Boy Willows shares bouncy new single ‘Fila’

With dreamy visuals and refreshing lyricism, Boy Willows — also known as Landon Fleischman — is solidifying his place in the music industry. His innovative blend of experimental folk draws on a sense of nostalgia that resonates with Gen-Z listeners.

Influenced by his upbringing in Maryland, Fleischman began to develop an affinity for music. Early on, the natural landscape informed his intimate and acoustic-based sounds. As he made the move to the West Coast, the inclination toward music followed.

As a music industry major, the now USC graduate started exploring the possibilities with songwriting and music production. For the budding artist, the process was satisfying as he realized his capability to execute projects independently.

At the time, Fleischman shared that he was influenced by the likes of Toro y Moi, Sylvan Esso and James Blake. After reflecting on the direction of his sound, Fleischman focused on creating music that would speak to him even if he wasn’t the one who made it. 

“I’ll find a little snippet that’s like really sick, and then I’ll drag it into another session and like that will start the next song,” Fleischman said. “There’s like one thing that connects every single song I’ve ever put out that no one would ever hear.” 

The interrelation between the songs serves as testimony to Fleischman’s attentiveness into each work released, even if it’s only for himself. 

During his time at USC, Fleischman connected with Nikoli Partiyeli, a USC alumnus and Los Angeles-based creative. The two often partnered with each other to execute their original ideas.

“I bounce ideas off him. He’d bounce ideas off me,” Partiyeli said. “And then we’d kind of meet in the middle with things and then we would just go do it.” 

The 2019 release “Greyhound” encapsulates the ease and flexibility they worked under.

As Fleischman was driving over to visit, Partiyeli sent a demo for him to listen to. By the time Fleischman reached Partiyeli’s place, he had a verse ready to go.

The two wasted no time recording Fleischman’s verse, deciding then to shoot a music video and prepare for a future release date.

“And so like, same day, within like an hour, we filmed the music video,” Partiyeli said. “I edited it. And then we wrapped it up.” 

The workflow between the two was always high-speed, while never compromising the quality of the art itself. Partiyeli has worked on additional Boy Willows projects, including the cover art for the 5-track EP “oof” and directing the “Crool” music video.

“I like the way we work,” Partiyeli said. “It is always really fluid and easy.”

After graduating from USC, Fleischman found himself working as a video jockey in live event production. With visual direction and lighting experience, he started touring with artists such as Alan Walker, Dillon Francis and Wallows.

Now with live music on pause, the multifaceted artist is channeling his energy into music. 

In July, Boy Willows released “I Love It When You Talk,” a floaty single made up of fuzzy piano chords and heavy drum tracks. The faded sound combined with Fleischman’s silvery vocals makes the off-beat song a must-listen.

The track was followed by recent single “Fila,” which featured Wallows frontman, Dylan Minnette. The mellowed song served as a self-described therapy session for the two. 

“Landon first played me the song when we were sharing a tour bus together,” Minnette said. “He asked me if I wanted to throw on a verse myself and … the melodies I wanted came to me immediately.” 

The result is a natural collaboration that seemingly incorporates the sonic style of each individual. Paired with subtle harmonies, the candid songwriting cuts through the hazy production.

When it came time to develop accompanying visuals, Fleischman partnered with Seannie Bryan, a L.A.-based cinematographer.

“Landon is a great collaborator because he has such a clear vision of what he wants,” Bryan said. 

As a cinematographer, Bryan was able to head logistics of the shoot granting Fleischman the headspace to direct.

On what Bryan recalled being an extremely hot morning, the team arrived at Elysian Park at 6 a.m. Having to stop only once (when Fleischman got dizzy from spinning for the opening shot) the video was complete in a short hour and a half.

Their previously established rapport led to straightforward execution and streamlined production. 

“That’s what I like about working with friends that are musicians,” Bryan said. “It’s not a big involved process.”

While on the road, Fleischman, alongside touring band member Danny Ferenbach, ad-libbed a song. The duo released the song “Crabwalk,” under the moniker Party in the Hills. The impromptu song has reached over 100,000 streams on Spotify.

Completely improvised and humorous, the lighthearted track proved to Fleischman the worth in incorporating playfulness into his work.

“[‘Crabwalk’] is a sign that I should just try to be as much as myself as possible and like try to showcase all aspects of myself, not just like brooding or introspective,” Fleischman said.

Fusing his creative talents, Fleischman continues to elevate his artistry with each release. With the future projects on the horizon, Boy Willows invites listeners to take on honest perspective-taking with a notion of kindness.

“I would love for people to be more present with each other as a result of listening,” said Fleischman. 

With an electric and hypnotic blend of synths, Fleischman is doing more than standing out amid new indie acts. 

The single “Fila” and its accompanying music video are out now.