“This is Where I’m Meant to Be” - A Conversation with Lascivious
Interview ★ Kenzie Gay ★ @kenzwrites ★ 4 Minutes
Recently, I completed one of our magazine’s first reader-based competitions in an attempt to discover underground rock bands across the United States. Amongst the sea of applicants varying by state, the first to receive their win (and unofficial title as the best underrated rock group in the state of Florida) was none other than Lascivious.
Composed of frontwoman and lead singer Leah Heart, guitarist/multi instrumentalist JP, and new drummer Ayden, Lascivious is an up and coming rock trio hailing from the Ybor City neighborhood of Tampa, Florida. We recently sat down with Leah and JP to gather some insight on the band and their journey thus far.
Leah and JP, photographer unknown
Which artists have influenced your music? Are there any that some would be surprised to hear?
Leah: It was so hard not to put every artist I listen to because in reality I derive inspiration from all music and I listen to such a variety of genres. The ones that have truly molded me would be pretty much almost everything that’s considered “divorced dad rock” now (Three Days Grace, Alice in Chains etc). Hayley Williams from Paramore of course. Something surprising might be Chris Cornell’s solo stuff. The way he wrote songs really inspired my own creations.
JP: Tool and Deftones sneak in a lot. Slash, as well in terms of the riffs/solos.
What’s a song or piece of music that has changed the way you see the world, and why?
Leah: Take it Easy by the Eagles - this is a song I put on whenever I’m in a really bad mood to switch my mindset. “We may lose and we may win, though we’ll never be here again”. Something about that song always brings me back down to Earth. Helps me remember- life is meant to be lived with ease. If you go with the flow of it, things just tend to happen for you.
JP: I will use any and every excuse to talk about Fast Car by Tracy Chapman. Not only do the sociopolitical implications of the song's initial suspect inspire hope for all art; but the song itself serves as a beautiful reminder of the necessity of not settling in life: "We gotta make a decision / Leave tonight or live and die this way"
What’s something about being a musician that you think people often misunderstand?
Leah: People can misunderstand how art has a life of its own outside of the artist. When JP I are writing a song, it comes to a point where we have to ask “what does the song want to do?” That might be completely different than our original plan but it ends up being what suits the song the best.
JP: When you come to see a local band, especially somewhere like a coffee shop or a bar, the band did not just show up and start playing. They had to promote themselves, negotiate, find co-performers, rehearse the music, record whatever backing tracks they may be using, haul/setup the majority of the audio equipment, troubleshoot inevitable gremlins, network, field last-minute changes from the venue, almost break up, reconcile, and THEN perform.
What would you be doing right now if it weren’t for your musical career?
Leah: If I was doing anything other than making music I would be SEVERELY unhappy. This is definitely where I’m meant to be, but before I got into this I was going to USF to be an ASL interpreter. So if I never had the guts to start Lascivious, I would be doing that or be a yoga instructor.
JP: Laying in a grave, most likely.
If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?
Leah: I would change so much about the industry if I could. Starting with record labels. Black listing the ones that stole people's voice and music. Thereafter, record labels would work for the artists with fair exchange - they wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for the artist. I think record companies have it backwards right now - we don’t work for you, we work together for an artistic expression. Also, changing the requirement of having over 2 million followers on TikTok to get a record deal.
JP: Live Nation is segmenting the art form in a way which is destroying it from the bottom up. Not only does their monopoly empty the pockets of the consumer who wants to see their favorite artist live, it also dismantles the local venue who can no longer afford to put on shows, and smothers the opportunities for the small artist who has nowhere to perform.
Describe a memory with the band that has really stuck with you and helped you grow as a musician.
Leah: We played a gig in Orlando and it was the first time we ever had an audience that had no idea who we were before our set but they were so engaged during our songs and by the end, begged for an encore. That show proved to me we have what it takes to make it.
JP: In the Genesis of our band, we were practicing an acoustic set. We recorded an impromptu cover of Like A Stone for the first time in what was then a literal construction site. We finished a run-through thinking it was terrible, only to listen back and be completely blown away by how good it sounded. This reminded us of how capable we are.
Can you walk us through the creative process it took to make DARK DIVINE, your most recent single?
Leah: I’ve always been drawn to the vampire, succubus energy. At the time DARK DIVINE was written, I was watching a show where the main antagonist was a woman who was oppressed as a human, and then whenever she gained powerful vampire abilities, she became this unstoppable, dark force that people would bow down to - even tremble over. I chose to embody that character fully - make it like she was an entity that I was channeling. Which is why in the song it goes from “I can’t help it” to “she can’t be tamed” and “I have tapped into the dark feminine” .
When I write songs, I start with the lyrics and then melody. Sometimes both at the same time. The first line of the song came to me first and I really just built around that. The chorus randomly came to me while I was standing in my kitchen one day. Then I feel like the rest of the song just flowed out of me. I handed the lyrics/ melody/ rhythm to JP and he came up with his end. It took us a while to figure out what we wanted to do with it because it is a very weird song. There’s tempo changes, time signature changes and even key changes so I definitely didn’t make it easy for him but I’m very happy with how DARK DIVINE turned out.
JP: DARK DIVINE took a LONG time. Like most songs, it started with a voice note that we built around. Musically, the song is all about building up suspense before the chorus and we experimented with every chord progression, synth patch, and musical arrangement we could to achieve that. We believe the song is in charge; not the artist. And it took at least six months before we were able to fully understand this one. It actually sat dormant for periods of time until we found momentum with a few specific pieces of ear candy that really helped cement the sonic world the song needed to create and exist in, and propel it forward (note the effects on the guitar tone in the beginning, the tremolo effect on the vocals at the end of the chorus, and the unexpected harmony at the very end).
Can you share anything about the band’s plans for 2026?
Both: Enhanced live shows, full- length album, and playing everywhere we can until we have the ability to organize a tour.
