Levi Robin on Songwriting, Faith, and the Calling Behind 'When the Walls Fall'
In this in-depth conversation, the acclaimed singer-songwriter shares insights into his creative process, the spiritual foundation of his songwriting, what’s next on his musical journey, and more.
Levi Robin is a singer-songwriter whose work is shaped by faith, inner searching, and devotion. Blending folk with elements of classical, soul, and experimental music, his songs carry meaning that reaches beyond the surface.
In this interview, Levi opens the door to his creative world, the inspiration and creative process behind his new single 'When the Walls Fall', the spiritual current that runs through his songwriting, the struggles that have shaped his journey, his dream collaborations, the calling that continues to guide his next steps, and more.
Chris Roditis, Musicngear: Your new single, ‘When the Walls Fall’, is described as a call to awaken the soul through struggle. Could you walk us through your creative process when composing a track like this? Do you begin with words, melody, or something else entirely?
As I recall, the writing of this song started with the opening guitar riff. It came from a certain gut feeling, and then opened me up to more subtle awareness. That's when the lyrics came.
Musicngear: Your sound blends folk with elements of classical, soul, and experimental music. Could you tell us about the gear you rely on most? Guitars, pedals, software, or any instruments or tools that are central to your setup, both live and in the studio?
It was a lot of fun experimenting with sounds for this track. We used both steel string and nylon strings acoustics, electric guitar with an old distortion pedal I had lying around, electric bass, sampled sounds from hitting random things outside, as well as electrical noises and textures.
Vocal harmonies also played a prominent role in this one.
Musicngear: You've mentioned that songwriting has been an integrating constant in your life journey, from spiritual exploration to reconnecting with your Judaic heritage. How does your faith shape or inform your approach to songwriting and performance?
Many years ago, it was songwriting that opened me up to my soul. Since then, the more I listen and give voice to the silent song of my soul, the more there's this extra dimension opening up in my songwriting.
Musicngear: You’ve cited a wide range of musical influences, from Bach and Stravinsky to Hendrix and D’Angelo. How do these influences come into play when you’re in the studio, particularly in your recent collaboration with Fraymes?
In a way, everything I listen to gets internalized and synthesized into my own way of understanding music, even if it doesn't come out explicitly in my music. I like to listen to different things to introduce alternative patterns to my mind.
Fraymes and I were listening to records together, and he introduced me to the world of soundscaping and experimental music. That definitely had some influence on how we approached sound for these recordings.
If making music is what you must do, the advice I give myself is dig deep, look within, surrender, trust the journey, and enjoy the music.
Musicngear: Throughout your career, what have been some of the most difficult challenges you’ve had to overcome as an artist, and what guidance would you offer to musicians who may be facing similar hardships, whether personal, spiritual, or professional?
There are no shortage of challenges. From inside and out. When I was 13, I was taken under the wing of these old blues guys. They humorously used to give the advice, "If you can make money doing something else, do that." I guess that was to say, there are probably better and more predictable ways of making a living, if that's your goal. If making music is what you must do, the advice I give myself is dig deep, look within, surrender, trust the journey, and enjoy the music.
Musicngear: If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, or perform at any venue or festival, who or what would be at the top of your list?
If it's the past, then I'd say a duet with the Psalmist, King David. In the present, I'd love to collaborate with Johnny Greenwood.
Musicngear: Your music feels deeply cinematic and personal, with tracks like ‘Healing Is Coming’ carrying a strong sense of spiritual courage. When working on something so emotionally rich, how do you balance vulnerability with the structure of songwriting?
It's a fine line. I must be vulnerable, but I find that if it crosses a line, becoming too personally explicit, there lacks enough room for the listener to personally interpret the song.
Musicngear: If music were a form of prayer, and each note a step on a path, what kind of landscape do you imagine your songs are walking through?
Probably a desert. Sometimes in drought, other times in heavy rain and flash floods, other times under a clear night sky full of stars, and other times surrounded by a miraculous desert bloom.
Musicngear: What’s your next big goal? More streams? Booking live shows? Getting on major festival lineups? And how do you plan to make that happen?
My goal now is to release the upcoming album and spread the wellsprings outward to all the thirsty souls.
Connect with Levi Robin
Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Spotify / Website
About Chris Roditis
Chris Roditis has been an active musician since 1995 in various bands and projects across a variety of genres ranging from acoustic, electronic to nu metal, british rock and trip hop. He has extensive experience as a mixing engineer and producer and has built recording studios for most of the projects he has been involved with. His passion for music steered his entrepreneurial skills into founding MusicNGear in 2012.
Contact Chris Roditis at chrisroditis@musicngear.com
In this section of the blog we host interviews with established but also up and coming artists we love and recommend as well as music industry professionals with tons of useful information to share.
Interested in an interview, writing a story as a guest or joining the Musicngear team as a Contributing Author? Contact us at info+blog@musicngear.com
