We were lucky to catch up with Lana Fleischli recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lana, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

When I was about to turn 16, it was December 2020 and I was in a creative slump. During my Covid- era alone time, I began listen to more music and and learning more about music than I had before. Needing a creative outlet, I began writing about albums that spoke to me by analyzing them, and gaining a deeper understanding of them. I was initially scared to post my reviews, but then I decided to do it. From that, I have begun doing more things, such as promoting shows and creating a zine for the site. I felt like I could succeed because I had nothing to lose. I am a teenager who is putting myself out there. While judgement is scary, I ignore it as much as I can because I am happy with what I create.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an 18 year old girl from LA about to start college. I have grown up around music, as my parents have both worked in the music industry and have heavily influenced me. I try to raise awareness for causes and people I care about, such as promoting a show where the funds go to reproductive rights and show off artists that don’t have as much attention as I feel they deserve. As a woman in a creative industry, I wanted to make room for people to add and collaborate with me. a few friends have pages where they can upload their art, photography, writing, etc. It is important to me that Desperately Seeking Serious is a safe and creative space for people.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

As my site and brand has grown, I have realized that it has to do with what teenagers are curious about. When I announced a concert at a venue with a lineup of smaller, indie artists, many people showed up. That has been the biggest success because young people want to be ahead 0f the game and go out and see shows. I have had people say to me, “You look familiar, did I see you at the Desperately Seeking Serious show last year?” I love when that happens, because it is more than me, and about a community of people coming together to explore music. I marketed it via social media, specifically tiktok, by showing ways in which I fuck up on a daily basis (like side swiping my car mirror and having it shatter in the road) and send the message of, “yeah this really sucks, but I’ll feel better if you come to my show!” It grabs people’s attention and makes them laugh, so that was really great.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, being a creative is rewarding because I get to talk about what I want and collaborate with who I want. I love people and figuring things out with them. I also love writing because it offers a sense of freedom as I get to think deeply about my thoughts. I get to work on things that I am passionate about and use my platform to raise awareness about things I care about!

Contact Info:

• Website: desperatelyseekingserious.com
• Instagram: @desperatelyseekingserious

Image Credits
Dahlia Kim-Levy and Collette Wilson