Laura Meets Musicians

Vince Vanguard Americana songwriter Vince Vanguard grew up surrounded by music. His father was a blues fanatic, named his son after Eric Clapton (Vince’s birth name is Eric Plein), and took Vince to his first concert, BB King. "Blues music’s idea of the struggle of the spirit, and letting those feelings out always resonated with me", Vince says. His dad also kept a bass sitting in his office, and the image of the old, cool-looking instrument made an indelible impression on the young boy. Vince’s uncle playing acoustic guitar and conducting family singalongs also had a profound effect on him growing up. It seemed only natural Vince would explore music, and he took to playing in rock bands throughout high school, college, and beyond. However, he always found he was very self-conscious about songwriting, and needed booze to access his feelings and let go of his inhabitations. "For most of my life, I recorded ideas mumbling under my breath after I was good and lubricated...

Maria Wilman Taking a huge leap and making a fresh start at the age of 50, the London-based singer/songwriter, Maria Wilman , has just released her debut album, Dark Horse . The 12-track release showcases Wilman’s willingness to cross-examine the unknown – to draw out both its darkness and its joy and interrogate the idea of what it means for a side of us to appear as if from nowhere. Maria Wilman has a history of doing the unexpected, of transforming in ways guided by a trust in her own potential and strength. It’s a trait that the London-based singer/songwriter explores with candidness and depth on Dark Horse, produced by Colin Elliot (Richard Hawley, Slow Club) that offers a first taste of a much larger body of work written between 2019 and 2022. Sparked by an offhand comment by a friend, Dark Horse finds Wilman interrogating the idea of what it means for a side of us to appear as if from nowhere. What are we leaving behind there? What is the bereavement, the life already lived? Wh...

The Sundots The Sundots are a high voltage Baroque 'n' roll band who takes popular song structures and fuses them with elements of old school classical counterpoint and tonal harmony. The result is a colorful, quirky sonic environment that anyone can enjoy. Their songs discuss the universal themes of human existence: love, heartbreak, acceptance, and peanut butter.  Currently based in New York , they have self-released a double album of 26 songs titled "Flowers in Mythology" . This album was recorded in two separate installments, the first being "Polemonium" , released in 2021, and the second being "Agapanthus" , released earlier in 2023. These albums were mostly recorded and mixed in their apartments in Manhattan, and later Brooklyn. "Flowers in Mythology" can be enjoyed by anyone who loves adventures, catchy melodies, interesting sonic landscapes, classical music, rock music, and oddities. It is available on all streaming services and o...

Elif Dame In this mid-August week, I found the perfect tune to ease you into the vacation vibes - "Killing It" by Amsterdam based artist Elif Dame. "Killing It" focuses on letting go and features warm, honey-soaked vocals, vibey beats from fellow Amsterdam artist GANZ, and hypnotic melodies which create an all-encompassing atmosphere. Plus, it is the result of a self-care hiatus that the artist took to take care of her mental health - I'm always more than happy to showcase on my blog the importance of taking breaks and breath a little, while the whole world is pushing us to just run, run, run (most of the times without a direction). But before, let's learn a little about Elif! Born to a jazz pianist and retail-clerk, the Amsterdam based Elif Dame (meaning "she who brings light") started practicing her creativity at a young age. Having her musical interests initially sparked by the likes of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and the gospel genre, it wo...

The Sometimes Island The Sometimes Island is a tropical indie-pop band based in Los Angeles and Albuquerque. When I first heard their new single "Neon Summer", it inspired me strong beach vibes and they suddenly conquered me with their freshness. The band has millions of streams for their music to date, as well as praise from the likes of LA Weekly, Wonderland Magazine and Earmilk to name a few. If you ask them to describe the sound of the band, they say: "If Daft Punk and Fleet Foxes had a lovechild, this band would disappoint its parents and be sent to boarding school for sounding like The 1975!". This is exactly what The Sometimes Island are made of. Synth-heavy pop laced with introspective lyrics and bright, colorful sounds, it’s the kind of music you can both sway your hips to and appreciate both physically and intellectually. "I think the point of our music is movement", says Blankenship Jr. "We make music that people can participate physicall...

Izzy Potter Izzy Potter is a singer/songwriter currently based in Nashville, TN with roots in New York. She is an independent artist with universally relatable, poignant, and often personal lyrics. Her first self released EP "Place Called Home" has her most requested high energy single "Juniper" to play live. Izzy’s lyrics have depth and insight that is both playful and intriguing, and has been remarked as "spot on" for such a young talent. Her storytelling is invoked with the spirit of acoustic pop/folk style sounds. Her storytelling style is often compared to artists like Taylor Swift, Julia Michaels, Noah Kahn, Fleetwood Mac, and Phoebe Bridgers. She has been songwriting since she was 12 years old and was recognized by NSAI songwriting evaluators as "One to Watch". Izzy is currently studying songwriting at Belmont University, and is excited to continue her love of performing and writing. No doubt her drive, devotion, and passion for writing...

Petra Jasmiina’s upcoming single "Jackie O Lake" (out May 5th 2023) brings us bittersweet nostalgia with cinematic pop scores and a dash of Nordic sisu. Laura Meets Musicians has the honor to exclusively premiere the dreamy new single 48 hours before the release! Listen to it below and if you like the song and want to make sure you find it on release day, please pre-save/pre-order it here: https://ffm.to/petrajasmiina . Photo Credit:  Aleksei Postnikov / Petrafied Productions Petra Jasmiina, the Finnish singer-songwriter and producer based in New York City, is known for her vivid musical storytelling and her signature blend of catchy pop and cinematic drama. Her upcoming single, "Jackie O Lake" offers a glimpse into the artist’s first days in New York and reflects the conflicting experiences of a brand new expat - from hopelessness to grit, excitement to defeat, and foreignness to belonging. The self-produced alt-pop anthem, inspired by the ballads of Lana...