Words by Carol Wright | Photography by Mario Barberio
Lauren Carter spoke to us about her single “Chase the High” and where she pulls inspiration from for lyrics.
When did you know you wanted to be a singer?
I knew from a really young age I wanted to be a singer. But it all started first with a desire to be a ballerina, at the age of 2. By the age of 5, I was in piano and acting classes, and by the age of maybe 7? I was singing in musical theatre classes and discovered I had a really big voice and was getting a lot of solos and kind of broke through as ‘the singer’ at school. From there we just kept developing my craft with every opportunity locally we could find, via school, choirs, competitions, private lessons – and that lead me to where I am today.
Who are some of your music inspirations?
Some of my music inspirations include 1960s French singers like Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin (who was English, but sang in French and married Serge Gainsbourg so let’s just call her a French chanteuse of the 60s) – I love that romantic and sexy style. I feel like there’s a whole movement of women my generation who got inspired by this kind of sound, including Lana del Rey, who is also an inspiration of mine and I think she does what she does very, very well. I’m also inspired by people like Neko Case who I think is a great songwriter with a great set of pipes and a cool melancholy take on Americana. I am into Banks and FKA Twigs – the women who are exceptional dancers who sing a kind of super vibey electronic thing. They are also influences of mine. I would also say, I’m inspired by a lot of jazz singers including Ella Fitzgerald, and Amy Winehouse.
What is your songwriting process?
My songwriting process usually begins sitting at the piano by myself and riffing on some ideas, using voice memos and a notebook to keep track of what I started, and then thinking of the sounds I want to incorporate and going to my producer. I sometimes write 50% or more of a song before I go to a producer, but other times the idea is more a direction and we co-write together more extensively. Some of my songs I wrote almost all the lyrics, some of them virtually none, and a lot of my songs I decided most of the chord progressions, grooves, and melodies but it really varies each collaboration.
Tell us a bit about your new single “Chase The High”. What inspired the lyrics?
The lyrics of ‘Chase the High’ are kind of a tongue in cheek drug reference….and while the song touches on using substances to escape / dull pain and isolation, the song is more directly about the addictive behavior of swiping on dating apps, the isolating factors of modern culture where we live behind our screens and present a virtual self to the world, but are often lonely behind the screen. The irony is – I’m doing this interview now in March 2020, and we’ve been quarantined for weeks now in LA because of this pandemic, and of course as is much of the world. What’s interesting is that our online lives now are providing community, whereas before – they were almost responsible for increased isolation. So it’s a double-edged sword. I’m sure plenty of people can relate to the sense of frustration, and isolation of the song even more now, however. I also had a conversation with a good girlfriend about how we think people may date differently after this blows over. She’s single, so she’s isolating alone. I’m not – I live with my boyfriend. Of course, everyone has different needs but – she did admit to me she wants to take dating more seriously from now on because this whole situation makes you a little more vulnerable to loneliness. Relationships are work and a choice, but they can certainly be worth it.
When writing songs about love and dating culture do you often pull inspiration from things you’ve been through?
I definitely write directly about my experiences in life. All of my songs are about my personal heartbreaks, my personal experiences – some romantic and dreamy some more angry – ha – or revelations at a specific time. I wrote this song when I was super fed up with dating and the kinds of relationships I ran into – it was very frustrating to me, but I guess it was a combination of being ‘not my time’ – you don’t meet someone amazing every day – and also, most likely – the culture of LA and of dating at a certain age….and how frustrating that can be, and how the guys behave. #sorrynotsorry I was over it.
What advice do you have for aspiring singers?
My advice for aspiring singers is to take lessons – get some coaching if you really love and it are interested in growing. You do need a coach to learn some basics and how to sing healthily with good technique. Use social media – make little videos and share them. Explore songwriting, try to befriend, or collaborate with producers and other musicians. Get into routines with your writing or practicing. And message me on Instagram if you have any questions because I am also a voice coach and I love helping out aspiring artists!
