L'FREAQ Shares Video For NEW SKIN via Nylon

NYC-based, dark synth pop artist, L'FREAQ, shares the visuals for her single, "New Skin," via Nylon. The track is from her new EP, Weird Awakenings, which is out now.

Nylon tweeted that L'FREAQ "serves up the sultriness of James Bond intros in her new video for "New Skin"." Explaining the video more in the article, Nylon writes:

Look at L'FREAQ, draped in jewels and Cleopatra-esque eye makeup; then look a little harder. Behind the artifice, integrity abounds. L'FREAQ's blend of gothic sensibilities and sultry soulfulness manages to continually hit the marks of bona fide pop bangers, incorporating queer and fetish-based imagery.

Touching on the video's connection the EP as a whole, Nylon continues:

Weird Awakenings, she says, is about self-discovery, a becoming narrative that alternately retreats and reveals itself over the course of five tracks. It makes sense, then, that the titular single from the EP soundtracked the video portion of Ezra Miller's recent binary-blurring Playboy feature.

L'FREAQ told Nylon about the video, saying:

"Originally I wrote this song about the changes I was experiencing after moving to New York; some bad and some good, but all of them very new. It's about the inner struggle with myself, morphing into the new girl I had become in the city. After listening multiple times, the song started sounding more and more Bond-like, so we wanted to pay homage to the original Bond intros while still keeping the emotional integrity of the track. There's a lot of tension there, a lot of energy, so we came up with the removal of the flashy jewelry as a symbol for the shedding of my old skin. A previous self is discarded and a new one materializes in its place."

When the song first released in September, L'FREAQ had just made it official with Extreme Music/Sony ATV and Saint Rogue Records, and signed onto their roster. CEO of Sony Extreme, Russell Emanual says, "It's rare to find an artist that pushes the boundaries this far... L'FREAQ is the definition of ear candy. Good luck sleeping after listening to this one!" Saint Rogue Records shares the excitement. "We haven't been this excited about an artist - even as just fans and listeners of music - in years," says President and co-founder of Saint Rogue, Smidi Smith. TJ Stafford, also from the label, adds, "One of the sexiest and most original sounds we've ever come across. We couldn't be more excited to welcome her to Saint Rogue Records."

Previous single and EP title track, "Weird Awakenings" was debuted by Billboard's Pride section with a video that shows the sexual fluid songwriter and performer taking fans into her mysterious and trippy world, where she's finding, following and making love.

Billboard, says, "The singer, also known as Lea Cappelli, tells Billboard that she was encouraged to pursue the song after discovering lyrics haphazardly scribed on a piece of paper in her Brooklyn apartment. "The awakening in the moment was myself finally feeling liberated from a doomed relationship, but these words have continued to ring true in all aspects of my life; sexual, mental, political," Cappelli says of the soulful dark-pop track."

The video for L'FREAQ's first single from the new EP, "Moonlight," was debuted by BUST, who says, "L'FREAQ, who cites her inspirations as Portishead, Fiona Apple, and Jeff Buckley, has a sexy, neo-goth, synthpop sound, and hopes her music resonates with anyone who's ever felt like an outsider." "Moonlight" specifically is about concealing oneself from the real world.

After a packed NYC performance debut at SoHo House, L'FREAQ channeled Britney Spears (especially during her ferocious "Toxic" cover"), Nick Cave and Beats Antique vibes. She played again to a packed NYC room for the EP release party at Coney Island Baby, where by the end of the set, she was writhing and wailing on the floor in a moment of pure, intoxicating emotion, leaving the crowd breathless.

L'FREAQ is all about being inclusive, and is outspoken when it comes to defending the underdog. No bullies, racists or sexists are allowed in L'FREAQ's kingdom and this month of June is very important to her, as an ally of everyone on the spectrum of gender and sexuality. She also shows her love for those closest to her, by highlighting their work: namely her fashion photographer, Kelly Cappelli (as seen in Vogue), who did all the photography for this release.

The concept of Weird Awakenings, is that of self-discovery. Armed with a full book of poetry, L'FREAQ took pieces of her work and composed songs with Mike Irish, who also produced and mixed the EP at Shifted Recording Studios. The EP was mastered by Stuart Hawkes at Metropolis London Music. They took their time in discovering a sound that felt genuine, one that explored all the raw places she had been longing to find. They created a modern amalgamation of her dark, thoughtful poetry, and came up with songs that are all at once aggressive, sensual and moving.

TRACKLISTING:

Weird Awakenings EP

01. Moonlight

02. I've Become a Thief

03. New Skin

04. Fleshy Gray

05. Weird Awakenings

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TOUR DATES:

12/7 - Avalon Bowlo - Avalon Beach NSW, Sydney, AU

12/14 - Street Market - Crows Nest, Sydney, AU

L'FREAQ (a.k.a. Lea Cappelli) is a Brooklyn and LA-based music artist. Some highlights of her career include performing privately for Muhammad Ali, sharing the stage with Jakob Dylan, and performing with Grammy-winning artist, India.Arie. Her cover of Peggy Lee's "Angels on Your Pillow" was used by NBC in the original television promos for the wildly popular TV show, "The Voice." L'FREAQ is planning on releasing her new EP, Weird Awakenings, in the coming months, with a Fall tour to support. You can keep updated at her socials, @lfreaq.

Photo credit: Kelly Cappelli