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Lauv is not a normal singer, he’s a storyteller. His stories continue to enchant audiences everywhere by converting the magic around him into massive hits and sing-alongs
Starting his artist career in 2015, Lauv introduced himself with viral sensation “The Other,” he landed a global smash in the form of “I Like Me Better.” Today Lauv counts over 11 billion streams worldwide.
His new album “All 4 Nothing” released in August, features singles “26’, “All 4 Nothing (I’m So In Love),” and “Kids Are Born Stars.”
We met up with him in central London to discuss it all, his career, his new album and his soon-to-be announced world tour.
We have been waiting for you to come back to Europe and finally, pop up live show tomorrow! And a new album is coming out too!
Yeah, I'm just excited for it to finally be out soon. I've been waiting for too long.
We got to hear your amazing new album "All 4 Nothing", how did you find yourself experimenting with new sounds? Was it difficult?
I went from kind of producing a lot of my own stuff to feeling actually a bit uninspired for the production aspect of things. And just wanting to focus on like, just writing and focus on just the songs so the lyrics and melody. So that was kind of a big thing for me on this one.
Was lockdown hard on you as an artist?
I had to cancel so much. I know that everybody had to cancel so much. And there's so much that went down. But yeah, it was tough. I feel like I was like really stuck in my own thoughts a lot and that was hard. It led to a lot of music. But it also led to me like to just spinning out.
What is the difference in terms of inspiration between "how I'm feeling" and "All 4 Nothing"?
"All 4 Nothing" is more of like a journey of trying to connect with myself just feeling free and like good with myself as a person, I felt like a lot of what was happening in my career that it was taking me so by storm that I felt like I was just trying to catch up with it all the time. And I feel like this is my first chance to just kind of get back into myself and get in touch with me now, I started talking about like meditation and stuff online but doing a lot of like inner meditation. Honestly, I was just suffering from a lot of anxiety from all of it. Same to
be honest. In a weird way, it feels like it's happening to me as opposed to whatever is happening around me. It's a very internal album.
So is it personal?
Yeah. Super personal.
First track out of the album, "26 "Why 26?
It was like a prelude to the album. The setup to why the album exists. And that one, I guess, there's not really like, a message other than, like, ... me putting it out was I just wanted to show people to kind of let them in and be like, "Yo, I've had this career and I've had all this stuff happen. And I know I've been like open about just like my mental health and all of it, but I feel like I got to a point where I really couldn't like, keep up with this image of what I felt like" I was trying to hold up an image a lot. Just hard. It's not a
five boy band anymore. It was a lot. I feel like I've always had trouble like fully accepting myself and this is just my latest attempt and accepting myself.
How are you now? Like, how are you feeling now?
I'm a lot better yeah, a lot better. I mean, hard days and still Yeah, but overall a lot better.
Are you ever scared to put out music people might not like? And did it happen during the process of making your new album?
Personally, I think, and I know that other people do. There was a songs that were even more different that I didn't put on because I was like, "Okay, maybe they're too different". But I've moved so quickly from them, I'm like that as a person. I'm like, onto the next thing onto the next thing. Like I'm always trying to think of the next step. But he album is just looking at childhood versus growing up because I feel like I was rushed. I think I rushed into so much. And didn't get a chance to - as a person - catch up with everything that happened in my life. So this was like me reclaiming everything again. I want to look back at my childhood, I want to look back at when I first started making music, fall in love on my terms. I felt myself really like just feeling further and further away from like my grounding. So you need to be grounded again.
"Kids Are Born Stars" - your latest single - What is it about? And who's that cute kid singing with you?
Oh, yeah, that's my, that's my managers son. During the pandemic,I would just FaceTime my manager. And Joshua would just be like, if I'd be stressed out, he would be "Ari, don't be stressed, it's all going to work out". It was so pure. And I was so fascinated by that. Because when I was making the demos, I was really fascinated with what it means to be free, and to be a little kid and to not know all these rules of what is cool, and not cool. This is just how it's just a way to let me be open". I thought that was so cool. And I was trying to find that in myself again. And he really like kind of pushed me. "Kids Are Born Starts" is me going back to when I started doing music. I was shy and I wanted to do it and I always had big dreams
What is your favourite song off the album?
"Bad Trip" I just love that song.
Why is that?
I'll tell you why. Because aside from like, what it's about so the lyrics, but the melodies are so strong and so catching the vibe is so different, but it's so powerful. It just hits me really hard.
What is what is next for you now?
Putting this out, going on tour, probably doing a deluxe. More music like I don't want to wait a long time again. I feel like I was gone for so long.
When are you playing in Europe?
I don't have the dates.. It's under work. So I'm definitely gonna play.
What are you most excited about at the moment in your life?
I think finding balance, honestly, living life with Sophie and just trying to like be Yeah, just like, enjoying balance. I think she's coming to Europe.
What are you listening to other moment?
Turnstile. Obviously I love Turnstile I know I literally like them - so easy. The new Bad Bunny album, the new Jack Harlow album. I actually like some of the new Chainsmokers album. Charli XCX - I love it so much. Yeah, a bunch of stuff.
Do you ever listen to your own music?
Yes, but I usually take huge breaks from it. Like I recently went back and listened to "I met you when I was 18" exam and I was like "I really appreciate, it's really good". But I took a long time away from listening to all of it, but every once in a while I go back. But as I'm putting out the new music, I've been listening to it just like just as I'm coming up with like concepts or things and it helps.
Follow lauv's journey on @lauvsongs - All 4 Nothing: is out now.
Article By Sal Fasone - Photography By Ellisha Iddon
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