Leilani Patao does things differently, and makes a point of it. Refusing to allow their debut EP, daisy, to be digitally distributed on the usual streaming services might sound like career self-sabotage in the age of the algorithm, but in the case of New York-based Patao, it allows for increased artistic control. It also means they can build up a fan-base in a more traditional, organic and – most importantly – personal way. And that personal aspect is key to understanding Patao’s practice, which is at once experimental and poppy, dreamy and diaristic.
daisy’s lead single BIRD WHISTLE quickly moves from its fluttering, twittering synth intro into a perfectly structured piece of pop-rock cloaked in lo-fi bedroom production. Patao has it both ways: they are clearly a songwriter of immense talent, but also someone intent on a very specific atmosphere of slightly grungy decay and detachment. In fact, the tension between the accomplished writing and singing and the DIY recording ethos is a high-wire trick that makes Daisy seem like such a fully-formed and consistently interesting release.
But beyond this, there are layers of genuine emotion. Patao’s lyrics are confessional, heartfelt, but never overly self-pitying. Red Hair Dye takes in body image, memory and trauma, subjects that could be maudlin in many songwriters’ hands. But Patao’s songs meet life head-on, with an admirable combination of lyricism and practicality, and they are keen to get their point across with punchy guitars and clipped percussion.
Elsewhere they give freer rein to their experimental urges. Opener branded’s warped, glitched electro takes it into hyperpop territory, but however much Patao’s voice is chopped and twisted, the human element is always discernible. get em boy almost reaches 100 gecs level of warped pop, but again, there is a palpable heartbeat, a yearning in the melody that threatens to break out, and a sense of peace as the song falls away to leave just an acoustic guitar.
portrait’s chord progressions point to the influence of grunge, and combined with Patao’s ear for a melody and deliberately cloudy production (which breaks apart in a sonic sunburst as the song draws to a close), it makes for a mood that is both removed and emotionally resonant. Closing track Cut sees them go back to poppier realms: imagine Charli XCX if she was allergic to studios.
A small offering, then – only six songs, coming in at well under twenty minutes in total – but one that feels important not just for Patao’s wide musical reach and evident skill as a songsmith, but for the manner in which it was recorded and the philosophy behind its distribution. Releasing music in this way might seem like a throwback, but in fact, it is a brave and forward-thinking move, a flag of creativity and independence planted in the no-man’s-land of the music business.
daisy (November 7th, 2025) Audio Antihero
Bandcamp: https://leilanipatao.bandcamp.com/album/daisy-2