A Chat with Lucas Assagba (20.08.25)
Inspired by the likes of Lizzie McAlpine, Mitski, Samia, Porches and Jasmine 4.t, singer-songwriter Lucas Assagba shares her blend of indie-rock with international audiences. We speak with Assagba about her new single, ‘Nosebleeds‘, producing songs, and much more.
OSR: We just completed a review of your single, ‘Nosebleeds‘. Who are the musicians on this track?
Assagba: I played guitar and bass, and Ben Parry played drums.
OSR: Do you have an idea right away of what you want the song to sound like when you write it?
Assagba: Honestly, it’s hit and miss! It’s usually pretty obvious if I want a song to be heavily produced or more stripped back really early on, and the ones that are a bit more produced go through the most change. Usually, the songs with the most variables are the most difficult to put together.
OSR: Do your songs go through any changes between writing them and recording them, maybe even despite your vision for them?
Assagba: Oh, all the time. It’s very rare that I produce a song that sounds the same as I imagined it. Whenever I start to produce something, I get attached to what I’m hearing and abandon what’s in my head. The only time I’ve stuck to a vision throughout the whole process is with ‘Comet’.
OSR: Your two recent singles sound a little heavier tonally than your other material. Did you intentionally plot out a different direction for this EP?
Assagba: Originally, this EP was set to be a lot closer to my debut, the Resolution, with some more ethereal, airy songs to balance out the harshness of the other tracks. It felt freeing when I eventually decided to cut down the track list because of the new territory I was exploring; the novelty was really exciting! I think it’s easier to be flowery and metaphorical with lighter songs, but heavy music requires a certain audacity. It was super interesting to explore.
OSR: Who are some of your influences?
Assagba: I always cite Mitski and Lizzy McAlpine as my central inspirations, but lately I’m super inspired by Alvvays, Samia, Porches and Jasmine.4.t.
OSR: Have you ever written a song that sounds a little too much like the music that inspires you?
Assagba: Every single day. When I first started writing songs, it was a ritual practice of rewriting my favourite songs and eventually moving onto less derivative things, but it still happens sometimes! The earliest inklings of ‘Nosebleeds’ were identical to ‘Fist’ by Miya Folick. In my experience, it’s really easy to lose faith in your abilities and your art if you make something too similar to something else, but I find that patience and persistence is the key to making something that feels good.
OSR: There is so much music out there that is broadly available. Do you ever find it challenging to write something that sounds fresh to your ears?
Assagba: All the time! The availability of music is my favourite part about the medium; you’ll never ever run out of new things to listen to. But in my experience, it’s so easy to get trapped in echo chambers of styles and eras, and when that happens my writing tends to run dry. A big part about getting out of that rut for me is shaking things up. I’m listening to a lot of vinyl lately and going out of my way to search for records I’m unfamiliar with has done wonders for my tastes and for my production process.
OSR: You commented that ‘Nosebleeds’ seemed to fall out of the sky and into your lap. How do you approach songs that aren’t as easy to write?
Assagba: Patience is a lesson I have to teach myself every week, but it’s the only way to approach a song that doesn’t come easily. I was listening to a St. Vincent interview about a year ago, and something she said changed how I look at songs; she was explaining how sometimes, songs fight back! They demand to be treated a certain way, and they won’t co-operate unless you approach them nicely. My song ‘Keyways’ was really challenging; all in all, writing that song took 18 months. I started it when I was 17 and finished it at 19 during the recording process. I think letting time do its thing is the best way to get around a block.
OSR: You also commented that ‘Nosebleeds’ seemed to come after months of “tears and stress.” Do you find it’s easier to write about difficult situations after they have passed?
Assagba: It usually depends on the situation, but the clarity that comes with hindsight is really great for the process. Songs I write in the moment tend to be harsher and more spiteful, but a song like ‘Nosebleeds’ comes from a place of healing, growth and self-reflection.
OSR: What comes to you first: the melody or the lyric?
Assagba: Always the lyric! It’s super rare that I write words around a melody, it’s usually an afterthought.
Many thanks to Lucas Assagba for speaking with us. Find out more about Lucas Assagba on her Instagram and Spotify.
