Words by Annie Barber
Photos by Sam Rockman
The moral of Aesop’s fable ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’ is “slow and steady wins the race.” The same can be said about German-born turned London-based singer songwriter Levina’s journey. After leaving a major label, having an identity crisis, and celebrating 10 years as a solo artist, she has been quietly and steadily building her career. On the brink of the release of her new album, which is some of her best work yet, she explains how important it has been to find solace in slowing down: “[there are] really tiny things that I notice, the more time I spend being really present while I do them, how beautiful they are.”
Following a split from her previous label in 2018, Levina stepped into a new era of her career as an independent artist. In the time since, she has released two EPs, played a slew of live shows, and, most importantly, learned to take things in her stride. Leaving her record label was a formative experience which led her to some realisations about the power structures at play in the music industry, as well as in life in general. These epiphanies led to the making of a track called ‘Spectacular Society’, which was the second single to be released off her sophomore album. After the pandemic, like many others, Levina was struggling to readjust to society. She had taken up reading and listening to podcasts, and stumbled across an episode discussing Guy Debord’s The Society of the Spectacle, which sparked an idea. She elaborates, saying, “I was sort of fed up with how things work and how systems are often just accepted… but actually [I was also] realising how much power we have to change the little things; even if it’s a big thing, it starts from the ground up.”
Levina’s second album is titled ‘Invincible Summer’, the name of which is taken from the work of Albert Camus: “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.” She came across the quote when she was struggling with her mental health, and it helped her to pull herself back up and keep moving forward. She decided then and there that it would be the name of her next album. She explains why she was so drawn to it, saying, “I’d sort of been dealing with a lot of darkness, or ‘winter’, let’s say, and could see the glimpses of the ‘summer’.” The album takes listeners on that same journey from dissociation and disconnectedness to self-love and healing that Levina experienced. Books are clearly a big source of inspiration to the artist. She says that she loves having a physical copy on her and divulges that her partner has been trying to convince her to buy a kindle. Her response is always “it’s not the same.” The improvised and organic feel of genres such as jazz and folk are also an inspiration to Levina. She credits Cleo Sol and Lucy Rose as influences, as well as alternative bands like Radiohead, and Willow’s ‘Empathogen’. Each of these shine through on the album, which has a raw, experimental, and authentic feel.
‘Big Thirteen’ is a standout song on the album, which Levina says came to fruition when she was using writing as a tool to process unresolved emotions. After talking to her therapist and realising that she was holding onto things from her childhood, she decided to write the track, which she says is about “taking the power back [for] yourself and realising that you don’t have to carry the baggage from the past.” Levina turns her vulnerability into strength on this soulful, and emotion-filled song. Her rich vocals, diaristic songwriting, and the velvety piano combine to create something that is both intimate and powerful. The influence of Camus becomes clear once again as Levina sings “Sunrise after dark / Day breaks again, broken or mend / Restart” in the track’s chorus.
Being outdoors and in nature has provided her with peace and stillness among the chaos of life. “I have quite a few of those slow moments, actually, that I’m super grateful for, and they’re like the tiniest things,” she says, giving the example of gardening. “I just love it, you know. I’m just out there in my garden and spending time with this new plant that I planted.” She muses on another similar moment when she was cycling over the Thames to go to a friend’s birthday party, marvelling at London bathed in golden sunlight. By taking her time and taking things in, Levina has been feeling more in touch with herself and the world around her. She says, “if I can make one person feel more connected with themselves while they’re listening then I’ve done my job.”
That same ideology guided the making of ‘Invincible Summer’. She says that she wanted the album to unfold “naturally, organically [and] without rushing.” Alongside taking stock of the things around her, Levina has been cherishing the relationships in her life more. “I feel really strongly that we need more connection in the world, and ultimately, what it’s all about is that we connect with each other, with ourselves, and with the world around us,” she says. “Society has gone so far to make everything very individual, and it’s all about the other and me.” The importance of interdependence is the clear message of ‘Invincible Summer’, and a timely one too. While division feels as if it is permeating all aspects of life, Levina’s outlook and the album’s philosophy are very refreshing.
Finally, we turn to the two mandatory Karma! questions. For the first, ‘if you or your art were a colour, what would it be?’, she picks green, which is unsurprising, given the huge role that nature has played in her life and the development of her second album. Her song recommendation is Willow’s ‘Symptom of Life’ — another fitting choice.
Much like Levina believes that “we can be the medicine” to society’s inequalities, ‘Invincible Summer’ is the perfect medicine for anyone feeling disconnected from themselves, others, or the world around them. The album is due for release on the 4th of September, right in time for listeners to find their own moments of Summer in the Autumn and Winter months.
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