Singer-songwriter Leah Halili teams up with her Ransom Collective bandmates Lily and Muriel Gonzales on “Clear to Me,” a dreamy pop tune inspired by her relationship with husband Nikee Bañares.
Produced by Carlos Castaño, the track captures the passion of romance that progresses into a higher plane. Buoyed by breezy chords and delicate melodies, “Clear to Me” was written in Halili’s bedroom at about the same time her debut single “Fourth of July” was made.
“I pitched this song to my bandmates Lily and Muriel because I wanted a warm and bright instrumental to add to the song,” Halili said.
“With Lily in Indonesia and Muriel in France at the time, it was tricky trying to find the time to record, but I’m so grateful to them for effortlessly adding layers of beautiful harmonies to the song. It was a joy working with my bandmates again because there’s a level of comfort that I wouldn’t have gotten from anyone else.”
Halili said she wanted a song that makes listeners feel like they’re in a coming-of-age romantic movie. “Clear to Me,” she pointed out, uplifted her when she missed home.
“It was the type of song that each verse and chorus came to me progressively as I was experiencing a totally different life from pre-pandemic times,” Halili said.
“Changing jobs, moving from place to place, trying to find myself in a different county, there were many things I needed to adapt to, but all the changes made me discover why I fell in love with music in the first place. It was my safe place.
“It gave me the freedom to write what I felt and use the melodies in my head to express and relieve me from things around me I had no control over.”
“Clear to Me” is on digital music platforms.