Welcome to The Drop, Refinery29's home for music video premieres. We want to shine the spotlight on women artists whose music inspires, excites, and (literally) moves us. This is where we'll champion their voices.
Lxandra is a 23-year-old Berlin-based singer-songwriter who is just getting her start in the music industry, but already, she's nostalgic for a time past. At least, that's the subject of her single "Swimming Pools." Money, status, and clout are not on the radar of children, and in "Swimming Pools," Lxandra urges us to put those very adult things aside, for a moment, at least.
The musician behind singles "Flicker" and "Dig Deep" is now working on her debut album, and "Swimming Pools" is just a taste of what's to come. Over the phone, Lxandra chatted with Refinery29 about the inspiration behind the single and new video.
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Refinery29: What is the inspiration behind this track?
Lxandra: "The day we wrote the song, I came in annoyed by the systems around money and capitalism. We wanted to write a song focused on the small things and what really matters. In many ways, it's not money or this big system, but the little things and the beautiful people you know. Children are still in this world full of imagination. They're more present. This song looks back on childhood and how easy it was. It's about trying to keep the child in you alive."
Why use the line "we're the kids who don't have swimming pools in our backyards" as the hook, specifically? Why was that the place you went to?
"One of the writers had the word 'swimming pool' in mind, and I thought that was funny because I never had a swimming pool in my backyard. I grew up on a little island, and it was beautiful. There was nature all around, that was my backyard. That was way better than a swimming pool, in the end. It was beautiful, and it didn't have to do with money. We would use our imagination and play around and come up with all these fun games."
You came into the industry in your early 20s, what was it like going into adulthood and the music industry at the same time?
"It was tricky. I was trying to find who I am and what kind of music I want to make. It took me a while to find my style and vibe, and what projects I [wanted to work on.] I took the time, though [to figure it out]. I think it's been great to learn so many things about this whole business at this point already. I'm more prepared for what's coming."
What was your inspiration behind the music video specifically?
"I wanted [a blend of imagination] and reality. We wanted to show places that I spent time in when I was a child, show nature and the woods. There's a beach that I used to go to when I visited my grandma in Finland. I had really good memories there, which is why I wanted to shoot the video there. We wanted the story to be about letting go, being yourself, and letting the child inside of you just go crazy."