"Heart Doesn't Work Like That", track-by-track by Laila
Photo credit: @lilspyce
Strangers at the Airport
Last year I saw my ex (and my previous "Your Paris" duo partner) from afar, reading a book and drinking a beer in an airport bar in LA. It was a really weird and reflective moment for me to see him in the wild just living his life and moving on without me. I literally stopped in my tracks like a deer in headlights and watched him for a few minutes while I let my feelings set in. I told my friend Jon Pike ("BRDGS", one of the producers on this track) about the experience, and he mentioned he’d always wanted to write a song called “Strangers at the Airport”. So we wrote this one together! This tune is really special to me because it was the start of my career as a solo artist, and it started my relationship with Jon as a collaborator on this entire EP. We brought co-producer Brandon Pero (Devon Cole) into the picture, and drew a lot of inspiration from The 1975 for the production and sonic landscape.
Sparks
I wrote Sparks about how challenging diving back into dating has been for me since my last relationship ended. I was walking home from a Hinge date (lol) and saw sparks coming off the 501 streetcar in Toronto, and it got me thinking about how my default these days is to shut down any romantic sparks I start to feel out of a fear of being hurt again. I wrote most of this song on a voice note on my phone during that walk home. Finishing this song made me realize that my heart still needs to heal before it can “work” again. The more acoustic country vibe with the pedal steel felt really right for this song. So many of my influences are country; I basically grew up on the Chicks and Johnny Cash. I was a little scared to dip my toes into a different genre because I am ultimately a pop artist, but when it comes down to it, the most important thing with music is the storytelling: the song should do whatever it takes to tell the story in a meaningful way.
Heart Doesn’t Work Like That
I love this song sooooo much. It recounts the fumbly nature of my complicated post-breakup experience, and demonstrates (in the words of Kacey Musgraves) that “healing doesn’t happen in a straight line”. This song is me and my head putting up a white flag in the battle against my heart, acknowledging that I can’t always control how it feels and makes me act. Leaning into the messy-ness. This song was written very quickly, and it feels like it has a LOT of me in it. This tune offers a good glimpse into the direction i'm heading with my music and songwriting. Since it's release, Heart Doesn't Work Like That has actually been picked up for radio play all across Canada!
I Like Girls
This is my favourite song on the EP. I am SO proud of it. I performed this song live at the Toronto Pride Festival, and also self produced the music video starring me and a bunch of my friends. Last year I was at a show and ran into a female pop-country artist I know. After some catching up and dancing, she told me that she liked girls, and asked me on a date. The whole situation had me very bajiggitty because 1. it was unexpected, and 2. she’s kind of a superstar. It was such a lovely moment that really sparked my journey towards questioning my sexuality and realizing that I like girls too. I told my friend and collaborator Monica Spiering the story, and we thought we could write a lovely song capturing this exciting and magical moment. When I first proposed the chorus hook being “I Like Girls” we both laughed, then freaked out when we realized that it actually worked. This song has a lot of sparkly "crush energy" in it. It contains some subtle country nods as well -- partly as an homage to the girl it's about.
I Hope It Kills You
I wrote this song with my friend Stevie Joffe (from Toronto's "Birds of Bellwoods"). He had the amazing concept of the song to be about your lover leaving you for your best friend, and the pain and resentment that follows. This is the slowest and most stripped down song on the EP. While the instrumental and performance is very delicate and beautiful, and lyrics beg for some sort of universal karma in which the person who hurt you experiences the same pain they caused you. This one makes my best friends and parents cry — so I hope it resonates with listeners.
Heart Doesn’t Work Like That Acoustic
I clearly love this song so much that I thought it needed a second version, an acoustic one! My collaborators Jon Pike, Brandon Pero, and I are truly so proud of the songwriting on this one. We thought it would be cool to reimagine it in a different way. I also am the biggest fan of acoustic versions. When I love a song, I just want more ways to listen to it.