Love Letter To A Record: lovemedo on The 1975’s ‘I Like It When You Sleep…’

Many of us can link a certain album to pivotal moments in our lives. Whether it’s the first record you bought with your own money, the chord you first learnt to play on guitar, the song that soundtracked your first kiss, the album that got you those awkward and painful pubescent years or the one that set off light bulbs in your brain and inspired you to take a big leap of faith into the unknown – music is often the catalyst for change in our lives and can even help shape who we become.

In this series, Music Feeds asks artists to reflect on their relationship with music and share with us stories about the effect music has had on their lives.

lovemedo: The 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep… (2016)

My whole life, I’ve always used music as a way to translate all the wild – yet normal – feelings I had growing up, into something that I can process. Whether I did that through relating to my favourite songs or making my own… it didn’t really matter. But making my own always comes back to the idea of recreating what I wanted to hear and, for that moment, stepping into the shoes of some of these artists that I loved. That’s where music creation comes from for me, truly. And I’ve experienced this feeling with a number of artists and records over my life.

But if there’s one album I have to pinpoint as loving the most – its The 1975’s i like it when you sleep…. I had just gotten my red P’s, I had a high school love that I pretty much fell for at a 1975 show (I know… I cringe too) and I was so ready for my “teenage dream” life montage to start. Of course, soundtracked by this album.

One of my favourite pop moments on this record is ‘She’s American’. I grew up listening to 80’s music… Michael Jackson, Phill Collins, Bowie, Queen, everybody… and this song is just so authentically 80’s. Sonically, structurally, from top to bottom it’s just so spot on. This goes back to having what we love inform what we create. Obviously – The 1975 love 80’s music too and it was just cool to have a pop record out in the world that even the older generation couldn’t say “music is just not the same now rah rah rah” to. If you ask me what the future of music sounds like… it’s the 80’s.

On another note… there was one other song that I’ll never forget from this album and its called ‘if I believe you’. It’s a 3/4 gospel ballad. It’s some of the most honest music I’ve ever heard and it inspired me to be that naked on my tracks. This song may have copped a skip back in the ol’ 2000 Corolla days… I had to be ‘tough’ with a full car… but not now. I embrace the goosebumps and teary eyes that are inevitably coming when listening to this song.

To me, this album is and always will be timeless. Even though it’s so referential to music history and pop culture, you can never futurise the idea of being aware, alive, admitted, and above your lowest points in life and that’s what this album is all about. It sound tracked my entire youth… in fact I’m still in it, and you know I’m still listening to this record.

21-year-old Central Coast singer, songwriter & producer Blake Wares AKA lovemedo has just shared his 6-track debut EP, ‘miss you when i’m bored’, ahead of some exciting high profile collabs with the likes of MUKI, Bajillionaire & XIRA coming in early 2020. Check it out via Spotify below!

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