There's always been an evident pop streak in all of Lyndsay's single releases to date, regardless of which genre she happened to be exploring at the time. Having dabbled in mainstream rock, acoustic pop, club music, power ballads and even dipped her toes in leftfield pop on last year's sublime Regent Street, her new single Sick Day is quite possibly her strongest statement in this regard. It's a catchy, flowing number with a subtle pulsating beat that more or less qualifies it as a dance track of sorts and, underneath it all, there's a flagrant 1980s flavour that fits Lyndsay's voice hand in glove. It's quite safe to say in fact that this latest release, while underlining her elusive musical character, has all the right ingredients to outdo all her previous singles in terms of radio airplay. There’s more to Lyndsay's plans however, than just conquering the local airwaves, as Michael Bugeja found out in this interview with the young artist.
Your 2014 singles, #Letter 25 and Regent Street both did quite well locally. How indicative are the two collaborations of the direction you're pursuing as a solo artist?
I've always considered myself to be a versatile artist and an overall dynamic performer, which I suppose is reflected directly in the music I record. I worked with different people on those two singles and the results reveal different sides of me. The thing is, I love collaborating with other professionals in the music scene. There's always something new to learn and I find it helps to boost one's opportunities in this industry.
Your new single Sick Day in fact points to a totally different direction. How does it fit into your plans and the bigger picture?
As you said, with the new single I'm going in a different direction. There's a bigger dose of mainstream pop but I feel the song reflects this new exciting chapter of my musical journey. I'll be venturing deeper into more upbeat pop music which I believe allows me to express my feelings and reach the audience in a more direct way.
What else can you tell us about your new single?
Sick Day was produced by Malta-based Fanatic Studios in collaboration with songwriters Barbara Rose Mosele, Brad Bartolo Frendo and Calvin Bartolo. The song is essentially bouncy, feelgood pop while the lyrics express a temptation I'm sure everyone gets every now and then, which is basically to call in sick for work or school and go out and have some fun instead. It's a very danceable and radio-friendly tune. I was actually handpicked to work on this project and I'm very excited about it all.
There seems to be an even bigger push behind this song than any you've released to date, with a US agency also on board. Is this the first step towards a bigger adventure?
The focus on this project is based on a more international agreement aiming to infiltrate foreign markets and share my music with the world. I've mostly worked on local single releases in the past few years which have piled up into a healthy repertoire of songs. However, I felt that it was now time to take my music to the next level and when this golden opportunity came my way, I felt it was the right decision to make as an emerging artist.
Further to all your single releases to date, which saw you explore different styles, have you considered releasing an EP, maybe even a compilation album?
The main plan is to work on an EP at the moment, possibly including extended club versions but keeping that pop factor intact throughout. You will definitely be hearing more from me, as there are more releases lined up, probably including new versions of some of my previous releases.
With Sick Day now picking up pace locally and quite possibly abroad too, what are your immediate plans?
I have a lot to offer, and I'm trying to find the best possible ways to present my music and my talent to a wider audience. Naturally I am ambitious, and very excited to perform as much as possible to reach as many people as possible. There are obviously more recordings and releases ahead but maintaining a live presence is equally important. Over and above this, my main priority at the moment is to give this opportunity my undivided attention in the hope that in due time I can venture abroad and pursue my dream of becoming an established artist.
This article was first published on The Sunday Times of Malta (6 September 2015)