Aisyah Leman Captures the Beauty of Longing and Unspoken Goodbyes in “Your Side Of England”

Singaporean indie-pop singer-songwriter Aisyah Leman is turning personal memories, unanswered feelings, and the complicated nature of missing someone into something beautifully cinematic with her single “Your Side Of England.” Blending atmospheric synths, delicate guitar arrangements, and emotionally driven storytelling, the release offers an intimate look at love, distance, and the lives we imagine living.

At 28, Aisyah Leman has developed a creative identity rooted in imagination, nostalgia, and an obvious affection for storytelling. Her music carries the same whimsical qualities found in her illustrations, often exploring emotions through vivid imagery rather than straightforward explanations.

“Your Side Of England” originated as both a love letter and an apology to someone she deeply missed. Written during a particularly significant period in her life, the song came together almost instinctively, with Aisyah reaching for her guitar and allowing the words to unfold naturally.

What makes this release particularly compelling is its emotional perspective. There's something painfully relatable about imagining someone else's life from a distance, especially when you're no longer part of it. The combination of shimmering synths and gentle guitar creates a dreamy atmosphere that complements the song's underlying sadness without overwhelming it.

Serving as a pivotal moment in the narrative of her forthcoming album, expected in early 2027, “Your Side Of England” also offers an encouraging glimpse into Aisyah Leman's artistic direction.

With more music and a potential self-illustrated animated video on the horizon, Aisyah Leman is proving that her imagination might be one of her greatest strengths.

“Your Side Of England” began as both a love letter and an apology to someone you deeply missed. Was writing this song your way of finding closure, or did it bring up feelings you hadn't fully confronted until you put them into music?

I think for me, when I truly miss someone, I write a letter to them because somehow, in a way, I feel truly close to them, like an invisible thread connecting us together, somewhere in the universe, in the neighborhood. 

Through writing like a letter, it truly helps me to be honest with myself, feel what i feel along with my doubts and say what i needed to say. It also gives me hope, like maybe, just maybe. 

Also, through writing, I also like to wonder about the atmosphere of distance, longing, and grief. i think about that a lot & metaphorically & i think i really captured this song in that headspace.

There's a beautiful contrast between the dreamy, almost whimsical atmosphere of the song and the sadness underneath it. Is that something you consciously explore in your songwriting, finding beauty in emotions that aren't necessarily happy?

Oh my gosh! Thank you for thinking that! I love that! And yes, I do! In fact, I love songs that feel and sound dreamy, the runs in the beat and the keys, something that encapsulates movement and freedom! running through fields and spinning around anywhere because i do that a lot in real life, im a dreamer! Life is tough, but these kind of songs makes me feel hopeful for better things to come and feel that maybe life is really okay and will get better again, you know? It’s like a friend holding you through. It’s so freeing! I love that! 

You've described “Your Side Of England” as a pivotal moment in the storytelling arc of your upcoming album. Without giving too much away, what larger story are you building, and why does this particular song hold such an important place in it?

As a sci-fi and fantasy nerd, I absolutely love the idea of the crack in space and time and the "girl and boy who waited" arc & yes, Doctor Who mentioned, and A Wrinkle in Time. It's the lore that keeps coming back to the surface, back to each other. While writing this song, I treated it like there’s a crack in time and space. Hence the distance, but they know & recognize each other. The story is so Amy and Rory Pond-core, and it also has Spider-Man and Mary Jane in the mix.

They care for each other so dearly, and every little note anywhere is a clue. Everywhere is a map closer to each other, a step forward or backward. She waited. He waited. Throughout space and time, they have a secret language they both only know, around or near each other, giggles, knowing and unknowingly. So this song being the first single is a sincere letter to him of how much she misses him, and still wonders if he is still feeling them too, knowing what has happened. Oh my love!

Your creativity extends beyond music into illustration and visual storytelling. How much of your songwriting begins with an image or imaginary scene in your head, and do you ever find yourself creating entire worlds around the people and experiences you're writing about?

Oh my goodness!! A lot! Like literally all of the time! My brain has way too many tabs with it on, and I tend to get excited all the time about it! I feel like as both a singer-songwriter and a person, I am naturally and constantly inspired by everything around me as well as everyone around me. When i love something, be it my favourite movie or characters that has inspired me, I immediately kin them! As they get me, you know?

So from there, I tend to make twists with it into my own life; hence, in my illustrations & animations, cos in one way or another, we see ourselves in them. I love illustrating fairies, dragons & aliens. I see myself in them so much! They’re so metaphorical: the dragon is just a creature feeling misunderstood, a fairy feeling out of place, always wandering around & the alien feeling invisible. In this song & this upcoming album, I blended them all into the mix as a love story. It is so magical! I am currently working on a mini animated video of that too!

You've mentioned that “Your Side Of England” came together unusually quickly during an important period in your life. Looking back at the finished song now, is there anything it revealed about yourself, your relationships, or the way you process emotions that you hadn't recognized before?

It really did open up to me in so many ways especially in how i finally found my sound, my landing and the sound for my dream album! Little me would not have believed me at all! I literally cried one night, after hearing the demos, at how much I have improved in my production as compared to my previous works. Despite that, having my family and friends adoring them still will forever warm my heart.

I love music exploration & experimenting so much! I know there’s still so much to learn, and that’s the exciting thing about it all! I want it to be dreamy, moving, theatrical and whimsical through the heartbreak, the longing, the grief and the forgiveness, as experimentally as i can!