Q&A: Leela Rosa Continues to ‘Keep Applying Pressure!’
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY FAITH LUEVANOS ☆
COMBINING BREAKBEATS WITH Y2K POP, LEELA ROSA’S DEBUT EP — Keep Applying Pressure! is a unique sonic journey that dives beneath the surface of dance music into introspective lyrics and gut-punching storytelling.
Made to feel like a collection of diary entries, Keep Applying Pressure! is a massive breakout from Leela Rosa, marking her as an important artist to watch in the following months. When asked about the feelings her music invokes, she shared, “I like things that feel a little broken but still inviting. Digital clutter that somehow makes you feel something.”
The Luna Collective had the chance to sit down with Leela to discuss the making of the EP, the standout lyrics, her recent EP release show, and more. Read the full interview below.
LUNA: The EP is introduced with “Yet I Dream.” What are you presenting to listeners with this first track?
LEELA: “Yet I Dream” kind of drops you into the liminal space where this whole EP exists between a crush and a crisis. It’s upbeat, but the lyrics are quietly spiraling. I’d like to think this is how the whole record functions: you can dance to it, but only if you don’t listen too closely. It can be a soft punch to the gut.
LUNA: Are there any specific lines throughout the EP that stand out the most to you?
LEELA: “We Tried” has my favorite writing in terms of storytelling. It’s the most reflective and emotionally layered. Lines like A house ain’t a home, I saw the one you were from, love, you had to improvise, or I wish I could soften your bed but I can’t take your memories. Those came from a very real place, and I still feel them when I sing them. It’s about a lost, intense friendship.
In terms of punchlines or one-liners, “Leave Me Alone” takes the crown. What a freak, when I don’t behave like bimbo girls in motion pictures, underestimated but at least God made us pretty. It’s a little bratty, sharp, it’s a bark to catcallers, misogynists, and any men who overstep your boundaries.
LUNA: The phrase “keep applying pressure” is repeated in the second track, “Fraud.” How did you decide on this as the title of the EP?
LEELA: Well, it’s funny because, unintentionally, this is where the whole EP started, with “Fraud.” It was a turning point for me: a new sound, writing a track where I was unconditionally honest about what I was feeling in that moment. I was in quite a shaky period of my life back then. I was in the midst of an intense therapy trajectory and also trying to balance life and find my way as an early 20-something. Keep applying pressure came rolling out quickly because that’s what I felt mostly: pressure from myself and society to make something of myself. And later on, when all the tracks for the EP were gathered I felt this line captured the framework of the project.
LUNA: What message do you hope to convey to listeners with this EP?
LEELA: I’m not sure I had a message in mind, I just wanted to make a project that’s unconditionally honest, but also fleeting, kind of like a diary entry. The EP doesn’t really resolve anything. It just shows the mess, the chaos, and lets it breathe. I just hope it resonates and finds the people who might need it!
LUNA: You recently had your release show for the EP. What did it feel like finally being able to perform these songs live for the first time?
LEELA: It was so so fun! It’s among the best days of my life for sure. Creating cool stuff with friends is the best thing ever, this night everything (and everyone) came together.
And it’s funny because this project has been on the shelf for a while and I’ve actually been performing the songs live for over a year. But it was the first headline show I ever did so the love and appreciation were felt so so much, it was great. I also played with a new band, which was really cool because everyone brought other stuff to the table, so in a way it felt like I was re-meeting the songs again. We played some new stuff too which was cool to test out!
And it was on a boat, which was sick as well, but I also felt a bit seasick (could just be the nerves though). 10/10 I wanna go again.
LUNA: What or who did you feel most inspired by while making music?
LEELA: At the time, I was deep in a dance music phase. Before, I used to make more R&B and jazzy stuff, which I still love and think you can feel underneath it all, but I had this kind of epiphany around dance music, especially what was happening in the UK. Jungle, garage, breakbeats… especially the ‘90s and early 2000s revival stuff. It made me want to move away from more smooth, polished sounds and lean into something more chaotic, stuff that doesn’t sit still.
LUNA: When you think of your music, what aesthetic or visuals do you associate with it?
LEELA: Early 2000s internet chaos? Stuff I was drawn to as a kid, Y2K pop trash mixed with emotional oversharing. I like things that feel a little broken but still inviting. Digital clutter that somehow makes you feel something. That era had this weird innocence and overstimulation, which I think mirrors my music a bit: emotional but fragmented, chaotic but still kind of sweet.
LUNA: What’s next for you?
LEELA: I’ve got new music in the works that I’m super proud of and excited about. A different sound, but it works well as a follow-up I think. I’m also working on live shows that feel more immersive and I want to build stronger bridges to the UK scene. Anyhow, I’ll just keep spiraling in Ableton at 2AM with my phone on do-not-disturb. Either way, a lot more is coming!
