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Unbridled passion, raw talent, and a brilliant piece of performance art are on full display as Erin LeCount gifts audiences with a recorded live version of her debut single “Killing Time.” Drawing from the growing pains of past relationships, LeCount pours her heart into an intimately personal and moving song.

“Killing Time” in its original form already tugs on the heartstrings, but the live performance takes it to another level. It’s filled with so much emotional energy that you just can’t help but find yourself launched deep into your feelings. Dazzling us with her beautiful voice and some creative looping work, there is so much that can be said about this song, but we think it’s better that you hear from LeCount herself.

Ones To Watch: “Killing Time” feels very personal in nature. Can you talk about the inspiration behind it?

Erin LeCount: A really personal one—about this self-destructive habit of staying in dead-end situations or relationships that I had a feeling would end badly but letting myself go along with it regardless. I’m young, I’m still nineteen, so I think that whole ‘live in the moment, deal with the consequences later’ thing is fair enough. I wrote “Killing Time” when I realized I was repeating that cycle with someone again, but it’s not necessarily about them or any one person in particular (I won’t give anyone that much credit). It’s more about how I justify wasting my time on people by romanticizing them and the situation way too much. “Killing Time” was me, sitting in a car on a ‘date,’ realizing I was just going to keep hitting dead ends with people, and becoming self-aware that I was going to keep dragging it out for as long as I could before we reached that point.

What is the most meaningful aspect to you about releasing music?

The idea that releasing music is a bit like an ‘offering.’ Kind of like you’re just openly giving it out to anyone who wants it. You offer this thing that you’ve made, spent time on, and fallen in love with, and everyone’s going to hear and interpret it differently. It resonates with the people it’s meant to, and once you’ve offered it, it’s not just yours anymore. Some people I know hear “Killing Time” as a love song, and others hear it as quite a sad and self-deprecating song. I think it’s meaningful that people can find a bit of both in it.

Is writing songs and sharing your story with an audience cathartic for you?

Writing is therapeutic. I always end up being brutally honest with it even when I don’t mean it to be. Often about things that I don’t even consciously know I’m feeling at the time. Sharing all of that to an audience for the first time felt exposing on a personal and human level—but I think that feeling means you did something right creatively. There’s something cathartic about knowing you’ve been as genuine as you possibly can be with what you’ve made.

What is some wisdom we can glean from your journey?

The most basic answer ever, but I think the biggest thing I’ve learned, is that I can trust my gut feelings about stuff both musically and generally. I had to get out of my own way and stop questioning my judgment on everything. To realize that it is safe and okay to trust my taste in music, production, and writing. Your instincts about what sounds good and feels good are your biggest strengths—so trust what you like, trust what you don’t like, and keep being led by that.

What’s next on the docket for you?

Releasing an EP that I’ve spent over a year on now and that I’m so ready to share. I’ve put so much into it and I feel so ready for it because I just want to keep making stuff. I’m already making and thinking about the next project after this. But in the meantime, live performances like this one, and experimenting with performing are some things I can’t wait for.