[FEATURE] VIPER PRESENTS: LIV EAST

East London born and raised, Liv East boasts a wealth of collaborations with the likes of Folamour, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Kid Fonque and Yarni to date. Get familiar with this VIPER interview…

What five words define your sound?

Soulful, sultry, sincere, sexy, serene.

Tell me something unique about your creative process.

I never plan melodies before I press record… Lyrics always come first and I just hit record and allow the song to flow out of me.

Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?

‘LVE UNLIMITED’

What inspired you to make that song?

I wrote it upon reflection of how I’d been denied and cast aside by someone special to me. It was a painful and confusing time but my inner strength pushed me forwards – I knew I would never be waiting around for this person. Ultimately it’s a story of self-love.

What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music?

I wrote a song called ‘Demonz’ a few years ago which is really exposing the mental health struggles I have contended with and watched others struggle with too. It’s quite dark and it was uncomfortable to release as it’s such a raw song.

What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?

Thankfully I’ve not had any terrible experiences on stage, it’s honestly the best feeling to be on any stage and channel back into the moment I wrote the track, so I can perform it sincerely.

What is your favourite song to perform?

‘You’re My’ – a track by myself and Sticks & Stonez. It’s pure joy, it gets everyone moving plus everyone knows the words so I just sing along with the audience.

Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?

BANKS – ‘Goddess’ and Disclosure – ‘Settle’. These two albums inspired me so much and around the same time.

What’s the meaning behind your name?

Liv is my name and East is where I’m from. I’m an East London girl, born and bred.

If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?

Reading people’s birth charts.

What’s success to you?

Having the freedom to follow your passions.

What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?

Moving out of London to Manchester, away from home to living independently & discovering who I really was & what I wanted to truly pursue in life.

Where can people keep in touch with you?

Follow me on Instagram or TikTok @liveast

Photo by Saskia Morley-Sage