You're listening to song exploder, where musicians take apart their songs and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made. My name is showcase. Your way. Song exploder, is sponsored by Dave's killer. Bread actually love Dave's killer bread, but they gave me a script to read so attention. Shoppers we now I taste in the bread, aisle Dave were bred, that's right and organic bread It's no longer a sedative for your taste buds. The bread, is on a mission to make the most of the loaf. To rid the world of Gmos. High fructose corn an artificial ingredients, the seeds of good and all, although they beg killer, taste, killer texture, always organic Dave's killer bread, bread amplified, song exploder is brought to you by progressive We thinking more about how to tighten up your budget these days. Drivers who saved by switching you progressive, save over seven hundred dollars on average and customers,

qualify for an average of six discounts on sign up a little off your rate. Each month goes a long way get a quote today at progressive dot com. Restive, casualty, insurance company and affiliates NASH annual average insurance savings by new customers surveyed who saved with progressive between June twenty twenty and may twenty twenty one potential savings will vary, sounds vary and are not available in all states and situations. Please, La Havas is a singer, and songwriter from London, she's been nominated for a Grammy and Brit Award and into that

twenty she released her third album in this episode. She breaks down her song, can't fight and traces, its evolution along with their own evolution over several years. Mine Name is Leon La Havas. The idea first came into my head about seven or eight years ago, my boy, and at the time was a bass player, and he was showing me all these videos of different bass players that he liked and Victor Wooten came up, and they song he. I me and my bass guitar

it's just the most amazing use of the base. So basically my boyfriend was teaching me a version of it that could be played on guitar, I was having loads of fun like playing the Qatar in a new way. Then yeah. I remember just sitting alone, as I do in my house. For the cup of tea- and started playing a nice chord that I liked better Have the muscle memory from learning this Victor Wheaten pace so, a sort of hammer on, because, if started happening, The court that I liked, when I write a guitar part, a Anything that doesn't challenge me because I like

feeling that challenge when I'm singing and playing a kind of evokes I think in me. It makes me more likely to want to write to something. I started playing guitar when I was eighteen years old, so just over thirteen years ago now, the only reason I didn't learn guitar as an actual child was because It didn't believe from what I saw the it goes, were playing guitar. was mostly boys that I saw playing the task that made me not want to do it, but I saw girls playing piano and if our it to me, and so that became my hobby and my outlet and it was, until eighteen inspired by women play guitar, I just to learn everything and it just made me. Really love it so much

You know, I remember when I figured out the first rhythm that I learned. I just remember being so deeply satisfied. in a new way I said if I can do that with this rhythm, it means can do that with another and another one and another one. So, as I said writing. More and more songs. I used to try and look for or a new rhythm for ever something that I wrote so that none of them would be the same. I don't like waste this there's a piece of guitar or melody or some words that haven't been used yet in something. Then I have got this idea that I'm going to use everything up before I make a new thing is clear. It was just that one court just something play when I'm practicing or when I'm warming up, because feels nice under the fingers and aid like that for these. He is

until I was in a session with Mirror Massa, and it was just figuring out where we should start Massa or is a wonderful chap. I covered his music five years ago- and I was like the hell is that it's amazing. I love the sound. I love the rhythm so I just asked to meet him and I ended up. session with him and there was like immediate trust and when I, Adam that rest, that's when he said. Oh, we should record that we should make something out of that, so he took like a tower and then started overtopping? Another part on top of my riff the bit that those

do do do do do do do tend to do something like that and I guess he found the baseline and when he did that it signaled what the rest of the court should be and then that's what made it averse it's as simple as that cause feet. Seven years, I'd have slapped riff, not knowing what to do with it, but as soon as you put a couple of bass notes on it, it turns into another thing, so I was finally able to Stand outside of it and work with it. the codes on the chorus stand out, because one of them was a cold I have just learnt and this court

Is my new favour cord? It's the first code of that I don't know the name of it. This is my big dirty secret. I'm hiding? I'm sorry jazz police. I'm sorry now, I'm just thinking about all of the jazz people who were just shouting at their phones telling me this court is clear. Send me a tweet at Lianne La Havas. Thank you It just feels, like he's relief me to someone like Alex

when you meet someone who gets you, it's just a really big deal. I remember doing the chorus and the melody we were even accidentally, both singing the same thing in the same place again that the. I think the first time I thought about lyrics probably when we were humming to ourselves getting the track into a good place to be sung on, but at the time

am of writing this song. I was going through I am just going to say, I was in a very toxic relationship and it was very hard for me in a lot of ways. I just felt powerless in many respects it took of my energy. It took a lot of confidence away and there definitely a lot of uncertainty, whether we would stay together or when we wouldn't. Basically I try leave many times and couldn't offer a reason. It was very hard and I would always go back, but this is the kind of beginning of noticing hang on. Something is terribly wrong here. Why do I feel so helpless? Why am I always

anxious and I guess this song was like the last inkling of the positive like when we still looking at it through tinted lenses when to me in my head. It wasn't as toxic as actually was I had some space. Basically, when I had this session with Alex Safe Spy, I guess you know I didn't. Anything to prove to anyone, so the cons can't fight. It was like this A part of me that, severe fondly, and perhaps I should the one more chance, and so that is basically, where the premise came from for the rest of the lyric. The new that should give you

A driver wrong Gama, star fine words, I can't find a way this alone. Alex and I felt pretty good about it. And we just sort of new when to leave it. This song for me was one of those curve bull ones, basically, I at the melody, was quite for lack of a better term poppy it felt quite accessible more than I'm may be comfortable with, and That is something I have to accept that I was the creator of this melody and these courts. Therefore, it's okay that leave come out this way

I went through this phase of not listening to it, and then I went through is not being able to stop listening to it. I found it, mainly uplifting because May you be optimism in the music helped it to be. Easier to express, difficult feelings. In times when the music is also very melancholic and you're talking about something really dark, maybe That's too much so if that helped to keep it from slipping into the very despairing mood. So I did the writing of the lyrics. With my longtime writing partner and collaborate Mr Matt hails aka, along he's ready it help me flesh.

Things out and make them a real thing. And I brought him these recordings said: okay, K, here's the doubt line, am I explained everything to my that we broke up again and then we go back together again and we just by all the words and recorded it all at real world studios I seems that I won't be Wu Tang. And certainly raised men score the Lyrics are quite serious. You know, like seems like What we wanted. Certainly, I saw a sign I raged like a woman scorned after I had broken up again. But that one felt more finally wasn't final, but it was just enough to

capture the essence of how I was feeling at the time In that, I want and need. they always seem to lie I don t I landed and get this has happened. King's road is wrong, but something about it feels like a home, a baby. You know that you got me got it built. I moved back and know that. I was saying exactly how I felt singing it in this way that made it feel good for me of this very much over it but the course had already been written, so we kept the count, the way, the love and it just made sense the getting back together in the

and force because it was an over. I knew it wasn't really over at that point I knew that I should get a job, Come on Where is fine? in the summer after that I did finally say goodbye and I was in the new headspace space, like as soon as I made that decision for good things start getting Darden. I felt pretty good about everything and confident and capable so I got my band involved, my bass, player and drummer. Our approach was to keep it very minimal to begin with I tried just adding a few little clicky. He

Things, but it was. During the moment where my drama was getting ready to do his take he was playing a really great beat just in that months before you press record and like wait. That's it that's the beat the strings were arranged by a lovely chap named Davidow. Original demo there. These pro AMD hops did with mere Massa, but that ended up not quite fitting We wanted something to fill that space. I think it brings a really nice drama and a seriousness to it so sophistication. as for the final part of the song,

the stop the. Now that I know what I know about the nature of toxic relationships and abusive relationships is very obvious to me now why certain things happened, and you know why I may have behaved that way. But now, at the time I just thought I needed to try harder, I have forgiven myself, but the guy in the song makes me want to pay. Robin Shaker

If only known what you know now, but at the same time, if I did that some wouldn't exist, and I wouldn't have had all the pleasure I got from making that would exist either This was my way of making it beautiful that's why? I don't think any ideas are useless or should be thrown away any sessions that I do that maybe went fruitful. I don't think that they were unnecessary because it made me learn something the happiest that I ever am is when I'm making songs So strangely, this process, for me, was one of the happiest times if my entire life. But what is about- is almost certainly the darkest time my entire life.

Music offered me that pleasurable safe space, where I could be confident, I could be myself. And now here's can't fight by Lianne La Havas in its entirety.

To get everything that something like a baby. You know the tool tat, they got it all back.

To learn more visit, song exploder dot net you'll find to buy or stream can't fight, and you can watch the music video. thanks to Squarespace for sponsoring the show. Squarespace is an all in one platform that lets you build a beautiful website for your business or your art or your band. If you, sell stuff. They've got e commerce templates if you want them. the blog they give you buttons, so your audience can share your posts on social media, and you can have double contributors seeking work on your site together check out where space dot com for a free trial, when you are ready go to Squarespace, dot com, slash exploder, to save ten percent off your first per. I a website or domain. song exploder is sponsored by borrow you kind of furniture company, everything it is designed to make life easier. The furniture It's easy to assemble the fabrics are stain resistant. The shelves easy to install and the delivery is free right now,

get seventy five dollars off your first order at borrow dot com, slash song exploder, that's borrow B: U R, r o w dot slash, for some five dollars off, borrow dot com, slash song, explode, her this episode was made by me with editing help from Teeny Lieberson and Casey deal artwork by Carlos Lerma and music clearance, Kathleen Smith exploiter is a proud member of Radio Tokyo from PR acts and network of independent listener. Supported artist owned podcasts, You can learn more about our shows at radio, Tokyo, DOT Fm and if Like to support the podcast, you can get a song exploder t shirt at song, exploder dot, net Dotnet shirt. You can follow the show on Twitter and Instagram at song, exploder My name is recreation. Your way back for listening,

radio. The rx. there's a brand new show joining radio topiary called Oprah Democrats every week, history. When Leah Wright, Rigueur and Kelly Carter Jackson are going to dive deep into the cultural significance of the Oprah Winfrey Show, and you might know, Kelly Carter Jackson because she's the host of another radio to be a show this day. in esoteric political history on Oprah damage. The two friends are going to talk about. Why Oprah matters to culture and how Open made so much of the culture from diet book clubs to slow Interviews to make overs and all spin offs if you love Oprah, you just want to learn more about her. You have to check out o predominates. The study of the queen of talk stays starting march. Thirtieth, listen at risk the utopia dot. Fm wherever you listen to podcasts,