Meet LEYA

Comprised of Marilu Donovan, and Adam Markiewicz, LEYA is an unstoppable force of ethereal avant-garde folk. From drone to black metal, the influences of this band are far-reaching. The result is a very intimate and dark sound. Ther 2020 album “Flood Dream” is a must-listen for any fans of folk tunes. We chatted with the duo about portraits, inspirations, and collections.

Portraits of Each Other by LEYA

Would You Rather

have everything you wear always be three sizes too big or one size too small?

Marilu: lol - I have a pair of pants one size too small that I absolutely love and continue to wear… and I can confidently say I would prefer clothing three sizes too big.

Adam: Hell yeah, make those skinny jeans into cutoffs, invest in a bigger wardrobe, and reap the rewards. More is more.

Some Questions with LEYA

What brought you to New York, and what has kept you in New York?

Adam: I visited when I was like 14 and just felt that energy - it is alive and unpredictable. So many of my favorite people are here now. I stay because I think it’s the best place in the world.

Marilu: I moved here kinda on accident and stayed for all of my friends and favorite restaurants. Also - NYC kinda rules.

How has your formal training as composers shaped your current work?

Marilu: My formal training is most specifically in harp performance… So, I’ve only technically taken one composition class. I didn't get a good grade because I refused to put all of my handwritten manuscripts on a computer program (the professor literally told me that’s why I got a bad grade). Like why the fuck did I need to? They were beautifully written and artful. IDK - so maybe that experience influenced me to be like “Fuck it…”

Adam: A couple of decades of music education will stay with you in a million ways. Some parts of that might take the form of an aversion like you’re talking about. Same though - I never really studied a lot of composition per se but I studied the violin and a lot of jazz harmony and later on medieval music. Everything I do is gifted down from some teacher, and that takes many forms.

Do you collect anything, what is it, and why?

Marilu: I have a real issue with getting cheap furniture from Craigslist. NYC furniture section on CL is amazing and I cannot help myself - too many beautiful things to choose from!!! (I also have a garage that has helped with my hoarding) 

Adam: Nothing. If anything I suffer from not hanging onto enough stuff. I lived in a chaotic arts collective space for over 10 years and learned not to get too precious about my possessions. Instruments and some minimal gear are the only items I really revere.

What was the point of inspiration for your new album, “Flood Dream”?

Marilu: I cannot personally think of a single inspiration for this album. Because it was released a week before the “lockdown” (March 6, 2020), many people have suggested that it is some sort of apocalypse album, which I’m totally ok with. Even apart from the current pandemic, we are living in a dystopian reality. Adam and I talk about current affairs a lot, and as sensitive people, there is no way that it doesn’t seep into the music we make.

Adam: Haha - in some ways, it doesn’t feel so new anymore. March 2020 seems like a lifetime away and we’ve released three collab tracks and a remix since it came out (with more on the way). Flood Dream reflects the times and places in which it was written, including three months on the road with extended time in LA and rural Texas. Hopefully, the music amounts to nothing short of everything happening in our lives during the writing period. Times were and have been sinister and our lives in late 2018/early 2019 were also pretty full of wonderment and adventures. I’m pretty earnest about the inspiration for the music being huge - everything is everything.