13 Questions with Lein Sangster

Lein Sangster has made an album that is both beautiful and honest, a difficult trick to pull off. In Spite Of Everything, The Stars is an album full of exquisite, lush music in the songs and a soul being bared in the lyrics.

The songs vary from luxuriant ballads to acoustic rockabilly, while still sounding like an album that is meant to be taken as a whole. Lein has a poet’s soul and is quite prepared to let you into their life and thoughts.

In Spite Of Everything, The Stars is a calming record that still dares to tackle emotional subjects, such as ending a relationship, the release of a friend from prison and bereavement in a way that draws the listener in and offers them a chance to relate to the lyrics in a way that the best songs do.

Lein was good enough to be the subject of our latest 13 Questions feature. Read on to find out more about the perils of going to gigs when you’re five foot three, the hard sell on social media and the good work of the Good Law Project.

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1. Where are you and what are you doing?

Lein Sangster: “I am at home in East London, Limehouse, where I moved to in 2022. I have just had a new drum machine I ordered, come in the post, it’s a Korg K-11 they’ve only just come out. It’s got some great sounds on quite lo-fi and kitsch, it’s very small and is portable and has all the dials and buttons on top so you can just press and play. Can’t wait to have a deep dive after I finish writing this. I’ve already got a few analogue drums machines. I like playing along with different rhythms, I find it inspiring.”

2. When did you make yourself do something you didn’t want to?

LS: “I make myself do stuff all the time I don’t want to do, like housework, food shopping, washing clothes, hoovering. I meditate every day, I studied Buddhist meditation for a few years and now I’ve being doing Transcendental Meditation since 2014 sometimes I don’t feel like doing it, but I always feel better after the 20 minutes in the morning and evening. I think it’s my superpower, it helps my brain not get depressed, helps me be more positive and we all need that, as life can be so hard.”

3. When did you last get into an argument? 

LS: “At a gig the tallest man in the room comes and stands in front of me (5ft 3). He was quite drunk and rude, so I ended up arguing with him. It always happens to me though no matter where I am or what gig, not the argument that’s a first. I must have a magnet that attracts them, hah! I try and find some leverage so I can see over heads, it’s ruined quite a few gigs for me being short.”

4. What is your earliest memory? 

LS: “We used to live on Princes Avenue L8 up until I was about four or five. We lived in a flat on the second floor. My dad Lenny was a Merchant Seaman, one of the Cunard Yanks. He used to do all the trips to the USA on the Cunard Line Cruise ships and come back with records and clothes and goodies from the USA. He used to go to other places, too. I can remember him coming back, he had been away, and it had been snowing. I was standing at the window, and he was looking up at me with a big smile and a tan. He started throwing snowballs up at the window. Me and my brothers were so happy to see him. A very happy memory.”

5. What is the last album you listened to? 

LS: “Crosby, Stills & Nash’s self-titled album I just bought it on vinyl from Rough Trade. I love that sound of the close harmonies and 12 string guitars.”

6. When did you last consider quitting social media?

LS: “When I was running Beers for Queers at District between 2017- 2020, I always found that side of it really challenging, to get people excited about a club night. I literally spent hours and hours on Instagram and Facebook trying to drum up excitement. The night was always really good, great venue there, glad it’s still going and survived the pandemic. But I never missed that side of social media, the hard sell. Other than that, it’s a necessary evil really for a musician. I find some really inspiring stuff on Insta especially.”

7. What’s the best night out you ever had?

LS: “I’ve had so many great nights out it would be a hard one to pick, but one that stands out ’cos of LFC recently winning the Premier League was when LFC won the Champions League in 2019. We were in the Baltic watching on a big screen at District and it was just amazing, after the game people were out on the streets packed, cheering, crying ,singing, jumping for joy it was just an incredible feeling. I did this all sober as well, as I had packed in drinking a few months before so it was a special night for that too, as I thought if I can celebrate a Champions League win, cold stone sober and have the time of my life I’m on my way. I haven’t drunk since then. Best decision I ever made.”

8. Vinyl, CD, MP3 or Streaming?

LS: “Vinyl for me, it sounds better to me. I love to find records in markets and car boots; I have quite a collection, especially 7” singles which I love. I’ve had some releases on vinyl recently. The new album is on limited edition red vinyl. I love streaming too and finding new music. CDs I’ve still got a player and quite a lot of CDs. I like putting them on the same way I enjoy a record ’cos you commit to listening to a set of songs no skipping like on your phone or laptop you’re just there listening to the music.”

9. What is your favourite view?

LS: “When I lived by Crosby beach probably at Burbo Bank sitting on a bench looking out to sea. Same as now I live between London and Brighton with my partner and our little dog Scout, sitting on Brighton beach and looking out to sea.”

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10. When did you last shout at the TV?

LS: “When JK Rowling and her transphobe and TERF gang got the high court ruling stuff all to happen because of their hatred and vileness. Imagine all that money and all she can think about is how she hates trans folk. SAD big time. That’s goanna be overthrown anyway, as we speak the Good Law Project is getting a case together to challenge it, take it back to the high-court and they’ll win. It’s 2025 we haven’t come this far to be plunged back into the ’80s. People will see that bill in the future the same way people see the Clause 28 anti-gay one Thatcher did in the ’80s which was overthrown as well.”

11. What was the first gig you ever went to? 

LS: “My older brother Jim was in a Beatles cover band called City Lights when he was about 14 with an all-star line-up of Chris Sharrock, Ian McNabb and Jimmy Hughes. They had the Hollywood Bowl suits, pale blue. They were amazing. They were still at school they played a Beatles convention, so I was allowed to go on a Saturday afternoon. I remember them playing Paperback Writer and hearing loud electric guitars for the first time I was about 12. I found it mind blowing.”

12. Can you tell us a secret?

LS: “I wanted to be a Ventriloquist when I was seven! Right, I feel that dark secret has somehow cleansed me! Hah! Thanks for asking.”

13. Thanks for taking time to answer our questions. Is there anything you’d like to say?

LS: “Come to the Violette Societa gig Tuesday July 29, I’m playing. The gigs are always great. PJ is a great curator, gets interesting combos of music and spoken work and they do some free tickets for people, so no one gets left out. I played years ago. I’m looking forward to returning and playing the songs from the new record. Thanks for asking me the questions. I enjoyed answering them. RIGHT, where’s that drum machine?”

In Spite Of Everything, The Stars is out now via Chemin de Fer Records. Purchase here.