After a lifetime of conforming to societal expectations, Atlantic Canyons, aka Andrea Levesque, is ready to reintroduce herself as the energetic artist she’s set aside for so many years.  

Her debut EP, See The Hue was written, recorded, and produced in her rural New Hampshire home. Leaning on elements of dream pop, trip-hop, and chamber pop, as well as an old violin, Levesque’s compositions seek to elicit a number of emotions: calm, nostalgia, tenderness, anxiety, melancholy, and perhaps most importantly, catharsis. Orchestral elements combine with delicate vocal melodies, ethereal harmonies, and frequent lyrical references to the ocean. These elements originate from feelings of vulnerability and lay at the heart of Levesque’s stylistic approach. “It’s a letter to a past self, sometimes sad, but also encouraging,” she says of See The Hue.

You can check out the interview with her below!

How did you first get started in music?

I started piano at age 6 for no other reason than my mom wanting to keep me and my older siblings busy. I wasn’t particularly good at it, but I don’t think she cared; she just wanted us out of her hair for a while. The fact that she didn’t care, and the fact that my piano teacher was pretty chill and didn’t pressure me too much was what allowed me to discover my love for music on my own a few years later. I started on violin at age 11, but I wasn’t a natural at that either. If you’d put me in a lineup with all the other kids back then, you’d never point at me and say “oh yeah, she’s going to have a future in music.”

I stuck with both piano and violin, and one summer in middle school, it just clicked. I felt connected to music in a way I hadn’t before - I felt a pure passion for it. After that I never wanted to stop playing music. I was that orchestra nerd in high school. I focused almost entirely on classical music until I got to college, when I met interesting people who were into other types of music. 

When did you know you wanted to pursue it as a career vs a hobby?

I’ve wanted to pursue music as a career since I was in high school, but I didn’t because my parents didn’t approve or support it, and I felt pressured to make them happy. I’m at a point in my life where I did all the things I felt I was supposed to do to satisfy all these expectations. Now I just want to make myself happy and do the thing I’ve always wanted to do. I feel as if I have a lot of lost time to make up for. I don’t take for granted a minute of the time that I have now.

What bands (if any) were you a part of prior to Atlantic Canyons? How long has the band been around? 

I joined my first band during my sophomore year of college. This was a long time ago - they were active between 1998 and 2004. The band was called Petland. They’d already released their first album, and they needed a keyboardist. I was the only girl and everybody was ten years older than me. I was a total newb, haha. Being classically trained, it was the first time I had to figure out how to play a song without having sheet music. I had to learn how to set up for live shows and how to record in the studio. We were part of the college music scene in Delaware. Surprisingly, it’s a decent place to be, because it’s so close to D.C., Baltimore, Philly, and New York. We’d play shows pretty regularly in those cities. I’m grateful to have been involved in that band, because I learned most of what I know about recording and production from that experience. I don’t think ‘See The Hue’ would have existed without Petland. 

Later on, I joined a Philly-based band called Substatic around 2005-2007. We kept mainly to the Philly scene and played some great shows. It was a lot of fun. With both bands though, I was just another musician. I did contribute to the songwriting sometimes, but mainly I was just a player following someone else’s lead. At the time, I didn’t think I was capable of producing my own music. It took over a decade for me to evolve from that mindset because I needed to develop the skill and confidence, and I also needed a network of music friends willing to help. 

A silver lining of Covid is that the lockdown in 2020 gave artists opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have had. I met a lot of talented musicians online who were also shut in, writing music, and eager to collaborate and support each other. It was that final boost that I needed. It’s an exciting time for music -  there has been an explosion in new music being released, and Atlantic Canyons is part of that.

How did you land on the name Atlantic Canyons? It’s super unique and I think it represents the music really well—ethereal, hopeful, and a little mysterious. Did you ever consider other names before choosing that one? 

Thank you! Ha, your take on the name is exactly what I love to hear! My whole life I’ve been in various places along the east coast, mostly pretty close to the ocean. I’ve always found some feeling of peace and comfort from the ocean, and I felt that ‘Atlantic’ matched that feeling. Not long ago, I learned there are canyons in the Atlantic Ocean, larger than the Grand Canyons! Each of the canyons has its own name, some of which are named after cities along the east coast. One canyon is named after Norfolk, Virginia, where I grew up. The name really resonated with me. It just felt right, and that’s a rare thing, for me to be able to pick something so decisively. 

I threw around other ideas, but they were mostly joke names (like Fiascotheque) that didn’t jive with my sound and were never serious contenders.

How did you choose which songs made the cut for your EP ‘See the Hue’? 

One of the obstacles I faced before releasing this See The Hue was the idea of having a cohesive album. I worried about whether the songs had a nexus between them. I didn’t write with the intention of them being related - I originally planned to release them one by one as singles. But when I laid them all out together, many of them seemed to flow between each other. Even if they vary in style a bit, they all speak to a facet of the same story, and these were the ones that got bundled together into the EP. 

What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time? 

This album contains letters to a past self. The messages include acknowledging old wounds, words of encouragement, a reminder of happy experiences, and a little bit of late L'esprit de l'escalier - things I wish I had said back then. 

Specifically, on the old wounds, I battled with depression and anxiety hard for a long time. I’m much better now, and I think that it’s because I’ve allowed myself to be creative and write music. Some of the songs, like At Sea, Haunted World, and Life at the Top are a reflection of how miserable I was trying to please everyone around me and ignoring my own needs. Writing those songs helped me get it out of my system and heal a little bit. I think releasing these songs is a way of releasing old demons. At least I hope they’re gone now, and that I can shift my focus to other themes. 

What artists are currently inspiring your music? 

Two bands come to mind - My Bloody Valentine and Purity Ring. I’ve been a fan of both for a long time. I love MBV’s washy dreaminess, and I love how Purity Ring incorporates aspects of EDM into more conventionally structured pop songs.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start your career in music? 

Most definitely. The best live performances I have ever seen are Kishibashi shows. Kishibashi is an insanely talented artist, and his performances are the most inspiring I’ve ever seen. He’s a musician who outshines his own recorded music in live performance, which is not a neg on his albums. They are amazing too. Every time I see him perform I feel renewed and inspired to write more music! 

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any pre-show rituals?

I like to prepare the same way I would in a chamber ensemble or orchestra. Practice like hell, where all the musicians are so plugged in together it’s like a hive mind. And not just the music, but the transitions between songs and breaking down and setting up everything. When things have gone wrong for me, the synths were the culprits. I always keep extras of everything and have multiple backup plans if any technical issues arise. I also try to be as organized as possible. A shot beforehand doesn’t hurt either, haha

You’ve had some really impressive radio play since ‘See the Hue’ was released, including the EP taking the #1 spot for most adds for an EP and tying for #8 in the Top Weekly Ads through the North American College and Community Radio Charts. Were you surprised how quickly the EP took off?

Yes, it was a huge surprise, and I’m so grateful!!! This is a self-released debut album - these stations have never heard of me before. So it means a lot to me when I reach out to thank a station that is supporting me and they reply back saying “This is great! We can’t wait to hear more from you!” It fills my cup. I’m excited to work on more music!

What moment (so far) are you most proud of when it comes to your music? 

I’m lucky to be part of a larger online music community and friends with some uniquely talented producers. As I was gearing up for the release of See The Hue, five of them independently approached me about remixing a track on the album. That just flatters the shit out of me. Two of the remixes are already complete, one for See the Hue and one for Life at the Top. I’m likely adding a sixth producer to the roster soon. The plan is to release these tracks in a stand-alone remix album, hopefully early next year. The idea that these guys would be inspired by my music and motivated to play with it and create something new makes me feel very proud.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

Hahah yeah, the Flaming Lips! I need an excuse to dress up in a full costume as an anthropomorphic carrot or an alien or something. Their shows are like getting that birthday party you always wanted as a kid, but trippier. I’d love to tour with them. 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thinking more about songs making the cut - I’ve read that the best approach to songwriting is to write as many songs as possible and take the best ones. And I know many artists write lots of songs that never see the light. I’m not able to work that way. If I’m working on a song and it’s not feeling right, I’ll usually abandon it well before it’s completed. I’ve had some songs, like ‘See The Hue’ that I struggled with, but I had a sense that it wanted to be written, so I didn’t give up on it. If it could talk, it would have said “work with me here, I know I’m not there yet, but I’ll deliver, I promise.” For me, the songs that get released communicate with me in some way. They tell me what they need and which direction they want to go. The rest of them don’t “talk” to me as much. They’d just shrug and say “yeah, I dunno, whatever man.” They don’t do as well on the job interview I guess, haha. 

Thank you for this interview! :) I loved the questions.