Laura Fares, known as Lau, eded her album “Believer”, which is now available on all digital platforms. It’s a release with retrowave and synthpop sounds that soon thrilled fans. Over 10 songs, such as “Stunning” or “Emotional”, the album proposes to balance the yin and yang of the emotional weight of a broken heart, hit rock bottom and then resurface triumphantly through art.
The album was featured on vinyl, cassette and CD-R in original and deluxe edition, which includes remixes by some of the genre’s leading producers such as Luke Million, Sunglasses Kid, Droid Bishop, Popcorn Kid, Maethelvin, Highway Superstar, Austin Apologue and also includes a cover that was recorded by HAIM’s artist “Now I’m In It”, reworked by Friday Night Firefight.Se it is also about its solo release, after two decades of composing and performing for other artists. She was a session drummer and songwriter, wrote most of NINA’s best-selling albums, Synthian, Sleepwalking, Control and played for Sam Sparro, Ricky Martin and Taio Cruz.In dialogue with Filo.News, the artist provided details about her history, her London experience, the process of composing her debut album, the retro scene, her upcoming challenges and more.
What can you tell us about your story? How was your first contact with music? How long ago did you leave Argentina and what was the last image you have of the country?
I was born in Buenos Aires. I have two brothers and I’m the youngest. My first contact with music was in grade school. The music teacher saw that she had a lot of ease for the instruments and told my mom. Then I was a little guy at the Buchardo Conservatory, but classical music wasn’t my thing. And at 15, my brother Diego (who at the time had a band called ‘Sancamaleon’), taught me how to play acoustic guitar, and I loved it. It is an instrument that I love and that today I still use a lot to compose. Later I became fascinated by drums and put together a girl band with my high school friends. I was self-taught and learned to play drums through books. At home we had a record player and there were several tango vinyls but also from Valeria Lynch, Sergio Denis, Pink Floyd and so on. And later cassettes by Michael Jackson, Madonna, Tina Turner, Roxette, Pet Shop Boys, Paul McCartney, U2, etc. I left Argentina in 1999, 22 years ago. I try to revisit every one or two years but I feel like coming back is a bit like a time machine. A lot of things stay the same as before. I left in the midst of a major economic crisis, my family was going through a very difficult time and I felt it would be more helpful to go away and try my luck somewhere else. I didn’t really see another way out at the time and life took me that way.
Why London? How was your encounter with music in that country? What do you remember about your college stinging?
The UK always fascinated me about its music scene. My favorite bands/artists came from there (Queen, The Police, David Bowie, Tears For Fears), so there was an affinity and admiration on that side, from my childhood. I always listened to music in English and connected a lot with that. London is a beautiful city where you can do a lot of things if you want to work and have a little ambition. It’s a place that accepts you as you are, it’s very cosmopolitan, so I felt at home and felt that anything was possible. When I arrived I was fascinated by the thrust and piles that put on emerging artists. They are a machine of making hits and exporting artists. They bet on new talent, and are ready to form international stars. For example, BRIT school had students such as Adele, Amy Winehouse, Jessie J, Kate Nash, Leona Lewis and FKA Twigs. It’s amazing how talent there is and how they invest it, nurture it and develop it. I loved doing a Popular Music career in college. It was 3 years of studying drums, composition and production of different styles, with the latest technology at the time. It really opened my mind a lot and I learned a lot.
PH: Liz Evans
How was your experience as a sessionist drummer and DJ/producer? What was the female drummer scene in that country? Would you like to play drums again or do you feel singing as your space in the future?
When I left college I started touring as a drummer with independent bands, but at the time there really weren’t many female drummers and it was like a very rare thing. So we were 4-5 major session players in the UK and they always called us for major auditions. It was really an amazing experience to travel all over the world, touchfor artists I’ve always admired. I keep playing live percussion and record some drum stuff on my songs. I’ll never be one thing. I have several musical facets and I apply everything when it comes to composing and recording. I think my rhythm is heard in my voice too when I sing. I was a DJ for 8 years and that was also a lot of fun, connecting with people from another angle, and dancing until the early hours of the morning.
When did you start writing songs for other artists? How did you get to play with artists like Ricky Martin, Adele, Robyn and One Direction?
I started writing songs when I left college, and producing and playing with several independent artists. I always liked the fusion of pop and electronic music and that’s what I dedicated myself to. At the same time, I followed my career as a sessionist drummer, and that led me to play with world-renowned pop artists. We once played with Taio Cruz at a large UK (T in the Park) festival and the band that was the opening act for our One Direction era. You were very young and had just won the X Factor. Their manager was on the side of the stage telling them where to stand and how to dance. It’s really amazing everything they’ve accomplished and how far they’ve come.
PH: Liz Evans
When did you move to Spain and why? Why launch your solo career now? How are you going through the pandemic and what does it mean to you to be able to present your music in this context?
I arrived in Spain five months ago, I came for several reasons. One era that Brexit was already coming up and I felt like I wanted to remain part of Europe and be more connected. And the other reason is that after 21 years living in London, I was already missing a little my culture, my language, the warmth of Hispanic people. I needed a change and finding a new place to feel inspired again. Barcelona is full of nature: mountain, beach, palm trees, which I also needed. I released my first single in June 2020, and gradually released singles until my debut album came out this year. For me it was the perfect time to start something of mine. I stopped playing and composing for NINA after 9 years, she turned to Berlin, I came to Barcelona, and it was the perfect time to dedicate myself to my own music and especially because I had so much to say and express. As for the pandemic, in Barcelona there is quite a bit of freedom of movement within everything possible. With plenty of nature, it’s normal to go for a walk on the beach or the mountain with social distance. And there are already live shows from time to time, with many restrictions and regulations. For now I’m preparing my show, and in a couple of months I’ll see how the situation is and if I can do any tour of Spain. And the idea would be to play in Argentina next year.
Let’s talk about ‘Believer’. The disc runs through the emotional weight of a relationship that ends, and as traumatic and painful as that can be. How was the composition process and why the name?
Composing ‘Believer’ was a rather painful process, but it at the same time fills me with pride. It served me to express my emotions and all the stages that I went through after a difficult separation. It served me as a kind of therapy, and helped me re-meet myself and re-discover my voice and image. That’s why I called the album Believer, I finally started believing in myself, and my musical talent. I decided it was time to stop “hiding” behind other musical projects or other artists.
PH: Liz Evans
On the album you will not only show the sad facet of the separation but also different stays. Why transform this set of feelings into songs? How was the identification with the public?
It’s just that it was a lot of stages, and that’s reflected in my album. While it is painful to go through a harsh separation, and process the sadness, bronch and uncertainty of change, at the same time I felt like falling in love again and starting a new life. They’re facets of the same situation I went through last year. And I also realized that no more painfully it was, life took me where I had to take and now I can finally say that I’m happy again. For me it was like some kind of therapy, to take it all out and translate it into songs, in an honest way. Transform a negative situation into something positive. A lot of people connected to the album and lyrics, and they send me messages on Instagram or YouTube, and they tell me that they went through similar situations and that my music helped them a lot. That fills me with pride. And beyond that some of the lyrics are a little sad, the music of the whole album is quite cheerful and moving. I like that contrast.
How did you work the nostalgic Retrowave and Synthpop sound on the record? Why dedicate yourself to those musical styles? How do you see the Argentine scene of those genres?
I worked with producers in the UK, U.S.A. and France (such as Ends 84, Brian Skeel, Astrotons and Maxx Parker). We use sounds that I love, that generate nostalgia for the music I listened to in my teens. Beyond recording all the voices in my studio at home, I also added to the production electronic drums and synthesizers to delve de delve de de into that retro sound that I love and identify so much. I love everything that is 80s, I always had an affinity with that kind of music and a feeling of nostalgia with that sound. But not only with the sound (which is very timeless and still sounds as good as it did 30 years ago) but also the aesthetics. Clothes, movies, video games of that era. It goes all by the hand; The films of the ’80s had amazing, iconic music that ted the passage of time and still sound great today. In Argentina there is starting to be a very interesting scene from Retrowave and Synthwave, with very good emerging artists. There’s an event called ‘Buenos Aires Outrun’ that I love, where they promote independent artists like me. I hope to play there again next year.
PH: Liz Evans
You also founded aztec Records, what can you tell us about that?
I founded Aztec Records with my great friend Ariel Amejeiras (another Argentine living abroad). We met in London and realized that we had the same musical tastes and that we shared the same passion for Pop and Electronic music. So we gradually started discovering and signing new talent (there’s a lot in London) and we’re slowly starting to grow. We realized that if we followed our passion and what really moved us, things would work out. Now the label has more than 30 international artists and we have just opened Aztec Latin, the branch of the label exclusively in Castellano, for pop and electronic music artists from Latin America and Spain. We’re always looking for new artists, so contact us through our social networks for more information.
What’s coming to the future?
I’m preparing my show live, so I hope to play some shows in Spain this year and in Argentina next year, if the restrictions allow it. I’m also collaborating with several artists on their albums (such as Sight Telma Club, Maxx Parker, Luke Million) and I’ve already started writing songs for my second album.
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