In an exclusive interview with EnVi over Zoom, Philippines-based independent singer-songwriter <\/span>Reese Lansangan<\/span><\/a> shared her ongoing journey as a musician. Equipped with sincerity and honesty, she talked about the writing process of her long-awaited sophomore album, <\/span>Time Well Spent<\/span><\/i><\/a>, and shared her love for K-pop.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Humble Beginnings<\/b><\/h4>\n

Reese\u2019s humble beginnings in music started in her own home. Her father, a musician himself, played an important role by introducing her to music when she was young, encouraging her to sing, and exposing her to different genres by playing CDs and tapes of various artists.<\/span><\/p>\n

The pop-folk artist then began her music career back when streaming was still new on the internet. From posting her music covers on Youtube and Soundcloud to uploading original songs, she gained popularity in the Philippines and internationally. In 2020, NASA featured her track <\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/i>A Song About Space\u201d from her debut album <\/span>Arigato, Internet!<\/span><\/i><\/a> for their <\/span>campaign video<\/span><\/a> for #LaunchAmerica. So far, Reese has released two albums, two EPs, and four singles.<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/reeseypeasy\/status\/1262930985282187264<\/p>\n

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The New and The Old<\/b><\/h4>\n

When asked what keeps her motivated to create new music, Reese responded that her personal experiences make her write more. \u201cMy personal experiences really pushed me to write songs because it\u2019s a creative way for me to remember and process things that are happening to me,\u201d Reese told EnVi. \u201cIf it\u2019s something interesting or intense, I try to write something about it.\u201d She hopes that her listeners can identify and remember her old music as honest, raw, and complex. Reese prides herself in her lyric-writing and hopes her listeners can appreciate little details, like wordplay, that she uses in her lyrics.<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/reeseypeasy\/status\/1405114207763255301<\/p>\n

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A Slow Process, But Time Well Spent<\/b><\/h4>\n

Reese has finally released her second album, <\/span>Time Well Spent<\/span><\/i><\/a>, after being pushed back many times due to the pandemic and other personal reasons. The album signifies the struggle she went through in the past three years to have it come together. Reese told EnVi that she experienced some self-doubt about her skills after her first album and EP release. But as she kept working, she created a collection of songs that she is proud of and included them in this album.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Courtesy of Reese Lansangan<\/p><\/div>\n

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Behind the Tracks<\/b><\/h4>\n

“What Is This Feeling?<\/span><\/a>,” the album\u2019s title track, talks about the unnamed and ambiguous feeling of freedom and joy. When asked when was the last time she felt that specific feeling, Reese shared, \u201cI think it still happens in small doses but I feel it the most when I\u2019m exploring- out there in the outside world experiencing new things.\u201d She added, \u201c…it\u2019s been so long since that happened and you can\u2019t help to fall into a routine when you\u2019re in the house. The last time I traveled, it\u2019s a different kind of high from when I released the 2nd album, but I\u2019m also very tired. It\u2019s hard to work with only a small team talking about content and other stuff- so it\u2019s very challenging. Even if I\u2019m happy, it was also exhausting.\u201d This moment is exemplified with the song\u2019s bridge, which Reese shares as her favorite <\/span>lyrics<\/span><\/a>\u00a0from the track.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, “<\/span>This Could Be It<\/span><\/a>“ is a track Reese calls her personal underrated favorite. Each track reflects moments in her life where she feels uncertainty and insecurity in her music that Reese turns into art.<\/span><\/p>\n