Brooklyn-based powerhouse Leilani Patao has released “what,” the final single from their forthcoming deluxe EP, Daisy Deluxe, out July 24. The track offers a preview of the artist’s most intimate songwriting and vocal performances to date.
The multidimensional track pulls from ’90s grunge and experimental indie pop, moving with the restlessness of young adulthood. Pounding drums steadily raise the song’s intensity as it shifts from whispered bedroom confessions to waves of distorted guitar. Through each turn, Patao’s soulful vocals keep the song grounded in intimacy.
Outside of music, the Hawaiian-American musician also works as a community organizer. Their songwriting often draws from this experience, exploring immigration justice, environmental destruction and trans rights through a deeply personal lens.
As support from KEXP, WFUV, Under the Radar and The Tonight Show brought Leilani Patao’s music to wider audiences, the stakes grew. The attention brought new eyes and new expectations. Suddenly, there was more pressure for Patao to make marketable work that could reach as many people as possible.
There’s so much pressure to be palatable, to find what everyone likes and to do it. To follow the systems that are in place, even if you don’t like them, even if they’re wrong.
“what” is the release valve for that pressure. More than anything, the song sounds like an artist making peace with not being everyone’s cup of tea. It chooses honesty over comfort and hopes that its listeners will too.
Daisy Deluxe will be available exclusively on Bandcamp.
What’s it got to do with you?
With your stable job and two bedroom
No need to read the news
What’s it got to do with you
The price of life ain’t changed a dime
But you had more cash four years ago this time
You owe nothing to the world
Don’t you and yours come first
But I’ve grown scared of my teachers
Mothers, fathers, and preachers
Anyone who says
“Love is love is free”
Cause talk is cheap and words shallow
And I’m a hard pill to swallow
And any moment, I could not be free
I’m begging you please
You can’t cover your ears and call it peace
You can’t stare into your phone
And hope the void gives you relief
Notice the people you see
You owe kindness in the ways they need
How are you not up?
How are you not angry?
Dad’s from a place he’s never known
Couldn’t afford to stay whenever he got close
Land and men in line
Chase them out in exile
Mom moved here for a better life
A chance at love, a chance at a job
American style
A green card success
A citizen at her expense
But I’ve grown scared of the center
Those who think that they’re better off
If they save what they’ve got
Is it the peace that you’re keeping
My Hawai’i is melting
But it’s just another graphic to read
And I become a story
I’m begging you please
You can’t cover your ears and call it peace
You can’t stare into your phone
And hope the void gives you relief
Notice the people you see
You owe kindness in the ways they need
How are you not up?
