Having been songwriting for years, Nashville-based artist Meghan Roner – aka LIEZA – has finally found her sound and has now released her sparkling new single Eyeliner via LV Music.

Oozing a lyrical honesty and raw emotion, Eyeliner comes straight from the heart. Of the track, LIEZA explains: “… Eyeliner is that anthem that you sing to yourself in the mirror when you’ve had a bad day and you’ve forgotten what makes you unique, what makes you strong… Put on your ‘eyeliner’, whatever armour that may be for you, and then go out and take on the world…”

Eyeliner is out now via LV Music.

In this interview spotlight, we chat with Lieza about influences, music consumption preferences, challenges, the latest project and more.

Full Q&A along with links and a stream of Eyeliner (plus acoustic version) can be found below.

Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?

I really like how versatile electronic pop music is. I can take the sound of my fist hitting a mahogany table top and turn it into a kick drum, or use vocals to create a dreamy soundscape that is reminiscent of floating through deep waters. There’s so much flexibility that I feel like anything is possible and really opens up my creativity in a way that I feel like no other genre can do for me.

How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?

I’ve been writing poems and songs for as long as I can remember, but I actually didn’t start pursuing music as a career until about five or six years ago. I wasn’t very confident as a younger child and tended to keep my music and my writing to myself because I was scared of what people would think. But after moving to Nashville I feel like I found some really good people who believed in me and my vision who helped me come out of my shell and made me realize that it was okay to share these feelings that I’d had bottled up and held close to my heart for so long.

Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?

I try to keep my music as personal and honest as I can, so everything inspires me, whether it’s a relationship or a conversation with a friend or just something that I passed by on the road while driving to work. I listen to a lot of BANKS, Lorde and Julia Michaels so I’m sure those influences can be heard throughout the tracks as well. Those women are goddesses at both writing and performing and inspire me so much.

I feel like it’s really easy to get discouraged in this industry, so it’s crucial that you have a good team of people around you that believe in the project and what you’re doing to pick you back up when times get tough and remind you of how you got to where you are and keep you humble. But above all the biggest motivator is this overwhelming feeling of knowing that I have to get this music out there so that it can help people. I feel like it’s a debt that I owe to the universe for all those songs that helped me when I needed them most.

Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?

I honestly didn’t set out with the intention of creating anything wildly specific it just sort of happened organically. Femke Weidema and I wrote the song together and the soundscape behind it just sort of followed. It was really beautiful how it happened because it’s everything that I could have hoped for and wanted without having to say a single word to her about what it should sound like. It’s like we’re two halves of one musical brain and I love it.

What was the last song you listened to?

“The Louvre” by Lorde

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

I definitely prefer the quality of CDs and I’m one of those people who really likes having physical copies of the songs that I really love; I just like being able to actually hold it in my hands. But I have a lot of vinyl as well and there’s something really nice about lighting some candles and playing an old record and letting it transport you to another time.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

I use Spotify the most. I love finding new music and all of the discover features on the platform make it so easy and fun to find new artists and bands. I could spend hours just jumping from playlist to playlist finding new acts to get obsessed with.

Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?

Social media is such an integral part of becoming successful as an artist nowadays. And I feel like you have to find a way to strike a balance between selling your followers on your new music and being authentic and personable enough to appeal to them as a friend. It’s an odd little world, social media, I haven’t decided if I like it or hate it to be honest. But it’s definitely insanely cool that I can connect with people all over the globe that share my passion.

Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you live?

I am starting to perform around the Nashville area, hoping to branch out and tour some other cities soon! I’m also going to start live streaming any of my live performances so they can be viewed from anywhere.

Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?

I am most active on my Instagram(@liezamusic) but I also have Facebook and Twitter accounts that I post to regularly. I try to respond to as many people as I can too so definitely stop by and say hello!

Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?

I’m not one for profound quotes so I’ll leave you with one of my favorites from someone more insightful than I…

“Ignoring your passion is slow suicide. Never ignore what your heart pumps for. Mold your career around your lifestyle, not your lifestyle around your career.” – Kevin Claiborne.