“Listening to yourself isn’t easy, but when you do, it really sheds a light on what makes you the person you are” Laoise talks to TLMT about her new single ‘Healthy’
Laoise recently spoke to The Last Mixed Tape about her forthcoming single 'Healthy'.
No Song Without You – HONNE. I tend to listen to this song and album when I need a hug. With the way things are nowadays, I need that more than ever.
What artist or album has gotten you through lockdown the most?
Taylor Swift’s ‘folklore’ has been my saving grace in all of this madness. I’m a massive fan, always have been, and it felt like this album couldn’t have come at a better time. Like the album says, it’s full of folklore – stories that feel like they’ve been passed down for generations – yet they’re so universal. A lot of the songs link back to one another, and reminds me of a Goosebumps book I used to read as a child where you would choose to turn to a certain page number, marking the protagonist’s fate. It’s a beautiful album to delve into like that, where I hear something new each time.
What’s influencing your music right now?
Right now I’m on a small island off the west coast, in a little cottage looking out at the sea. I’ve been inspired by watching the tide change every couple of hours, and imagining how as people, we’re not so different. Change is something I’ve found quite intimidating, because sometimes you don’t have control over it, but I also think that such unexpected change can be an invitation to the breath of fresh air you didn’t know you were gasping for. I think that’s what’s influencing my music the most at the moment.
Tell us about your new single ‘Healthy’. How was it written?
Healthy was written about two months into lockdown with Seán Behan, who I work with all the time. He had a synth and drum loop that I loved and a melody came to mind straight away. I ran to the studio to record some ideas. At this stage, I was so excited about writing for the first time in a long time because throughout the lockdown I felt this insane pressure to come out with something to show for it, and then nothing felt natural. I was also in therapy, and that brought on the idea of what being ‘healthy’ was to me – it’s not just eating loads of fruit and exercising and that’s it – it’s more about listening to yourself, your wants, aspirations, things that offer purpose.
Now that I’m in my early twenties, I’m learning to let go of the generic beliefs that were fed to me as a teenager and the overthinking of what someone might think of me or what I have to say. For the first time I can decide how I feel about myself without any external input. Even though I’ve written the song lyrics through a romantic lens, I like to imagine that this song can be sung in reference to myself; that I ‘don’t have to think twice’ about what I do, because it’s what I want and it’s good enough for me.
What would you like people to take from listening to ‘Healthy’?
The biggest thing I would like people to take away from listening to Healthy is that one person’s version of ‘healthy’ may not be yours. Listening to yourself isn’t easy, but when you do, it really sheds a light on what makes you the person you are. I’ve found myself constantly shape-shifting in the hopes of making someone else feel comfortable, or even impressed, and I’m always the one left feeling empty. Learning to undo that is what I think is healthy.
Laoise’s new single ‘Healthy’ is out everywhere tomorrow, Friday 23rd October. Photo credit: Lucy Foster
What’s the last song you listened to?
No Song Without You – HONNE. I tend to listen to this song and album when I need a hug. With the way things are nowadays, I need that more than ever.
What artist or album has gotten you through lockdown the most?
Taylor Swift’s ‘folklore’ has been my saving grace in all of this madness. I’m a massive fan, always have been, and it felt like this album couldn’t have come at a better time. Like the album says, it’s full of folklore – stories that feel like they’ve been passed down for generations – yet they’re so universal. A lot of the songs link back to one another, and reminds me of a Goosebumps book I used to read as a child where you would choose to turn to a certain page number, marking the protagonist’s fate. It’s a beautiful album to delve into like that, where I hear something new each time.
What’s influencing your music right now?
Right now I’m on a small island off the west coast, in a little cottage looking out at the sea. I’ve been inspired by watching the tide change every couple of hours, and imagining how as people, we’re not so different. Change is something I’ve found quite intimidating, because sometimes you don’t have control over it, but I also think that such unexpected change can be an invitation to the breath of fresh air you didn’t know you were gasping for. I think that’s what’s influencing my music the most at the moment.
Tell us about your new single ‘Healthy’. How was it written?
Healthy was written about two months into lockdown with Seán Behan, who I work with all the time. He had a synth and drum loop that I loved and a melody came to mind straight away. I ran to the studio to record some ideas. At this stage, I was so excited about writing for the first time in a long time because throughout the lockdown I felt this insane pressure to come out with something to show for it, and then nothing felt natural. I was also in therapy, and that brought on the idea of what being ‘healthy’ was to me – it’s not just eating loads of fruit and exercising and that’s it – it’s more about listening to yourself, your wants, aspirations, things that offer purpose.
Now that I’m in my early twenties, I’m learning to let go of the generic beliefs that were fed to me as a teenager and the overthinking of what someone might think of me or what I have to say. For the first time I can decide how I feel about myself without any external input. Even though I’ve written the song lyrics through a romantic lens, I like to imagine that this song can be sung in reference to myself; that I ‘don’t have to think twice’ about what I do, because it’s what I want and it’s good enough for me.
What would you like people to take from listening to ‘Healthy’?
The biggest thing I would like people to take away from listening to Healthy is that one person’s version of ‘healthy’ may not be yours. Listening to yourself isn’t easy, but when you do, it really sheds a light on what makes you the person you are. I’ve found myself constantly shape-shifting in the hopes of making someone else feel comfortable, or even impressed, and I’m always the one left feeling empty. Learning to undo that is what I think is healthy.
Laoise’s new single ‘Healthy’ is out everywhere tomorrow, Friday 23rd October. Photo credit: Lucy Foster
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