Q&A: Love You Later Serves Perfect Springtime Jams With 'From The Window Seat' and Shares Window Seat Thoughts & Growth From Writing Process
NASHVILLE-BASED SINGER-SONGWRITER — Lexi Aviles, better known as Love You Later, has released her blissful, vibrant, nostalgic, and reflective EP From The Window Seat. A collection of thoughts and moments spanning the past few years, the newest Love You Later project encompasses a kaleidoscope of feelings and a sweet palette of sounds.
Through reminiscent tempo and glistening synth, From The Window Seat pairs 2000s sentiments with modern-day experimental production styles. While “Mars” leans more into rock-inspired elements, songs such as “Not Done” and “Are You Gonna Care When I Die?” turn to a pensive tempo, amping up the melancholy and the melodramatic moments. There are then, of course, the bittersweet anthems of “Keepintouch” and the title track, “From The Window Seat.”
Gracing over the sentimental yet defiant lyricism, Aviles and collaborators weave in exhilarating guitar lines and intricate drum fills. While From The Window Seat serves as a perfect road trip soundtrack en route to your childhood home, so be ready to close your eyes and experience a whole movie.
Luna caught up with Aviles ahead of the release of her EP to talk about From The Window Seat, her mini tour, and all things Love You Later from the past two years. Read the interview below.
LUNA: Hi! How are you? What’s one song you’re currently obsessed with?
AVILES: Hi! I’m doing well, thank you for asking! I'm really excited about releasing my new EP, From The Window Seat, and I've been rehearsing for the release shows all this week. Lately, I’ve been hardcore loving "Boyhood" by The Japanese House. I love everything she puts out, but this song I’m really addicted to.
LUNA: Why is your project called Love You Later?
AVILES: I always wish I had a better answer for this question (laughs). When I first started writing the songs for what would become Love You Later, I was mainly writing songs inspired by relationships and love, or the lack thereof. I knew I wanted a moniker instead of my real name and the name “Love You Later” kind of rolled off the tongue and felt right.
LUNA: Why is the EP called From The Window Seat?
AVILES: [During] the past couple years of my life, I feel like I’ve been viewing my life from a bird’s eye view. I’ve been diving into my thoughts and my soul and self-reflecting more than ever. It’s a scary thing to do but I’ve learned more about myself. The title of the EP comes from a lyric in the chorus of my single “Girl With Headphones”: “From the window seat, I feel so out of control, so I’ll be the girl with the headphones on.”
Lately, whenever I’m sitting at the window seat of a car, train, or a plane, I take a step back and think about where I’ve been and how far I’ve come. Each of these songs on the EP represent a thought or feeling I have had from the window seat.
LUNA: “Not Done” feels very 2000s, Disney-esque, especially its slightly slower tempo. Can you tell me a bit more about that song?
AVILES: I wrote "Not Done" with Charlie Hickey and Andy Seltzer in October 2021. It’s been a long time coming but I’m so glad the world finally gets to hear it! It's a painfully honest song about not wanting to fully let someone go, even if you already have for the most part. It’s about being on the fence and not being sure that they’re the one for you, yet you can’t think about them with someone else and don’t wanna give them up just yet. It’s definitely one of my favorite tracks off the EP because it’s unlike anything I’ve put out! I think it’s going to be a tear-jerker live, which I can’t wait for.
LUNA: The drum in “Long Sleeves” is so cool! So is the bass in “Keepintouch.” This project very much has an on-the-go vibe to it, which is driven by the more rhythmic elements. Is that intentional?
AVILES: Thanks! It wasn’t really intentional on the front end, but the rhythmic elements and melodic movement seemed to feel right and go along with the lyrical content. It just ended up being led by true emotion and instinct, which I feel very proud of.
LUNA: Did the EP ever have a moodboard at some point? If so, what was on it?
AVILES: Yes, the EP had a moodboard that I made on Pinterest! The visual component of the project is very important to me, and I always want it to feel cohesive with the music — and a moodboard helps me bring these visions to life with the collaborators I work with. The From The Window Seat board included a lot of soft colors, cloudy skies, moody portraits, [and] ’90s- and early 2000s-inspired photographs.
LUNA: A big portion of this EP discusses the feeling of being out of touch from your own life and feeling like things are out of your control. Do you think you have a healthier relationship balancing everything now, or are you still working on it?
AVILES: I think that’s always going to be a process for me because I always want to be a better version of myself. However, I have learned a lot about myself while writing the EP, and I’ve discovered more things that help me feel grounded.
LUNA: Are you excited to play the songs live soon? Which city are you looking forward to the most?
AVILES: Yes, so excited to play the new songs live! I’m looking forward to all of these shows so much but I think LA would be my number-one pick because I haven’t played a show there since 2019 and it’s where a lot of my friends and family are.
