Review Fix Exclusive: Light Star’s Leah Page Talks Debut EP, Goals And More

Review Fix chats with Light Star’s Leah Page, who discusses the band’s upcoming EP, origins, creative process and more.

Review Fix: How did the band get together?

Leah Page: When we first met, Johnny and I were composing rock music in a full band setting, and it became apparent to us both that our musical chemistry would lend itself in a more freeing and open space in the electronic realm.  We decided to move forward on our own as an electro duo, fusing elements of rock, electronic and trip-hop into a unique sonic experience.

Review Fix: What bands inspire you guys?

Page: We are inspired by an array of artists ranging from mainstream pop to the more obscure.  The most important key to us both is authenticity and originality in composition and melody from other artists, and this is how we approach our own music- with truth.  We are heavily inspired by Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Portishead, Massive Attack, Nine Inch Nails, Japan, Sia, Big Sir and Omar Rodriguez Lopez.

Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard you before?

Page: Our sound is simultaneously minimal and expansive. We undulate from quiet moments to louder more thrashing tones to reflect the ebb and flow of our emotions with an emphasis on melody and driving beats. We range from ambient and pleasant sounds to more haunting and dissonant progressions with a strong melodic undertone. It’s not something you’ve heard before, to be honest.

Review Fix: What’s the tone of this EP?

Page: The tone of our upcoming EP, Lux Oscuro is as the name suggests- it is a reflection of the juxtaposition of lightness and darkness. Synthesizer and drum machines are frequently used to draw the listener in through moody and bright tones that tell a story and compliment the vocals and lyrics of each track.

Review Fix: What did you learn about yourself through this EP?

Page: We both have found a new love for music in the electronic world. There are more musical opportunities for us in terms of improvisation and creative expression. We have learned how self-reliant we can be and trust in the process. The dynamic of being two people as a duo is easier and more fluid to work with in a symbiotic manner. We just look at each other and know what the next measure will be- it’s a shared feeling. We do not speak musically, rather, like Peter Gabriel stated, we “talk in pictures; not in words.” Our songs are the pictures of our thoughts- this is how we communicate.

Review Fix: What makes “Waking Life” a special track? How was it written?

Page: It’s so crazy and magical how “Waking Life” emerged.  We both stated playing on the keyboard at the exact same time without a word spoken to each other and wound up composing the first verse of this song. This track is so special to us, because, it was musically composed by both of us in such an organic way. Moreover, the lyrics talk about waking up out of a coma-state and coming into the world as a reborn version of self.  It talks about the fact that progress is a process and promotes self-love and self-care. We many people can relate to feeling numb and dumb just walking through life. It’s a song about re-emergence and a genuine gratitude for being alive.

Review Fix: In a perfect world, if you could open up for any band, who would it be? Why?

Page: In a perfect world, we would love beyond measure to open up for Nine Inch Nails, because we have immense respect and love for Trent Reznor and his music.

Review Fix: What are your goals for the rest of the year?

Page: Our goals for the rest of the year include: touching others through our music and helping others see the other side of darkness where there is light; completing our first full length album, remixing tracks by killer DJs, playing shows and honing our craft. Getting on a solid national tour, expanding our fan-base and moving others through our songs.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13819 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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