Levi Patel

Sometimes change in life happens all at once. I found myself emotionally lost and, after a decade of creating instrumental music, accidentally writing songs. Today I'm finally sharing them with you in my new album - Sailing on the Light of a Passing Star 🌌 Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoy it 🤍 Music and lyrics written by Levi Patel Produced by Levi Patel Additional production by Sophie Faber and Matt Koenen Strings and horns arranged by Levi Patel Strings and drums recorded by Matt Gunn at Roundhead Studios Pianos recorded by Jacob Rush at Lot 9 Studios All other music recorded by Levi Patel at Lot 9 Studios Mixed by Simon Gooding Mastered by Taylor Deupree Vocal coaching by Suzanne Lynch Production advice from Hillary Johnston and Chris Pratt Recording advice from Matt Gunn, Matt Koenen, Jeremy Reid, Jacob Rush, and Tom Verberne Performers Levi Patel - Vocals, backing vocals, pianos, guitars, keyboards, synthesisers, shakers Ezra Donnelly - Drums, shakers Tristan Colenso - Bass guitar [Tracks 1, 4, 7, 11] A talented friend - Backing vocals [Tracks 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11] Giana Patel - Backing vocals [Track 3] Violins - Charmian Keay, Hanny Lee, Joella Pinto, Miyo Yoon Violas - Rachel Grimwood, Julie Park Cellos - Martin Roberts Double Basses - Eric Scholes [Tracks 5, 6, 7, 10] Artwork Photograph of Levi Patel by Josh Allen Composition and additional photographs by Tianjun Li (Timjune) Gravity Music Video Crighton Bone - Director of Photography Jonny Yarrell - 1st AC Luka Turjak - Editor Mikee Carpinter - Colourist Thanks to Stephen Baker and Dean Thomas at Imagezone Special Thanks To all the incredible people above, as well as Agustina Marianacci, Alayna, Alex Harter, Await591, Jeremy Redmore, Jeremy Reid, Jia, Jessie Reich, Jonathan Zsofi, Joy 季朝伟, Luke Gajdus, Mark McLeod, Matt Weir at Algonaut, Michelle Bakker, Nancy Howie Piano Services, Niko Uusitalo, Noema Te Hau, Olivia Holland, Rhian Sheehan, Tim Bern, Tony, Vivian 文文, Wensu SkeletonHeart, 小杨, along with so many other supportive friends, and my family. I couldn't have done it without you.

After over a decade of releasing instrumental music, I've finally found my voice. Today I released Gravity, the first song ever featuring my vocals and lyrics, and the song that set the path of the last few years of my life. I still remember the exact moment the chorus lyrics came to me, after realising I was somehow the only person in this vast park and bird sanctuary near where I live. I suddenly had clarity about how I was feeling, something I couldn't put into words before. And it came with a free astrophysics metaphor, even better. Thanks to all the incredible people who contributed, musically or emotionally. I'll share more about them soon. And thank you so much for listening, I hope you enjoy the song 🤍

I often lean on metaphor, but I’m suddenly realising that these lyrics leave nowhere to hide. Doubt About You is the final song I'm sharing before the full album, Sailing on the Light of a Passing Star, later this month. I can’t believe I finally get to say that. To be honest, I wrote it in one of the toughest moments of the journey, but despite the resignation imbued deep in the song - perhaps all I could see at the time - I can still feel threads of hope throughout. Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoy it 🤍

The highest altitude I've ever been to, in one of my favourite parts of China so far. I visited this incredible waterfall near a small town called Songpan in western Sichuan province. At 3200m high, and almost 20 degrees colder than the nearest city (where I chose my outfit...), it felt like another world. 🎵 Levi Patel - Glow

On a mountaintop near Liuzhou, China, surrounded by countless mountains blending into the sunset, a truly unbelievable atmosphere. Singing a mixed English/Mandarin version of my song 'Doubt About You'. And for some amusing context, just out of frame were a team of at least 15 people filming a fake wedding (luckily they couldn't understand most of the lyrics).

People have been asking to see more of what I've been doing on the Chinese internet, so here's a live performance clip of my song Stay Still, sung in Mandarin, and during sunset of course. It's a little different from the studio version, but I hope you enjoy it. Thanks to @skeleton_has_heart for the beautiful translation of the lyrics. I also want to say I am so overwhelmed by your response to my new album. After pouring so much of myself into it, it truly means a lot 🤍

When I first played @oliviahollandartist some of my new music, she took it straight to the studio and improvised this stunning dance to Doubt About You. I can feel the emotion in every movement.

I never intended to expand beyond instrumental music and start writing songs. Perhaps that's why some songs on this album, like Stay Still, have elements that fall somewhere in between. The song truly came to life when I worked with Matt Gunn to record eight incredible string players, the biggest group I've ever recorded. This bridge was the first time all day I let them fully open up, and their sound soared, all while maintaining a softness. We also captured some haunting double bass, pushing to bring out the "worst" parts of the bow sound. Breathing even more life into the song was @alaynamusic__ , with backing vocals. She harmonised beautifully as always, but her subtle improvisation over my last line in the song gave me chills the first time I heard it, and the second, and third. You can listen to Stay Still now, I hope you enjoy it 🤍 🎥 Thanks to DoP Crighton Bone, colourist Mikee Carpinter, and Imagezone. (Full, wide shots coming soon)

I just a wonderful chat with Maggie Tweedie on RNZ National (my favourite radio station 🤍) about my unbelievable experience going viral on Chinese social media. We also discussed my time in Liuzhou, Obi-Wan Kenobi, my upcoming album, and thanks to some insightful questions, I found out a few things about myself along the way too. You can find the interview on the @radionewzealand website.

The day I wrote Gravity might have been the most transformational, but learning to sing has definitely been the longest part of the journey. I was getting closer each day, but every attempt to record the vocals still wasn't quite there. So I went back to Suzanne Lynch - NZ music legend and long-time Cat Stevens band member - for one last dedicated session on Gravity. After the long drive home that evening, I went straight to the microphone, and finally the notes came easily, and I could fully express the emotion I felt in the song. I felt that same emotion perfectly captured by @joshallenphotovideo in the cover artwork, a long-exposure photograph he took outside my studio. I didn't brief him on anything, I just sent him the song and he knew exactly how it needed to feel. Thanks so much for listening 🤍

A World Without You by @alaynamusic__ is such a deeply heartfelt song. I remember tearing up when I first heard it, and when I looked around I found I wasn’t the only one. The album version already has a beautiful cello solo towards the end, but I got to compose strings for the rest of the song for this intimate live performance at Parachute Studios. Often I’ll focus on fitting strings in with the music, but this time I simply followed Alayna’s voice. And in the room that day, I could tell that everyone else felt this song, and were following her voice too. Music direction by alayna and Levi Patel Strings composed by Levi Patel Lead vocals by alayna Backing vocals Laila Ben-Brahim Piano Nick Dow Cello Callum Hall Viola Helen Lee Violin by Lydia Sewell Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by Joshua Strand Produced by Westall Road Filmed by Marlan Prabahar and Martin Bahmani With special thanks to Parachute Music

@alaynamusic__ recently invited me for the ultimate experience as a fan of her music. We worked together to arrange songs from her stunning debut album for a delicate, live acoustic performance, with an incredible band, engineer, and film crew. And the most special part - I got to compose strings for the performance. Strings are more of a supporting element for many musicians, but for me, composing and arranging strings is one of the ways I can express the deepest emotions. Alayna's songs can be so delicate, I felt that adding even slightly too much could throw everything off balance. But instead of being overpowered, she drew us all into these fragile, beautiful moments, only now they were shared. This is a clip from Cherry Tree, live at Parachute Studios. It's a song we wrote together, with @noema_iii , and one that will always be special to me 🌸