Japanese American singer/songwriter Lisa Remar allows the ghosts of relationship’s past to bleed into the present in her new single “lankersham…” After her 2021 debut “Still Good”, the NYC native pushes that sentiment forward – this new project not only shows that she’s still in the game, but that she’s likely here to stay. The lead single off her latest EP, “hi…”, places Remar in a more vulnerable state than before. “lankersham…” pushes her to the forefront with little to hide behind, only a guitar and reverb serving as the backbone of the song.
Remar’s airy harmonies carry the listener through the lingering pain of what once was. Hoping to reconcile with the past and reach a point of numbness, she finds herself wincing, singing “it still stings a bit, the weight of you. “lankersham…” illustrates the feeling of waiting for the fire to go out once you’ve seen everything go up in flames. It’s remembering for a second how warm it feels to sit there until the debris releases a loose spark that bites the bare skin of your legs.
Remar’s writing allows the listener to zoom in and out of the story being told. She invites us into a specific moments – dancing in the street, sleeping in the car with all the windows down – while also panning out to feel the bigger emotions, still leaving room for interpretation. The elipses decorating the title of not just this single, but the rest of the EP as well, continue to seek the sense of closure that Remar may be uncovering over the course of this project. Full of thoughts that seem to wander, questions that hang in the air, “lankersham…” allows us to confront our pain before we’re ready to take the next step.
Lisa Remar’s sophomore EP “hi…” is out now.
Remar has also answered a few of our questions about the single in a quick Q & A you can find below.
You’ve shared that your track “Lankersham” is about how you’d grown into someone you weren’t proud of at all. How did you begin the journey back into someone you like?
Self love is an elusive concept for me. I think I can be proud of myself but still not like myself. This is not always the case, but I’ve never found it easy to care for myself the way I can care for others. I’m working on it though!
This same description of “Lankersham” discusses feelings of being drained and discarded like fast fashion or a happy meal toy in the world of trying to stay famous and relevant. How do you balance maintaining the focus off of fame on the art while also trying to get your art into as many ears as possible?
I don’t know why I said fast fashion and happy meal toy it’s honestly so sanctimonious and embarrassing – I believe making good music doesn’t come from the amount of Instagram followers you have or don’t have – I think it comes from dedication, intention and focus.
Everything else will follow as long as the music is good. I just go at my own pace and I don’t have to focus on being famous because I am not famous at all.
What can we expect from your upcoming EP, and how is it a step forward from your past work?
It’s more of a cohesive pack of songs that are all different of course, but still love in the same sonic orbit – instrumentally, range-wise etc…
How have you learned to become more vulnerable and intimate within your music? Is this something that always came easily to you?
It’s not by choice – I am most motivated to write music when I feel the urgency to be vulnerable with myself. It’s not by choice, so yes, I suppose it’s sort of always been my style.
How do you believe the process on this latest project has allowed you to grow as a writer and musician?
Interestingly enough, I was actually quite happy the day it was written. It definitely has in many ways – I like this song a lot!
CHECK OUT LISA REMAR:
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