A Chat with Libby Johnston (19.03.24)
The younger sister of Lizzy McAlpine and Maisie Peters, singer-songwriter Libby Johnston skips along various degrees of pop in her moving melodies. We were first introduced to the US-based New Zealand-born artist with her single ‘Right Person, Wrong Time’, and she continues to astound with her debut EPLibby. In this interview, we speak with Johnston about her debut EP, strange situations, what music means to her and much more.
OSR: Cliché, but what made you decide to pursue music as a career? What drew you to music?
Johnston: Not cliché at all! I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember so the dream has always been there but my friends are the reason I decided to release original music. I’m so inspired by each of them and their beautifully fearless art. They create authentically and unapologetically and I’ll forever be in awe of their talent.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Johnston: Everything! Regardless of whether I’m at my lowest or happiest, I listen to music. It’s accessible and transformative – it empowers, validates and uplifts. I think it’s such a powerful and essential tool to show people that they’re not alone. All in all, I consider myself very fortunate to be able to make music after consuming it for so long.
OSR: You recently released your debut EP Libby, what can you tell us about it? Is there a theme or backstory?
Johnston: I’m a newcomer to the music scene so I wanted to release a self-titled work as my introduction to let listeners know who I am and what I’m about. These five songs describe my experiences and emotions of past and present backed by an indie/alt-pop feel. My sound is an amalgamation of the artists I’ve admired for years: MUNA, Taylor Swift, Maggie Rogers, Lizzy McAlpine and Maisie Peters. I wrote two songs (‘Handle with Care’ and ‘Eldest Child’), my friend Joey Miceli wrote two songs (‘Aftermath’ and ‘Ruins’, which he also features on) and we co-wrote ‘Daydream’ together.
OSR: What is your creative process?
Johnston: More often than not, I start with the lyrics. My EP was produced by Wolfgang Pander but regardless of who I work with, I typically come up with my melodies and chord progressions on my guitar so my songs tend to start with an acoustic version. Aside from songwriting, a huge part of my creative process is learning from others. I’m so inspired by seeing other artists perform so I jump at any opportunity to see live music. Experiencing live music is undeniably my favourite thing in the whole world.
OSR: If you had to change one thing about the EP, what would it be?
Johnston: That’s a very good question! I’m based in New York City but Joey Miceli, Santino Cardinale and I recorded the EP in Las Vegas, so I only had two days to record all my vocals. As exciting as it was to have that added adrenaline rush due to the time crunch, if I were to change anything about the EP, it would have been to give myself more time in the studio.
OSR: What do you hope people take from your music?
Johnston: I’ve been a Taylor Swift fan since I was 9 years old and one of the many reasons I adore her is because she champions women. I was (and still am) so empowered by her songwriting and I can’t express the importance of having that as a young girl. I’d love for people to be able to listen to my music and have it brighten their day a little. I’m not making anything revolutionary, but I think that’s what’s so beautiful about pop music. I’d love to bring a smile to someone’s face or make someone feel seen. That’s what my favourite artists do for me, and that’s what I’d love to do for others.
OSR: Random questions: What is the strangest situation you have ever found yourself in?
Johnston: I had a panic attack at Disneyland this past summer and amid my boyfriend helping me calm down, Railroad Mickey walked past and tried to cheer me up. It was awful in the moment but hilarious to look back on.
OSR: If you could change one thing about yourself (personality or physical), what would it be and why?
Johnston: I wish I was more of an extrovert! I consider myself an ambivert with strong introverted tendencies but I’m so in awe of extroverts. I think life would be a little bit easier if I got energy from being out and about – especially as a performer.
OSR: What is the most exciting thing about being a musician?
Johnston: I still think it’s so surreal to hear myself on a track. My mum can confirm that I’ve listened to music since I was born, so I can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that I now release music and my songs are out there for anyone to listen to. It’s so exciting and so bizarre in the best way.
OSR: What can we expect from you in the future?
Johnston: Nothing’s set in stone at the moment but if you’d like to stay in the loop, feel free to check out my Instagram @libjohnston as that’ll be where announcements get posted.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Johnston: Thank you for supporting The Other Side Reviews and thank you if you’ve listened to my debut EP, Libby. I’m so unbelievably grateful.
Many thanks to Libby Johnston for speaking with us! Find out more about Libby Johnston on her official website, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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