Laura Meets Musicians

Jenny Räisänen (Photo credit: Juhani Konttinen) Do you ever feel like the weight of what is happening in the world is too much to carry? Do you ever find yourself questioning about where humanity is lead? Do you ever see the seeds of injustice and suffering growing around you? I bet your answer is yes . Sometimes these feelings can be crushing, but if we look more carefully we still can spot the glimpses of light - sometimes small, sometimes bigger - among the darkness. This is the message of "The Light Between The Shadows" , the second album by  Jenny Räisänen , a Finnish singer-songwriter living in Ireland. This excellent 10-track album drives listeners in a deep journey into feelings of sadness, melancholy and isolation of individual and societal challenges, while providing heartfelt messages of hope and light at the end.  Jenny has been able to musically convey inner emotions that sometimes it's difficult to describe, while inducing goosebumps in the listeners w...

Aryel Moon Picture this: an Italian songwriter recently relocated to Ireland is walking on the Irish coast north of Dublin on a cold, grey day. It's a time of great struggle for her. A deep pain and a little memorial unexpectedly encountered on the way, awaken the most profound realisation about life and grief, and the beauty of finding the purest of love: the song "Bluebell" is born! The musician I am talking about is Aryel Moon , an indie-rock singer-songwriter that I had the pleasure to meet through social media. Being Italian myself, it's always so cool to meet Italian peers following their music dream abroad, and also quite funny that we always start talking to each other in English before releazing we can speak in Italian!  Aryel Moon's style ranges from melodic and mellow to scratchy and energetic, capturing the depth of human emotions and feelings. Her lyrics feature a storytelling style enriched with metaphors, often inspired by nature and natural eleme...

Maria Lane Have you ever felt that push and pull feeling of longing for intimacy in a relationship, suffocated by the pain of betrayal? Maria Lane explores this emotional complexity with a very delicate touch in her new single "Empty Bed, Empty Sheets", out today.  Releasing on Valentine's Day, the song serves as a poignant contrast to traditional love songs. It’s a reflection on the moments when love is absent where it should be most present. At its core, "Empty Bed, Empty Sheets" is a song for anyone who has ever felt unseen or yearned for closeness that seems just out of reach, offering comfort and catharsis to those navigating the complexities of love and loss. "Empty Bed, Empty Sheets" is a deeply personal indie folk track that pairs poignant lyrics with a haunting arrangement of acoustic guitar and cello, creating an intimate and cinematic soundscape.  Maria's harmonies echo her ethereal vocals and wonderfully convey the ocean imaginery, wit...

Kalden Berg I have a question for you: what day is it today? Say it again, I can't hear you guys in the back! Yes, it's February the 5th, 2025! (If you're reading this post on another date you're missing something lol!) So, can you spot an interesting hint in the title of Kalden Berg's new song "2-5"? Yes, it refers to the release date - both month/day and year - and the coincidences don't end there because Kalden wrote this song the day after his 25th birthday! This is so much fun and I love this kind of easter eggs. But who is Kalden Berg and how all these coincidences are linked to his new single? I'm answering to your questions right away! Kalden Berg is a Singer-Songwriter and Multi-Instrumentalist who comes from the green land and sunny sky of Southern Africa. Kalden writes music that is exciting and emotional with inspiration flooding in from all sides of the world, new and old. Some of Kalden's early inspirations stem from his parents...

Photo credit. Lucy Ridges Many of you may know that discovering hidden talents and inspired songwriters is the thing I enjoy the most. When I first met Man at Sea (moniker of David Hewson) exactly one year ago, he was just at the beginning of his journey but it was clear to me how much talent he still had to unveil to the world. David bravely moved from musical/drama theatre to solo songwriting with the aim to pursue his real passion: creating immersive piano music experiences. After a resurgent desire to make songwriting his career, 2024 has seen the release of three brand new acclaimed singles, culminating in his second full professional EP, "In The Light Of A Dying Star" . I had the opportunity to interview him for the release of "Love & Anxiety" in 2023 (you can read it here ) and I'm delighted to introduce now his new 5 songs EP, released last week. In a music panorama where thousands of songs are released every day, most of which very similar to each ...

Mrfy's Law Hailing from Orange County, California, singer and multi-instrumentalist Mrfy's Law (pronounced "Murphy's Law") is an all-round artist. She is not only a talented songwriter, but also a model, musical dancer and actress. Her multifaceted skills allow her full versatility and a very diversified type of voice that have become her signature features. Mrfy's art also includes influences from her Filipino-American heritage, making the Californian songwriter a distinctive and original figure in the indie music scene. With roots deeply embedded in jazz, pop-funk, neo-soul and R&B, her sound is a vibrant blend of genres that resonates with authenticity and passion. Drawing influences from artists like Hiatus Kaiyote, Cleo Sol, Erykah Badu and Daniel Caesar, Mrfy aims to deeply connect with listeners with her introspective lyrics and harmonious melodies.  Mrfy's Law releases her debut album "Sonic Seven" today, a chill and feel-good soun...

Petra Jasmiina (Photo credit: Victor V. Gurbo) The fabled novel "Secret Garden" was one of my favorite books when I was a kid but forget about it, Petra Jasmiina's newest release of the same name has nothing to do with childish memories and sunny gardens!  Get ready to enter a much darker place with her audio-visual storyscape opening a gateway to a hidden garden - a secret oasis filled with lush greens, peculiar creatures and alluring flowers, each more beautiful than the last. But in this garden no bloom or petal is quite as it seems - something dark grows here, as well... "The gate is wide open... walk in if you dare" "Secret Garden" is a great example of Jasmiina’s artistic signatures:   her knack for escapist storytelling in song and on screen, as well as her niche genre, best described by her collaborators as "fairytale pop". The inspiration for the song came from a friend’s retelling of their art therapy session that evo...

Mara Sol Rising folk/rock singer-songwriter Mara Sol guides the listeners in a brave journey through the complexity of human relationships in her sophomore EP "Permanent Recovery" . The California songwriter is eager to connect with the listeners by touching profound chords in their hearts, with the hope to offer a cathartic outlet for those navigating challenging experiences like those narrated in the EP.  After releasing a number of songs focused on love relationships, Mara Sol felt the need to expand her songwriting. She started to explore who we are as humans through the different relationships in our lives. She says: " In this EP I tell personal stories about friendships, sisterhood, and even relationships with parents. They flow in an unique story of past trauma and the coping process that comes with that. Writing these songs was a healing exercise for me, a recovery journey that I am compelled to share with others. I think sharing stories can help us connect wit...

Brian Bacon A creator to his core, Brian Bacon ’s dressed up style of folk rock finds an almost miraculous balance between nostalgia and bold originality. At age 50, Brian left Cleveland, Ohio where he had lived for over 20 years raising daughters and moved into a tiny home in Nashville found on Airbnb to record an album with a producer he met on Instagram, the result was his second album, "Murder of Crows" .  Produced by Nick Bullock and performed by a band of professional studio musicians in Nashville, "Murder of Crows" is a ten-song road trip into a woodsy Midwestern Gothic storybook full of poetic character stories like something you would expect from a rock opera or modern musical. Listening to the whole album you'll have the feeling of being seated in the front row of a Broadway Musical, captured by the storytelling and the engaging rhythm. Its intricate arrangements of vocals, synths, guitars, strings and horns reminds me a lot of 80s pop/rock music that ...

Lyla DiPaul (photo by Chloe Bergman) Lyla DiPaul has only ever had one dream; to sing and play guitar. In 4th grade, when her older brother began to teach her to pick out songs by Taylor Swift and Green Day, Lyla knew she was hooked. Inspired and indulged by the artsy DC suburb of Takoma Park, Maryland where she grew up, Lyla began performing original music at local festivals by the time she was 11 years old.  Although passionate about songwriting, Lyla felt hesitant to pursue a career in music. A mostly self taught musician, Lyla recalls feeling like she wasn’t good enough to make her dream a reality. It wasn’t until entering college at Loyola University New Orleans that she found confidence. " I was scared that I didn’t have enough experience or understanding of music theory to really take the leap. When I arrived at school I was all set to study Environmental science. Very quickly I noticed the number of people around me who were boldly pursuing their dreams ". By her se...

Luna Keller Growing up between two cultures and surrounded by music, Luna Keller is a singer-songwriter with a unique perspective fuelled by her curiosity and a deep connection to her emotions through songwriting. Her family moved from Germany to Spain when she was just 6 months old. As a result she grew up far away from most of her family and traveled often from a young age. Music was always a part of her life starting with her parents singing and playing the guitar for her to fall asleep and leading to her eventually falling in love with songwriting. Through it she found a true connection to herself, going as far as calling her songs "friends" that help her process life. Strong messages, honest lyrics and emotional vocals define Keller’s sound. I had the pleasure to interview her on Instagram about her journey and her latest album. Luna is definitely the most inspiring and prolific songwriter I've ever met - she enchants the listeners with her lyrics and her voice, g...

ARREN ARREN is a Dublin based, Limerick born artist who intends to blend the scale of iconic 90's rock bands with the intimacy of singer-songwriter, having inspirations including Radiohead, Oasis, Hudson Taylor and U2. ARREN also combines his music with strong visuals using lyric video visualisers, music videos and acoustic session videos, all of which accompany his new indie pop-infused rock single "It Takes One to Know", released in early July. "It Takes One to Know" is an anthemic, summer rock hit that combines the highs of a sunny blurry holiday with friends with the lows of heartbreak in your early 20's. In this song, ARREN paints a picture of a rollercoaster emotion-filled summer. The captivating sound and the powerful vocals create an "out of time" atmosphere, perfect to forget the present and enjoy a time journey in the past summer holidays. The lyrics and the rhythm are fresh and catchy, and instrumentally it features great drums and r...

Jeff Petescia (Photo Credit: Kris Khunachak) Jeff Petescia is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and 1/3 of the indie alt folk band Cold Weather Company . Their music is pretty original and distinctive, definitely a one-of-a-kind sound that combines excellent instrumentals with smart songwriting. Since I've met Cold Weather Company back in 2021, I had the opportunity to feature them various times on my page ( Interview on Instagram - YouTube video ). I was amazed to discover that the members of the band have their own solo music journeys too and I'm excited to introduce to you the talent of the guitarist Jeff Petescia today. Saying that Jeff has a great talent with guitar is quite an understatement: he is able to play it upside-down while bouncing a soccer ball on his foot, to say the least. He rocks an impressive personality in fingerpicking complex melodies - his hands seem to have a life on their own!  Jeff pairs this incredible ability with a dreamy and pretty clever songwri...