Ladysse Has a Much Needed Dose of Dopamine For You

Dopamine is known as the feel-good neurotransmitter—a chemical that ferries information between neurons. The brain releases it when we eat food that we crave or while we have sex, contributing to feelings of pleasure and satisfaction as part of the reward system. Ladysse's new single "Dopamine" elicits the same kind of pleasurable reaction when you hear it for the first time. It's depressing, uplifting, and catchy as hell. It's exactly the kind of track we needed to dance our way through this extraordinary different summer. We reached out to Stephanie aka Ladysse to see how she handled the lockdown and how she deals with depression. Give her latest single "Dopamine" a listen and check out what she's been up to below!

Listen to Dopamine

Here are five quick questions with Ladysse:

Hip- How did you pass your time during a lockdown? How did you cope with everything slowing down?
Ladysse- "Quarantine was a bit of a blessing in disguise for me because it forced me to stay home and focus on a bunch of new music projects that my brain is usually too scattered to finish! One of my producers and I started a little side project that made writing feel like a zero pressure, just for fun, creative exploration and it’s EXACTLY what I needed." 

Hip- Red nails, red pants, red outfits. Why red?
Ladysse- "Red is my absolute favorite color! Haha, it makes me feel strong when I wear it. I think everyone has that color that makes them feel like they own the world. Red is that for me:)"

Hip- What's your favorite summer activity?
Ladysse- "Being outside! I always feel so alive and inspired by nature so I want to be out in it as much as possible. I live in such a beautiful state and I can’t wait to get out on some more hikes, kayaks, bike rides, whatever it is, get me outside and give me a fruit popsicle and I’m all set haha!" 

Hip- Your new song is about depression. Have you ever been depressed? How did you get your dopamine back up? Any suggestions for someone who might be feeling down right now?
Ladysse- "Oh man, yes I have definitely struggled with depression a few times in my life. I feel like it’s something almost everyone has in common at one point or another. I’m kind of known as a “talker” so I am usually the one to reach out to my friends first when I’m feeling down. I have an amazing support system of people that are always there to listen. I’ve also become a huge listener of comedy podcasts! Small town murder is my current favorite. Sometimes I’ll put an episode on and walk to a park and just cry/ laugh. Haha, that sounds a lot more emo know that I type it! Most importantly, I think the best thing to do is reach out to someone you trust. Find your safe space where you can let some tears out. Try working out or dancing in your room. Anything that makes your heart feel lighter. Find that thing and let yourself FEEL your feelings." 

Hip- If you could talk to your 15-year-old self, what advice would you give her?
Ladysse- "I would tell her to stop arguing with her parents about not wanting to practice piano and just do it because it will pay off someday;)"

~S