A QUICK CHAT WITH LAURA LUCAS

First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?

Hello! My name is Laura Lucas. I’m a singer-songwriter from Winnipeg but I moved to Melbourne, Australia a couple of years ago. I make indie-folk music and love songwriting as a way to express and document what I’m feeling. When I’m not writing, recording, or releasing music, I can be found writing my PhD thesis, doing yoga, reading Mieko Kawakami novels, or going for walks and talking to the birds at the botanic gardens near my house. 

What is the inspiration for your new EP The Dreamer?

The inspiration for these songs came from relationships – romantic ones, friendships, and my relationship with myself. 

Is there a theme or central point within this record? Where did it grow from, and how did it come about?

The EP came about kind of organically without being too intentional about having a central theme. It was only after recording that I started to really think about how the songs speak to each other thematically. I feel like they all contain different emotions that are sometimes in contradiction with each other. But I still think there is a subtle throughline of hope or optimism, which is why I thought “The Dreamer” as the title track would be fitting. 

What was the creation of this record like? Take us through the process!

I started with a bunch of demos that I had written over the years and was actually planning to record an album initially! When I got into the studio, we just started with my favourite demo, which was “The Dreamer.” We kept going from there, deciding which songs to record along the way, each choice informing the next one. Eventually I felt like the songs we’d recorded felt good together and decided to leave it there as an EP instead of an album. In the past I had only recorded singles, so it was a really fun process for me to get to think about songs as a collection and to try to create something that felt cohesive as a whole!

What is your favourite memory from writing and creating the record?

I loved the couple of days we spent recording “I Imagine You Are Happy.” Lawson Hull flew down to Melbourne to record the track and it was a lot of fun hanging out with him and Dustin Tebbutt in the studio. The sun was out, and we ate yummy sandwiches. The song turned out to be one of my favourites on the EP!

Who/what are your influences/inspirations?

Some of my musical inspirations include Lana Del Rey, Phoebe Bridgers, Leonard Cohen, and Taylor Swift. I also find a lot of inspiration in places. I’ve always loved stories where the setting is just as much a character as the people are. Lately I’ve been really inspired by films – ones like Aftersun, Past Lives, and The Worst Person in the World. Good storytelling makes me want to tell my own stories.

What do you love about making music?

I love how it sometimes feels like magic. One minute there is nothing and then suddenly some words and a melody come out of your mouth and now this song exists! The creative process is really interesting to me, and I love learning about myself through making things. I also love the community that I’ve found through making and sharing music. 

What do you hope listeners will take away from experiencing this record?

I hope it makes them feel a little lighter. ☺

If you had to summarise the record in one-sentence, what would you say?

“The Dreamer” is an indie-folk EP that tells stories about longing, vulnerability, and hope.