In Conversation With #133 - Laufey

Having already been tipped by the likes of Billie Eilish and Willow Smith - rising artist Laufey has just released her debut EP ‘Typical of Me’ - which sees her blending the smooth jazz sounds with slow burning beats. Laufey’s unique musical combination puts her firmly out there as one of the top names to look our for this year - she took a moment to tell us how the EP came together. 

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Hey there Laufey - so your debut EP is out now, how does it feel to have it finally out there in the world?
It’s surreal! I can’t believe that I have a whole collection of my own songs out there for everyone to listen. I feel like I’ve just had my first child.

It is titled ‘Typical of Me’ - does that have a certain meaning behind it?
“Typical of Me” is a lyric in my song Someone New. Every song on the EP represents a different situation that I’ve experienced as a 21 year old. Every scene is very typical of me - so I thought it would be a very fitting title!

Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process that you are happy to share with us?
The EP was kind of recorded all over the world! Between Boston, Washington DC, London and Iceland. It was quite bizarre but I’m so lucky to have been able to collaborate with my friends from across the globe. The songs were all recorded during the pandemic which is really special, I’ll always be able to look back at this time and this EP will serve as a time capsule. Street by Street was recorded the last day before my college campus went into a COVID-19 lockdown. I hit up my producer Davin and said “The world is closing tomorrow, if I don’t record this now, I never will” and we sat in his bedroom studio and finished the song in one day. I released the single a month later and then my life changed. I’ll never forget that!

You spent much of your childhood traveling between Reykjavik and Washington DC, what are your fondest memories of this time of your life?
My fondest memories from my childhood were definitely spent with my mom, dad and twin sister, Junia. I was so fortunate to travel around and experience different cultures growing up, seeing much of the world’s wonders. However, I think the simple moments were the most special, just sitting in the car with my family, driving in the countryside, listening to the classical radio station and talking about our dreams - we still do that now.

Your mother is a classical violinist - do you feel that influenced your musical style at all?
Absolutely! I’ve been listening to classical music since I was in the womb, listening in on my mother’s symphony rehearsals and violin lessons. I started playing classical piano and cello when I was 4 years old and trained pre-professionally up until I was 18. I actually grew up thinking that I would become a classical musician like my mother and grandparents. Though I didn’t end up pursuing it, classical music will always be my first love. I think it’s so special how it can tell a story without lyrics - the different melodies and harmonies within the pieces are timeless - they were written centuries ago but are still applicable to music today. I definitely incorporate classical ideas into my music, both consciously and subconsciously!

Your father had quite the record collection when you were growing up - what music did he play to you? Any favorites?
My father introduced me to pretty much everything but Classical music. I recall hearing a lot of The Beatles and Brazilian music like Gilberto and Jobim and one singer in particular called Cesaria Evora. However, the Jazz records he would play stood out to me. Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong... Jazz felt like a middle ground between classical and popular music that was magical to me! I could hear my voice in the singers of the jazz age and was so inspired.

Classical music clearly has had a big impact on your music, do you have any favorite composers?
So many!! I’ve been super into Ravel and Scriabin recently, the colors that exist within their music are just so beautiful. I also love Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff and Chopin. I actually recently wrote a song entirely based off of a Chopin piano piece. I think that I can hear a little bit of jazz in all of these composers.

You landed a prestigious Presidential Scholarship for Boston’s Berklee College of Music - can you tell us a bit more about your experiences there?
Berklee was definitely an interesting but incredibly rewarding experience. The scholarship gave me the opportunity to move to America on my own terms and support myself at 18. I learned so much from moving away from home and finally started to develop my own identity within music. Meeting classmates with different cultural and musical backgrounds really changed my perspective on music and how it doesn’t have to be defined by genre. I started developing my own writing style, gathering experiences to then write about and collaborating with my classmates. I’m graduating a year early to work on my career but I’m sad to leave. Boston will always have a special place in my heart.

What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
The EP is very influenced by jazz music, artists and the improvisational styles of Chet Baker and Ella Fitzgerald. I want to tell modern stories while using the nostalgic quality of jazz to create a certain warmth that hopefully many can relate to. The key themes are just everything that goes on in the head of a 21 year old - the uncertainty of the times, the newfound freedom, falling in love and falling apart.

Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP? If so, which one and why?
Ah that’s a hard one! I really like the funny lines that outline my personality such as “I promise that i love you, even with that hairdo, I’m sorry I made fun of it, it’s not your fault it looks like shit” from my song Best Friend. Lyrics like that feel so personal to me - I’m not trying to hide anything within deep lyrical code - I just say it like it is, it’s like talking to my friends!

Now the EP is out there - what next for you?
I’m moving to LA for the summer and I’m already so excited to work on new music! I’m graduating college in May and I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life. I’m growing up!!

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