Lyves Returns With Alternative R&B Masterclass ‘How Would It Feel'

London-based artist, songwriter and producer Lyves Returns with a brand-new alternative R&B track ‘HOW WOULD FEEL’ to bring an innovate era of music for the Italian Australian native showcasing her progression after a long wait.

Written and produced by Lyves and her long-time collaborator Nathanael Williams who has worked with Yussef Dayes and Yasmin Lacey. ‘How Would It Feel’ is the precursor to her long-awaited sophomore EP Change, co-produced by Mercury Prize nominated songwriter, musician, and producer Dave Okumu who has worked with distinguished artists like Adele, Amy Winehouse and up and coming Arlo Parks.

‘How Would It Feel’ is an alternative R&B masterclass from Lyves, borrowing elements of 70s soul, UK jazz music and 2000’s R&B sprinkled throughout the record, that makes for an enthralling and gripping listen from start to finish. It’s gripping and we are captivated by the artists voice which is equally as haunting sending chills down our spine.

With additional contributions from musicians Tom Driesler (bass) and Lluís Domènech Plana (flute), the song also features a glorious interlude written with pianist Samuel Crowe which Lyves describes as a portal into her upcoming EP Change, and an introduction into her new musical universe that she has been creating over the past two years.

Speaking about the inspiration for ‘How Would It Feel’, Lyves says, “Lyrically, it feels like a letter to myself from the subconscious – I very rarely plan what I’m writing about before I improvise or put pen to paper. It feels like a stream of consciousness, where I allow my intuition to take the lead. Listening back today, I suppose it’s about loving someone but not wanting to acknowledge that you’re in it alone – you can sense the other person slowly slipping away and therefore you try harder, but the harder you try, the faster they eventually disappear. ‘How Would It Feel’ feels like one last deep-dive into hope – a daydream into what it would be like if things were to work out […] if we couldn’t lose”.

Lyves is revered for her emotive lyrical themes, empowering voice, and making music that digs deep into that uncomfortable place , you can hear the sorrow in her voice towards the breakdown at the end of the song as if she’s keeping us in that state of longlining.

When asked about the delay in releasing music she says “It was always my intention to start writing an album at the start of 2020, and when Covid hit, I spent the isolative time at home writing and experimenting almost every day for about 18 months.”

"Having taken the past two years away from the limelight to hone her craft as a producer and songwriter even further levels, she “could feel that the music I wanted to create for this next project was an evolution from previous works and a reflection of what I had absorbed musically and also experienced personally over the last few years. I knew I craved a more live-sounding record, with more focus lyrically, and more risk in production, content and arrangement so I let that intuition guide the writing and recording process"

Lyves is excited to bring listeners into this new era of her music, which feels even more revealing, raw and free than previous works, underpinned by a fusion of genre influences, from jazz, Motown and soul to experimental electronica, folk and R&B, which has always been at the heart of what she does.