LVDY is More than Music: They are Soul

Denver-based duo LVDY have been making a name for themselves in the Mile High City since they broke onto the scene. While success and popularity can often be fleeting when it comes to music and entertainment, it often comes down to having that “it factor,” and LVDY has it in spades.

With a sound that is inspired by their ideal recipe of singer/songwriter folk, dance pop, and intricate harmonies, LVDY truly take the Colorado acoustic-synth, blues sound to the next level. They’re breaking into 2020 with some major plans, high hopes, and an entire gang of followers dubbed the “LVDY mob.”

Made up of Kathleen Hooper and Aubrey Mable, the pair exude a layer of confidence, skill, and adoration for one another that can’t be replicated. It’s either there or it’s not, and while Kathleen and Aubrey haven’t known each other their entire lives, we would be remiss not to acknowledge that their connection is a sisterly bond that was most likely formed in a past life.  

OUT FRONT reached out to LVDY in December to connect with the band about covering their upcoming Saturday show on January 4 at the Marquis Theater, and we were thrilled to find out that not only were we invited to the show, Mable identifies as queer and was stoked to connect with her LGBTQ audience. In a lovely conversation with Mable, we talked about music, love, queerness, friendship, and humanity—all the warm, cozy, good stuff that life is made of. We know you will love getting to know Mable, and LVDY, as much as we did!

How did you get your start in music?
Let’s see; I’ve been playing guitar since I was 12, and Kathleen and I met in New Zealand when we were studying abroad as juniors in college. We continued to stay really great friends over the years, and then when I moved back to Colorado, which was about two years ago, I moved in with my girlfriend at the time. That relationship ended, and I called Kathleen and said, ‘Hey man, can I live on her couch because I don’t want to move in with my parents?’ and that was honestly the birth of LVDY. We started writing music and busking on the street, and the next thing you know, here we are about two years later. We had a really, really amazing year of growth, expansion, adventures, and fun, and I’m excited to keep it going, rolling into the new year, a new decade even.

Were you making music in New Zealand, or was that something that only began developing back here in CO?
I mean, we would have, like, drunk jams sessions on the couch, but it was never something that we took seriously. We knew that each other were musical; I knew that she was in an a cappella group, and she knew that I played guitar and wrote music, but it was never something that we thought we could do together. When it started to happen, it just happened so naturally that we were like, ‘This is something we can’t ignore.’

What made it feel so magical right off the bat?
I think it’s just the root of our friendship, where we have this deep admiration for each other as individuals and as friends; I would consider her my platonic soul mate. To have that deep connection with someone first and foremost as a human, that then that translates, and I think it’s palpable when we’re onstage. Something that we hear over and over is that people come to see us because of the magnetism that we have with each other and the positivity that radiates from our connection. It’s a really cool thing to hear, because it’s something that we feel and we acknowledge constantly. To have that is not something that we need, like we don’t need validation from people, but it’s really cool to hear that and to have other people feel it as well.

I imagine that, like the evolution of any type of relationship, at times you’re closer and other times you may not be getting along. How much of that early connection like still rings true, and how much of that has grown and changed?
Again, I think everything is rooted in our friendship, so things ebb and flow. As you know, I was in a relationship for a while, and I’m not now, but Kathleen is, and so it’s also recognizing the way in which other people play roles in our lives. It’s always returning to that rootedness, the groundedness of our connection, and not allowing other things to get in the way, like jealousy. It’s a recognition that things are changing, and they’re always going to be changing, and if we can just remember what brought us together in the first place, why we do what we do, and how much we love it, then there’s no room for anything else but joy.

What have you learned about yourself through your friendship with Kathleen?
As similar as Kathleen and I are, we’re also very different, and there are times where I feel like the driving force of energy moving forward. She just takes a little bit more time to process things, and it’s really good, tuning in to her heart and body to assess whether something is a thumbs up or thumbs down. I don’t take a lot of time to process things; I’m kind of a foot on the gas, like, ‘Let’s go; let’s move forward. Okay, we hit our goal. What’s next?’ So she’s taught me to really be present in the moment and appreciate every little thing and recognize that the times of rest are just as important as the times of pushing forward. In part, that is why we work so well together, because there are these elements of our personality that exists in harmony with each other. And I say the word ‘harmony’ because it’s not necessarily a balance; I don’t balance her out, and she doesn’t balance me out. But together, it’s the perfect harmony between the two of us.

Life as a musician can be a grind and a hustle; how do you keep that similar vision and work ethic?
It’s funny because this is a question that we’ve received often, and I think there’s a mentality that music, or just being an artist in a creative field, is tough; the starving artists. It is a grind, and not to say that it’s not a grind, but we’ve never allowed for that thought to be the forefront. There’s always been an element of ease and flow that we call in, we’re very spiritual people, so manifesting and recognizing that the way we speak creates our reality. We don’t put a ton of energy behind the negative side of that grind; the grind has to be turned into something that’s positive, where it is exciting to be in the grind. I’m excited to be an artist, and it’s exciting to be pursuing what we love more than anything in the world. I think it’s all in the mindset, and it’s all in the perspective of that. 

Do you have a mantra or a way of coming back to center to remind yourselves to enjoy the ups and downs?
Every show is a reminder to us that we’re exactly where we need to be, doing exactly what we need to be doing, and every person that sends us a message on Instagram or reaches out and says, ‘Hey, this song helps me through this,’ or, ‘Hey, I really resonated with that.’ It’s just constant reassurance.

I also think it helps to have the two of us. If one of us is maybe slipping into that negative space, the other one just grabs their hand and says, ‘I know right now, today, is not a particularly great day, but this is part of the process.’ Using that as a tool to grow rather than allow it to permeate and sink in.

Going off the idea of utilizing the strength of those around you, can you tell us more about the LVDY mob? How does it feel to have that kind of community support?
Oh, it’s the coolest thing in the world, and we’re continually blown away by the way in which our community shows up. It feels really cool to have a platform to create that community and have the energy and the vibration of that kind of community. If you look at other artists like PHISH as an example of the commitment of the fans who fly across the country to go to every show on a tour, it’s such a blessing to have created something like that, where people desire to be there, to be around the energy, and to be a part of it because of the way it makes them feel.

Speaking about community, you identify as LGBTQ; can you talk about the queer community and what that’s been for you over the years?
I think the queer community is amazing; we all acknowledge each other for being exactly who we are. And back to music being a platform, I also feel that this is a platform, and I have a sort of power that’s been gifted just in the spaces that we’re in to share my story and to be exactly who I am. I find that by me doing that, it allows other people to do the same; it invites them in and gives them that permission. I think there’s nothing stronger than the emotion of inspiration and to be a source of inspiration for people that are maybe struggling with their identity or just going through that reckoning phase; it feels really cool to be a beam of light in that process.

Did you ever consider not using your platform in that way?
I think it just happened so naturally that it never really crossed my mind one way or another. I try to show up authentically every day in my life, so this just feels like another piece of the puzzle. As we have gained a little more traction and our community is growing, it’s a really cool thing to be acknowledged for it, and to just be that beam of light for whoever needs it.

When did you come out, and how was that process for you?
I came out to myself in 2011, and to my parents and family later that year as a sophomore in college, so I was 19. It took a while for me to figure out exactly the way in which I even identified to myself. We live in a society that needs to understand things; we have to put a label on them, and I think for a long time, I didn’t even fit in any of the labels that I was trying to give myself. So, when I was able to really sit and just be honest with myself and the people around me, regardless of what that looked like, it just took the weight away that I was carrying for so long. Similarly, to a lot of people who start dating someone of the same sex, they start doing it in secret because they’re not sure what it means, or maybe they’re ashamed of themselves; that is how my queer journey started. I was in a secret relationship with a woman, and that relationship taught me so much, but I think the biggest takeaway from that was I was so empowered by the liberation once I was able to finally speak openly about how I was feeling. It’s that empowered feeling of just showing up as myself regardless of what that looks like and not necessarily having to explain it to anyone else. 

Did you notice your music and writing change through the different stages of being authentic and coming out?
Oh, great question. I feel like in that specific relationship I referenced earlier, it was a lot of angsty, heartbreak music, just like being so discreet about the ways in which I was talking about things and being secretive in the songwriting, too. Since really being able to lean into who I am and just express myself fully, the writing has embodied that as well.

With songwriting being something that you’d done previously as a private and personal catharsis, how has that changed since creating with Kathleen in LVDY?
Writing solo or writing with Kathleen serves as a form of catharsis, no matter what. Whether that is working through a tough situation or just being so inspired by a certain situation, that is my way of expression and what comes naturally to me. It’s my way of getting whatever is happening in my head out. So, whether it’s good, bad, ugly or indifferent, I think that writing is just the ultimate form of expression.

Creating and writing with someone is a really vulnerable state, to begin. So, I think back to the foundation of our friendship. We’ve created such a safe space where we can share openly and be super vulnerable without judgment. It’s got to remain a safe container to share openly because that’s how honest music is made. 

Do you feel any expectation or reservation around sharing about your personal experiences so freely during songwriting or even in interviews?
Well, I think that those two kind of go hand-in-hand. One of the things that makes our music so relatable and so authentic is that we are up there sharing the real stories. The lyrics are real, and that allows for people to see us as other humans that are going through exactly what they’re going through. I mean, I think of how many times I listened to a song, and I’m just in awe at the way that the artist was able to go into my head and pick out every single feeling that I was feeling. That is what makes music so magical, when we do share openly, honestly, and are vulnerable. When we release that and put it out to other people, they take that, and they make it relatable in whatever way they need to relate to it. That is why it’s such a drug to perform, and why it’s so addicting to continue to write and to share, because it’s another way that allows us to connect with the people in the community around us.

Was there a person in your life who really encouraged you to be empowered and to embrace yourself?
There were many people along the way that held that role for me, and I think it was continuing to be encouraged by positive affirmation. Every time I did open up and share authentically, there was an outpouring of support and encouragement. It felt really good, so I just kept doing.

With a new year nearing, is there a moment in 2019 that stands out for you and LVDY?
This moment for me was at Lost Lake in Denver on January 4. We had just finished playing our set at our first-ever headlining show, and there was just over 200 people that were there to see us. We went into the green room, and I just remember, I broke down and started sobbing tears of gratitude and appreciation and happiness and joy. It was a culmination of every moment that had lead us right there. and I think that was the first time I felt with every fiber of my being that I was exactly where I needed to be. This was the beginning of a really epic journey ahead of us, and everything was falling into place. I remember getting the photos back from our photographer and he captured that moment of me, just my head in my hands collapsed, crying and Kathleen holding me. It was the sweetest moment, but I would say that moment for me was kind of that wake up call.

What are you looking forward to in 2020 for LVDY?
We just successfully raised $53,000 through a Kickstarter campaign, and we are headed into the studio to record our debut full-length album. We’re really excited for this music that is brand-new that no one has heard. To be in the studio and to be creating this sound that we feel is really reflective of the messages that we’re trying to convey feels really awesome. We’re going to London at the end of January to do some shows over in Europe, which is also just so exciting because traveling is my other favorite thing. To now be in a place where we get to combine the two feels like the greatest privilege.

* Header image of LVDY by Kayte Demont