Ambitious independent pop artist Quinn L’Esperance joins us for some sunshine and coffee at Hollywood, CA’s appropriately named shop Coffee Coffee to discuss what to expect from her upcoming album, staying true to yourself on public platforms, and her personal goal of inspiring inclusivity. 

You’re riding the highs of your recently released single “Human Connection!” What inspired the lyrical and instrumental themes that you chose to highlight in the track?

Quinn L’Esperance: This was a really cool song to write because my co-writers and I had so much fun building the track for “Human Connection” in a really unique way. I like to write music that is inspiring and promotes positivity and inclusivity. When writing the lyrics for the song after the track was built and we came up with a melody, I wanted the lyrics to reflect that. The idea for the song came to me when I noticed how disconnected people were from each other and that if we all came together, rather than building up walls, the world would be such a stronger place. I truly believe that togetherness has a power and that we are all connected to each other, especially during this crisis we are all experiencing during this time.

Absolutely! And you’re also gearing up to release your sophomore album under your own label. Lots of new things coming!

Quinn: Yes!

Care to give us a little bit of a sneak peek as to what we should be expecting from the album?

Quinn: As an artist, I want to empower people and write positively themed music. I also have a very special place in my heart for the special needs community. My brother is on the spectrum, and one thing that I see there’s not enough attention called to people with disabilities. They’re people too and everybody should be able to have a voice. So what I  want to do is provide a voice for everybody that doesn’t feel like they have one. 

It’s definitely appreciated. Everyone deserves to be included, especially in the arts.

Quinn: Exactly! 

And why did you choose “Heavyweight” to be the lead single for the album? 

Quinn: So “Heavyweight” just felt like the ‘right’ song, you know? It was really the first one that really felt like me, and I knew that it was going to be a growing point. The video was so fun to do too, and the fact that I have them all together was the perfect jump into this project.

How would you say that your songwriting and recording process so far has been similar or different than that if your past work? 

Quinn: It’s definitely more different now because the way that I write music is I start by building a track first, and then think about the kind of message that I want lyrically and musically. So I put the beat down, and then I start adding the live elements and the electronic stuff, and then I normally do the lyrics last. I work with a couple different co-writers and my music producer too, but that’s just the way that I found works best for me. It’s just so creative and so fun.

Yes! It’s good to have some extra ears and eyes on the project as well even though we love to do things ourselves.

Quinn: Definitely! 

And you could choose three artists to go on a world tour with, who would you choose and what would you name your tour? 

Quinn: Ok, for a world tour, I would definitely choose Jon Bellion, Lady Gaga, and Halsey because they’re such great performers and their music is so real to who they are. They really speak to the platform that they want to support, which is really, really special, and something that I want to do as an artist as well. And then a name? Oh gosh, I think we’d have to all hang out and talk about that one! *laughs* 

Everybody will contribute one word to the tour name! *laughs* 

Quinn: Yes! *laughs*

Going into everyone’s favorite topic of social media, would you say that it’s helped artists kind of make a name for themselves, or do you think it’s made it a little bit harder? 

Quinn: I think that it’s definitely made it more accessible for people to listen to music and for artists to have a reach. Obviously with social media, everybody wants to chime in and say their opinion whether it’s nice or not, but overall, I think that there’s so many different marketing tools that social media has that really helps bring people together. For artists who want to keep working towards growing a fanbase and their platforms, and I think that’s great.

Do you think that sometimes it kind of adds pressure for artists to constantly have stuff going on to post about, like touring or new music, or even little bits of yourself that you might not normally tell someone in person? 

Quinn: You know, I think that more so than pressure, personally, I think it keeps me motivated to keep going and to keep trying different things. But I can see where you could feel the pressure from it, but I like to think of it as motivating. It’s like, ‘What can I do to keep growing and putting myself out there?’

So as a female musician, do you feel that women in the music industry need to portray themselves in certain ways in order to be successful? 

Quinn: I think that women need to be who they are and portray the message that they want to portray. I mean, even nowadays, a lot of bigger artists are calling attention to their beliefs and stuff, and I think it’s awesome and really empowering. No matter who you are, man, woman, whoever, I think that you need to be honest and true to yourself as an artist, because if you’re not, people are going to see right through it. For the message you want to portray, you just gotta do it. You have to do what’s in your heart. 

Absolutely! And going into a little bit about your growing music label, it’s just so impressive and awesome to see not only a female doing this, but as an independent artist doing this as well. 

Quinn: Thank you!

Of course! What kind of inspired you to want to begin a new journey in the label industry? 

Quinn: I think that right now, especially with different platforms where you can release your own music and do it yourself, it’s just easier than ever to make music. You can do it on your own terms, and you can release music when you want and how you want it. I think that’s really important as a woman and as an artist to be able to do that.

You are also involved in acting and modeling. How do you balance your personal life with your professional life?

Quinn: Finding different places to explore around L.A. and trying different fitness classes really helps keep me busy. Most of my friends are in the entertainment business, so it’s nice to be surrounded by people who understand the struggles and hustle this kind of career takes. I also just love performing, so a lot of the time my personal and professional life go hand in hand with each other.

And when you were younger, you were also a competitive figure skater, which is super cool!

Quinn: It was really fun!

I give you props, I am definitely not the best at it. *both laugh* Do you feel that the pairing of ice skating and music kind of inspired you to want to do your own music?

Quinn: Absolutely. I think that performance has always been a huge part of my life on the ice and on the stage. I had to stop skating because I hurt my knees, but you know, when one door closes another one opens. I’d always loved singing and acting and performing, so I signed up for a theater summer camp, and that eventually led to tv and film acting and doing my music independently. I think that everything happens for a reason, and I’m very happy that that happened. Performance and just being in front of people has impacted me so much because it’s what I love to do, and I love to inspire people to do that as well. It’s such an awesome creative outlet. 

Yes! And there are so many stories similar to yours where they were no longer able to do a particular thing, but discovered music and it became their life. 

Quinn: It’s so amazing!

If you could give your younger self any advice in regards to what you’ve experienced so far in music or in life in general, what advice would you give her?

Quinn: I think this applies for both music and life, I would tell my younger self to stop caring about other people’s opinions sooner. Especially as a young woman, or even just as a young person in general, it can be very hard to keep your head up. Once I learned to not care about other people and what they thought, and focus on what I love to do and surrounding myself with positive people who are like-minded, that’s when I was really truly my happiest and I still am to this day. So I would definitely tell my younger self to just not worry about what people think. 

Yes! And what do you hope that your audience will take away from your music?

Quinn: I want them to feel empowered and inspired, and I want them to just feel comforted. There is so much negativity and so many things in the world that can bring you down, so I want to provide an outlet and a voice for embracing inclusivity. That’s what I hope people take away from it.

And to end us off, apart from the release of your new album as well as the debut of your label, what big plans should we be expecting from you in the near future?

Quinn: Over the summer, my family will be fully launching a non-profit called Connor’s Hope to help raise money and awareness for the special needs community of all ages. Family is very important to me, especially my brother Connor who has special needs. One thing that mesmerizes me is his love of music and moving to a beat. I actually have a song in my album that I wrote about him and the message that he provides to the world. I cannot wait to share that song with the world!

Check out Quinn L’Esperance on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify!

About Coffee Coffee:

Want proof that Garfield loves coffee more than lasagna? Meet Coffee Coffee! Upon your arrival, you’re greeted by the adorable orange cat himself on the bright teal wooden fence emblazoned by the shop’s name, how could you not want to stop in for one of their delicious recipes? A cozy shop with home-y yet utterly Anglino snacks (avocado toast, organic donuts), take-away hemp infused coffee beans, and a ‘Friendly As Fuck’ coffee menu gives anyone who walks in the door something to enjoy. Plus, the Garfield theme is continued with orange letterboards and appearances on coffee cups!

In standard CiC fashion, of course The Special was calling out my name, which was comprised of steamed milk, coffee and coffee infused ice cubes. I myself am a slow drinker, so the idea of coffee cubes was just mind-blowing to see outside of Pinterest. I was able to fully enjoy my drink throughout the interview while we chatted on their small enclosed seating area complete with bright, happy bistro tables. What more could you want for a perfect coffee day?

Check out more about Coffee Coffee on Instagram.