Ocean Leclair on Her New EP, "Fruit on a Grave"

Sultry, entrancing, and ethereal, Ocean LeClair’s music feels like a warm embrace. It also has a way of cutting straight to the core – raw, reflective, and impossible to ignore. With a sound that fuses nostalgia and retro-pop, Leclair’s work has captivated a growing fanbase, carving out a space for vulnerability and bold expression. Full of introspective lyrics that pull you into her carefully crafted world, LeClair’s new EP Fruit on a Grave is an exciting addition to her discography.

The album opener “Montreal” serves as the thesis of the entire album, with the last lyrics “I’ll never die if you never forget” ringing out and casting a haze on the rest of the songs. Described as an artist’s reflections on death, legacy, loss, and grief, the album is heavily influenced by Leonard Cohen – and ends on a fitting note, with a cover of Cohen’s “A Singer Must Die.”

I had the chance to chat with LeClair about Fruit on a Grave, inspirations, and finding beauty in life. Read the full interview below, and check out Fruit on a Grave, out now!

Emma Zoe Polyak: To start things off, tell me how you got started in music.

Ocean LeClair: I actually went to school for acting in New York. I have always been a bit of a shapeshifter – I've always been interested in a lot of things – so I felt like acting was an opportunity to explore loads of different characters and sides of me. But when I got to New York, I realized that I felt quite restricted with acting. I was going through a lot of stuff at the time, and I didn't feel like I could really use it as an outlet as much as I thought I would be able to. So, one night in my first year of college, maybe a couple of months in, I bought a guitar, and I went home, and I just started writing. And I've always really loved singing, I just never thought I was good enough to pursue it.

It started off as something I did as therapy, and then about a year later, I played some of my songs at a house party to a few people, and everyone said that I was really good and that I should look into doing this for real. That was a kind of realization that I prefer music to acting, and I think I just needed one person to tell me that I was good enough for it to be real.

After I finished my studies, I moved to Berlin, and I started doing loads of open mics, and I was really into the singer-songwriter, troubadour scene over there.

EZP: I feel like it's a very common theme that writing music and singing in general come from a therapeutic place, and then it just takes one extra nudge to realize that “I can do this!”  

EZP: What about your visuals? Because that's also something that I love. And the aesthetic of your new EP is giving very 60s and 70s, very sultry, very femme-centered. How do you come up with your visuals? Is that naturally your style, or do you experiment with it? Does the music influence the looks, or do the looks influence the music? How does it all come together for you?

OL: I've been obsessed with the 60s and 70s for as long as I can remember. In “Montreal” I list a lot of my favorite musicians that all come from that era. I also love the cinema, pop culture, Hollywood lore, and even the cults of that time – there’s something so fascinating about it to me.

I think I yearn for a simpler time. In modern life, capitalism is so focused on productivity and self-optimization that we lose a lot of the grit and beauty. I've always prioritized beauty, not in a shallow sense of wanting to look a certain way, but in the sense that every moment should have some beauty to it. To me, beauty is a tool to stay present. I think we escape a lot in modern life because we aren’t as aware of our surroundings anymore.

I often think about the classic image of an artist sitting in a half-empty room, writing a poem that will become one of the greats, without all these other distractions. So, in terms of visuals, I think my aesthetic is almost a fictionalized version of myself; my way of time-traveling. My style is really an accumulation of everything that I love, so it's not something I really think about or calculate. It's just something I gravitate towards.

EZP: That makes sense. I was talking with a friend recently about this – how they wanted to learn to crochet because they felt guilty if they weren’t doing something "productive." If they weren’t working, running errands, or doing something useful, they figured crocheting would at least keep them busy while they listened to music or watched movies. That reminded me of what you said about how creating art or beauty lets you be in the moment, and you don’t owe that to anyone but yourself.

OL: Exactly. It’s like you feel justified in being present because you're making something, and art is the most beautiful thing there is. But it’s also sad that we feel guilty about doing things like reading for pleasure.

When I read, I sometimes catch myself thinking, “Oh, you should be doing this or that instead.” We don’t feel that way when we’re watching TV or scrolling on our phones because our consciousness is lost in those moments. But I think we fool ourselves into thinking we're saving time, but we're not, because our life goes by like that if we're not present.

EZP: The reading example is so true. I mostly read on my commute, but I can't remember the last time I sat down and read a book just because I wanted to. But shifting to your music, what can you tell me about your new EP? 

OL: The whole EP is themed around what we just spoke about – death, time, legacy, loss, grief, and being an artist and finding a space within all of that. It's called Fruit on a Grave because it’s about the appreciation after we die. It ends on a Leonard Cohen cover called “A Singer Must Die,” for obvious reasons, but also because I sort of dedicate this EP to Leonard Cohen, who is a huge inspiration and muse to me in every aspect of my life, but especially in my music and my writing.

With my last album, I wrote a lot about love and family in a more wholesome, stripped-back, lyric-centered, soft, whimsical way. I think there's a lot of rage and a lot more depth in this EP. I touch on things that I didn't think I'd write about, like agency in “Burgundy Body,” aging in “Montreal,” and just voicing some of my biggest fears. It's a bit louder, a bit rockier than what's come out so far.

There are two new tracks on the record. One is called “Eau de Trois,” which I’ve been teasing heavily on TikTok. It’s super fun – very sultry and very femme fatale. The other song, “Spirit,” I haven’t shared anything about yet, and I’m really excited for people to hear it. I think it’s my most anthemic song. I sing about a lot of things, but at its core, the hook, “All that I want,” captures this realization I had while making music, trying to create a legacy, and searching for meaning. There’s this deep yearning to be heard, to be someone, but I realized that at the end of the day, what really matters is love and friendship and that’s all I’ve ever wanted. Even beneath the desire to be an artist or leave a legacy, it all comes back to that – just wanting to be loved and remembered.

EZP: That’s such a powerful sentiment! How long has this project been in the making?

OL: Most of these songs – except “Montreal,” which I recorded over the summer, and the Leonard Cohen cover, which was done over Christmas – are from the batch I started in 2021. “Wild Horse,” “I Thought I Could Swim,” “California,” and “Verrückt Nach Dir,” were all written within the same three-month stretch as these songs.

So, yeah, they’ve been around for a while, which is why this project feels like closure. I started a chapter with “Wild Horse,” and now I’m closing it with this. It really feels like a complete story.

EZP: I’d love to hear more about your writing process. How does songwriting usually start for you? Does it begin with lyrics, a melody, or does it vary? Some artists need to be in a specific headspace, while others just let it happen. What’s your approach?

OL: It always varies, which I like. Early on, my music was just me, an amp with reverb, a dark room (preferably), and my guitar. A lot of my early songs were created that way. I remember writing “Wild Horse” one afternoon with just my guitar. “I Thought I Could Swim” happened the same way.

“California” was a bit different because I produced the initial version, and the same goes for “Sirens of Saint Tropez.” Usually, I start with a rough demo. I’m not an amazing producer, so most of my songs start on guitar. Then, in the studio, depending on who I’m working with, we might keep it as is, add lyrics, or just tweak some things.

“Montreal” started with the lyric: “I sat on a mountain in Montreal, praying to Leonard Cohen.” I recorded just that snippet on guitar, and then in the studio, we wrote everything else on the spot. My writing process has changed a lot, but one thing that hasn’t changed is how quickly songs come out of me. They usually stay the way they were first written.

EZP: That’s awesome. Do you think not putting pressure on yourself to have a "perfect" final product from the start helps with that creative flow?

OL: I always put pressure on myself, I have extremely high standards, not just for my songwriting but also for how I market my music, my productivity, and even how I live my life. But when it comes to music, I have a really deep trust in myself. It’s the one thing I know I’m good at.

When I’m in the studio, I don’t have to do algebra or talk about philosophy or history, I just do what I know how to do. I think creativity comes from within, from life experiences, but also from something bigger than me. I believe songs come from the ether, and I’m just a channel for them. Maybe I’ve found a way to open my consciousness to that steady stream, but I also think it’s about curiosity, trust, and maybe a little faith.

EZP: I love that. I think a lot of people, especially creatives, need to remind themselves to trust their instincts. Shifting gears a bit: I always love asking artists about the music they listen to. First up: what was the last song you listened to?

OL: I’ve been listening to a lot of George Harrison lately. I think the last song I played was “My Sweet Lord.”

EZP: If you could take three albums to a deserted island, what would they be and why?

OL: Definitely Led Zeppelin III – I need a rock album with intense electric guitars, something to take the edge off. And definitely Grace by Jeff Buckley, which I think is one of the greatest albums of all time. My third pick is New Skin for the Old Ceremony by Leonard Cohen. That album speaks to every part of me.

Actually... Can I tie Led Zeppelin III with Blue by Joni Mitchell? I need at least one woman in there! I’d feel sad if I couldn’t listen to any female artists.

EZP: That’s a solid lineup; it covers a lot of emotions! What’s a controversial pick you have? This can be either a song that you like that a lot of people don’t, or a song that you don’t like that a lot of people do.

OL: I’ll go with something I like that a lot of people don’t. I feel like most of my friends are musicians, and there’s kind of a running joke that I always like the song that no one else likes, or the least-streamed songs of theirs.

This isn’t as controversial anymore, because people are catching up, but I’ve always loved Blue Banisters by Lana Del Rey. It was really overlooked when it came out, and I thought that was so strange. I remember thinking, “Oh my God, this is the best thing ever!” People are catching up now, but it feels like a huge “I was right” moment. So, I’d probably say that.

EZP: Yes! I’ve been a long-time Lana Del Rey fan, and I also think Chemtrails Over the Country Club gets unnecessary hate for some reason.

OL: I think the cover art has something to do with it, but it’s so good. The whole album is, honestly. Both of those albums, I think, were rushed a bit, and the Pixart-esque cover art felt sort of whatever. But Chemtrails had an amazing music video too. People are visual creatures, so maybe that played a part. Either way, I’m glad people are starting to realize the beauty of those albums.

EZP: What song, in your opinion, is the greatest of all time? Like, if aliens came to Earth and you had to show them one song to represent everything you stand for, everything you love, what would that song be?

OL: 100% “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. But it would be the version with all 145 verses he wrote for it. It took him 10 years to write that song, and I think there’s no other song that touches on every human fear, feeling, and vulnerability quite like that. I’d show them both Cohen’s and Jeff Buckley’s versions.

Listen to Ocean LeClair's music below!

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