lester the Fierce, unlike Beyonce, is not my alter ego. I read a great story about Alexander the Great and I loved his ideas for the searching of the ‘Great Outer Sea’. I have always been fascinated by the ocean and water, and my tangent of this was wanting to name my music as something that lines up.
In the past you were an article who worked in more visual mediums; how challenging do you find it to try and create the imagery you want through song?
I don’t really feel like the two are separate. Music is often visual, and I think my lyrics are quite visual and my music reflective of a mood. My art and music are often about the same things- but to be honest, I don’t give too much thought to the expression of it. It just kind of happens.
Summer is typically a 'Happy' season, though for Australia in particular, Summer can be harrowing and even a scary time. With your EP The Summer Deluge, was this something you were trying to tap into; taking what people assume to be positive, and find the darker side?
I like that question.
I love summer most of the time- I was thinking recently that it is a more freeing season because you are not stuck in the confides of your clothes or shelter or the cold...etc. But summer is scary to me because of that reason. Besides the insane natural patterns of Australia (fires and dryness that you can’t get away from and my favorite weather ever- sumer downpours), I find that I am more vulnerable to human chaos- particularly relating to romance.
Your songs touch on very personal subjects; do you ever feel as though when you're performing, you're revealing too much?
Yes. Always. I am very very aware of how personal my songs are. I have been in so many situations where the protagonists have been at the gig or sitting next to me listening to the song for the first time- I never tell them, but sometimes it’s so obvious that I can feel they just know. I kind of like the adrenalin rush though- it’s like someone reading your diary.
The music video for "Holland" is very bleak, how did the concept for it come about? (Also, where did you get that amazing feathered dress?!)
The concept came about when the amazing WHO BY FIRE film team and I workshopped the song.
We knew that we wanted to do something that was abstract but still got the emotion across. The raven is one of my favorite animals. it’s so ominous and romantic, and I play a homeless raven (in a dress I partly made and partly hired from ROSE CHONG costumes in Melbourne- the ultimate dress box) alone in the world I guess.
The addition of the old couple (my step-grandparents) was the WBF team’s. I wasn’t sure at first, but it is so beautiful and haunting and I am so thankful that they had that insight that you can only get from the outside.
When you were sitting in the studio, piecing together the songs for The Summer Deluge, what was influencing you? What influences came about that are special to this EP?
It was a strange process. I was so tempted to record an album. I have enough songs and we actually recorded I think 7 and cut it to 4.
In the end it was a thematic choice. It’s my first LTF project and I wanted to get a mood across more than anything. I love darkness in light and light in darkness, and I think that these four songs in particular maybe have that quality.
It’s hard to talk and think subjectively about your own music or art... it never sounds quite right once it’s been said.
What is next for Lester the Fierce?
I hope that I can keep doing this.
My album is written, I hope to release it mid next year. Tour, play, make art...you know, the usual steps towards making a life out of your work.
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Watch Lester The Fierce's music video "Holland" here: