Following Ley Line

From a block party in Olinda to a master’s workshop in Arco Verde, the women of Ley Line trace some of their favorite stories of learning Coco, a traditional style of music from the Northeast of Brazil. A 3,000 mile journey across Brazil in 2017 inspired the songs on Ley Line's sophomore album "We Saw Blue." In this episode, Ley Line discusses the Brazilian tradition of Coco which has inspired much of their music including the traditional song "Sereia." They dive into some of their hilarious and heartfelt stories of learning Coco in Brazil. "This music is a consistent mantra and invitation to remember the magic around us" ~Emilie

From a packed jazz club to the Texas Hill Country, Ley Line unravels the winding path of the title track on their album "We Saw Blue."  A 3,000 mile journey across Brazil in 2017 inspired the songs on Ley Line's sophomore album "We Saw Blue." In this episode, listen and learn about how We Saw Blue evolved to become the great connector and theme for Ley Line's upcoming Visual Album. "How can we find harmony in this life, celebrate dissonance and continue to move towards that which brings us together?" ~Kate

From the expansive edge of a four hundred foot waterfall to the intimacy of a huddle, a song for fresh water reaches out in all directions to remind us of our connection to each other.  A 3,000 mile journey across Brazil in 2017 inspired the songs on Ley Line's sophomore album "We Saw Blue." In this Episode, Ley Line lets you in on the process of editing their Visual Album and recalls the magical collaboration that inspired the song "Oxum." "We’ve use water as a way to weave our connections. It's a beautiful imagery; these rivers that merge into the sea and us running to become one in our own ways." ~Kate

From Pease Park to Praia do Janga, discover the origins of the song "Ciranda," a folk song from the northeast of Brazil. A 3,000 mile journey across Brazil in 2017 inspired the songs on Ley Line's sophomore album "We Saw Blue." Every song has a story. The song "Ciranda" was adapted from a Brazilian folk song written in 1973. In Episode 5 of Following Ley Line Emilie tells the story of how she managed to track down the songwriter of this traditional song. "It’s an opportunity to share this traditional Ciranda with a wider audience by including this English part that comes from our own experience and our own hearts. I think that’s a really special thing that music can do—it's something that’s shared and always changing" ~Lydia

From the stage to the studio, "The Well" has taken on many different forms. In this episode Ley Line reveals some of the instruments and production techniques that make the song what it is today.

From Bahia to Austin, Ley Line makes their way home but in many ways the journey of self discovery is just beginning. A 3,000 mile journey across Brazil in 2017 inspired the songs on Ley Line's sophomore album "We Saw Blue." In episode 4 of Following Ley Line we unpack the iconic lyrics in our song "The Well" and the challenges and moments of growth that inspired them. "Free myself of myself, empty myself of myself, clean myself of myself so I can fill it up." "It reminds me of how it feels being home in this isolation now... there's always this lull when you come home and you have to look inward when that happens" ~Maddy

From Porto Allegre to Recife, an epic journey across Brazil inspires poetry, rhythm and lasting friendship. A 3,000 mile journey across Brazil in 2017 inspired the songs on Ley Line's sophomore album "We Saw Blue." In this episode, hop in the van and experience the journey as the band recounts the many adventures that inspired the song "To The Sky."  “When the van broke down it feels like that is where 'To The Sky' was born. From the uncertainty and tension of the humming engine rumbling below you. That sort of omnipresence can guide you towards the trust and the wisdom that is moving through you.” ~Emilie

From an all girl rock band in upstate New York to a spontaneous journey across Argentina, follow the women of Ley Line on the musical journey that started it all. In Season 1 of Following Ley Line, the world folk group unpacks the stories and inspiration behind the multilingual songs on their 2020 album "We Saw Blue." In this episode, Kate uncovers the meaning of the portuguese lyrics in the song "Respiração" and asks her bandmates how they came to choose the path of music.  "Every artist knows that in order to bring your dreams to life sometimes you have to do things that aren’t exactly aligned with the vision you have for your life in that moment. Respiração was about understanding that the breath is something to keep me moving forward if I feel like I’m stuck. I have to be at peace with where I am and the way to access that is through the breath." ~Kate

From Telluride Colorado to Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Ley Line reveals the synchronicities and serendipity that brought the group of four songwriters together. Rooted in rhythm, the women of Ley Line transcend genres and languages taking listeners on a musical journey of dynamic harmony and acoustic instrumentation. Their global soundscape blends languages and influences from Brazil, Latin America and West Africa.