Caroline Leisegang: Life and Music Intertwined
Written by: Renate Engelbrecht
It was early on a summer’s morning when we phoned the composer, Caroline Leisegang. The interview had been set up a week before and we couldn’t wait to learn more about her new album, Comes the Night. Her voice was friendly and every now and then, we could hear a toddler’s voice in the background. Suddenly, we wished life had allowed us to meet up for coffee instead, that we could get a glimpse of that which inspires Leisegang’s resonating musical compositions.
It’s been ten years since the release of her debut album and her 2.2 million streams on Apple Music proves that her music is well received globally. She affirms, though, that working on the albums following her first (which was a great hit), definitely served as a learning curve. She learned “how to write and still keep the same level of integrity of the first album, and [to] let it grow and evolve and let the compositions speak for themselves.”
Leisegang describes herself as “not extremely classical, traditionally.” In fact, she says her works are normally the “weird in-between pop-songs of classical music.” Ultimately, her aim is to release music that people want to listen to; music she is proud of. “To navigate that and the market in South Africa was a challenge,” she admits. “But then, I am always pleasantly surprised at the positive feedback.”
Inspired By Life
As a musician and composer, Leisegang lives with her heart and her ears close to things that capture emotion and draw one in. That includes the simple acts of watching series, as much as it does listening to birdsong. “You’re constantly consuming the universe,” she says, “and from what you see and hear, you get to take it, absorb it and make it into something.”
Her inspiration for Comes The Night largely came from a book, though. A coming-of-age story about a 21-year-old girl in Paris.
“I think of the album as a coming of age in terms of my music too,” Leisegang says. “A reintroduction to Caroline, the composer.”
In fact, she says the final piece on her new album gives the listener the impression that there is unfinished business. “It’s asking people to stick around to hear what comes next,” she explains.
The Freedom Of Being Yourself
However, it took her a while to get past her first release and to allow herself to unravel and give herself more freedom to be a composer. The journey toward finding this freedom is not always an easy one.
Caroline Leisegang was a ‘pandemic mom,’ with her daughter being born during the Covid-19 pandemic, which evidently also influenced the works on her latest album. Hence, she describes Comes The Night as a rather selfish album, as much of the compositions were inspired by everything that happened to her personally at the time.
“There’s been such a contrast of light and dark and that’s what I wanted to capture in the music,” she says. “Something unsettling in the world. Becoming a mom and my relationship with my child. That little personality with her own dreams and requirements.” The album captures the essence of the world, unable to keep still. “Everything was moving, but I was stuck,” she says. “Opinions and fights on socials; me just trying to find my own voice amidst everything.”
Luckily, Leisegang did not have to put her frustrations into words and navigate the cancel culture online. Instead, she poured her frustrations into her compositions and what came of it, is an album that the ear can follow like one would read a book. Her new album displays honesty, self-discovery and the freedom of being herself in every staccato, every crescendo and every ‘unfinished’ bar.
The Musical Metaphor Of Motherhood
One of Leisegang’s favourite pieces on her latest album is called Victorine. She describes the piece as uncomfortable, tense, but beautiful.
“I took a piece from the first album and rearranged it with strings. Really, it’s about motherhood, and that 90% of the time, you’re at a constant friction with your toddler. There is no resolution in this piece – it just goes on and on for six minutes and then it just stops. It’s the perfect musical metaphor for motherhood. You never have any resolution with your children. They will humble you; tell you what they think and want. There is no way to reason with them.”
Music With Meaning For All
While this album is ultimately an iteration of her own story, she would love to see listeners take it and make it the soundtrack to their own lives. “That’s the only thing you can really hope for – for people to make the music their own.”
Since she’s used more strings in her latest compositions, Caroline Leisegang hopes that listeners will enjoy the contrast and that the slower tempo and new sound will resonate with them.
Keep an eye on her social media for concert dates – both locally and internationally – in the new year.
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