On February 18, Love You Later performed at The Basement East in Nashville, Tennessee, with Abby Holliday and girlhouse opening for them. Love You Later is the solo alt-pop project of Nashville-based artist Lexi Aviles. Over the past few years, the 23-year-old artist has opened for One Republic, Dayglow and Briston Maroney, and gained the support of tastemakers like The Line of Best Fit, LADYGUNN and American Songwriter.
It was an incredibly cold night for this Nashville transplant photographer. Braving the weather, I arrived at the venue and situated myself at the front of the stage. Love You Later and Abby Holliday had their merch tables set up to the right of the stage. Fans trickled into the venue and quickly filled it up. Standing there, I overheard excited conversations about the artists. Some were discussing why Love You Later meant so much to them and how far they’ve come to see her. Even some discussions about how much Abby Holliday’s music meant to them. I had a conversation with a photographer who is just starting out in the industry about how she and her sister drove two hours so that she could photograph the show.
girlhouse took the stage first performing a minimal pop-energetic set. Followed by Abby Holliday’s raw and emotional set. About fifteen minutes before the main act, the familiar Love You Later pink and black banner made its appearance. The music starts and Lexi runs out to the stage in a pink suit, dancing around, holding a disco ball while the crowd cheers her on. She was incredibly engaging with the crowd. At some point she grabbed a fan’s phone and recorded herself with the crowd. She introduced two new songs. One of those songs was inspired by Amy Winehouse’s song “Valerie.” She told the crowd she was having too much fun and just realized she had one song left and ended the night with “Chit Chat!”.
The final new song she introduced that night was her upcoming single “Keepintouch” to be released March 18th, available on all streaming platforms. “Keepintouch,” illustrates her ability to create wholly addictive alt-pop earworms. Co-written with fellow Nashville-based songwriters Bre Kennedy and Kyle Dreaden, “Keepintouch” sees Love You Later chronicles her discomfort with being alone and, subsequently, her journey towards finding peace and growth in learning to like her own company.
girlhouse
Abby Holliday
Love You Later
