Lauren Tate Interview

1.

How old were you when you wrote your

10 questions for Lauren Tate first song and recorded it?

Lauren tate- bedroom sessions full albumI was around 14 when I wrote my first song on guitar, it was called ‘The Black’ and featured on my first ever solo Interviewer: Amanda gray 10/02/21

EP. It only had two chords throughout because they were the only ones I could play without my fingers hurting haha!

Looking back I was so shy to show that song because i’d written it about my depression as I was going through a really dark time struggling with kids and teachers at school. Putting myself out there like that and showing a darker side of myself was really nerve-wracking as a teenager.

2.

The rage in your lyrics is extremely powerful, how do you write something and become satisfied with it?

Thank you! Yes I have a lot of rage in my songs. To write something that I am happy with it has to feel authentic and I have to really see or feel something as I sing. I close my eyes in the studio booth as I begin to sing and if I see no story line or feel any emotion, I don’t connect with the song. Luckily all of the songs I release I have a deep connection to and if I didn’t I wouldn’t release it.

3. What advice have you ever received that stayed close to your heart about life or music?

Most of the advice I’ve been given has always been with a condescending pat on the head from ‘industry people’ who act like they know better. A guy once told me to scrap ‘Kiss Me Girl’ from the Hands Off Gretel album, y’know, one of our biggest tracks! Jheesh, Whenever someone says ‘I have some advice for you’ I automatically lock my jaw because I know they’re about to offend me haha! I am inspired a lot by the quote from Kurt Cobain ‘'I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not’. That sticks with me.

4. Do you have any advice for writing songs and recording them by yourself with only a phone, electric, acoustic guitar and a laptop? (and is a microphone necessary?)

I was very lucky to have a mac when I came to record myself from home. The only reason I even considered I could record myself was because the programme ‘garageband’ came free with the mac, equipped with drum loops and pianos and so many tools to create songs for beginners. I learnt a lot from ‘garageband’ and bought myself a USB interface that would allow me to record through my microphone and plug in guitar or bass. I upgraded slowly and bought better equipment including my first set of speakers and proper headphones, now using Logic Pro X and a Scarlett Interface for my vocals and guitars. The microphone was my biggest cost as my vocals were priority, I wanted them to sit up there with professional recordings. The microphone I have is a Neumann TLM 102 and I’ve used that one two albums of mine so far.

The best investment I made was in my recording gear, it helped me as a songwriter so much being able to play around and explore new melodies.

5. How can I create my own diy punk rock bedroom album and make it as professional as I can with little equipment at 14?

Youtube is key, I learnt so much from watching videos on home studio setups on a budget. I’ve heard some people record songs and upload them straight from their phones using apps which with the right mix can sound pretty decent. First of all you need to find the right programme for you, I personally really like logic pro x and then you need to buy a two channel USB interface to record vocals and guitar. If you’re wanting a lo-fi sound which can sound really cool I wouldn’t stress too much about the microphone. The SM58 Beta that I use live is around £150 and I recorded most of my ‘Bedroom Sessions’ album with that one. I guess the most important thing to focus on is how the song feels when you listen to it, most of my ‘bedroom sessions’ album is rough around the edges and in no way competes with professional studio sounds but what makes it special is that rawness, don’t underestimate the power of how something can feel regardless of how ‘professional’ it sounds.

6. What do you think makes a good structured melancholic song? (lyrics and guitar chords wise) Sometimes the weirdest melodies get stuck in your head. Don’t just think generic and repeat what you assume will be the catchy part. Record a song even just roughly on your phone and listen to it solid for a few days, then stop. In the days away from the song you might find yourself humming certain parts, maybe certain lines stand out. So many times my verse melodies have turned into the chorus hooks and I’ve re-structured songs using this technique. Another tip I have is to pay attention to the replay effect. Did you just play that song you recorded on loop and you kinda wanna play it again? Well good, because that fresh excitement for that song will most likely be how your fans will react too, pay close attention to which songs make you do that and which songs don’t. Just because it took you weeks to write a song doesn’t mean you can’t trash it, especially if you aren’t that pumped when you listen back to recordings of it.

7. Where did the motivation come from to make your bedroom sessions album, how long did it take and how did you keep to it and commit?

I started out recording acoustic versions of our album songs at first. I planned that I would keep it simple and just record it live but as I got into it I started adding more layers and harmony vocals and really enjoying making it my own. I added older demos on there too which inspired me to write new songs which before I knew it had come together to create this album of misfit songs. It took me forever to commit to mixing that album just because of my confidence issues at the time surrounding production. I felt like I wasn’t good enough, that the songs were sloppy and that people wouldn’t enjoy it. I persisted though because I wanted to prove that I could. I’m so glad that I did because since then so many people have told me it’s been one of their favourite albums for how raw and authentic it sounded.

8. How can I be the best writer, singer and guitarist I can be for my songs and diy recordings?

I guess skill comes with practice and experience, pushing your boundaries and trying things out of your comfort zone. Live shows helped me a lot because I got to experiment with my voice in a live setting, I felt more free and able to go completely nuts without obsessing over how it sounded. I took that confidence to the studio and it helped me a lot to let go and not care so much about being perfect which in the end sounded way better than when I’d stand still and feel anxious. When you hit a writer’s block try writing in different genres, try laying down a beat and making a cheesy pop song, try rapping, mix in some doomy goth vibes and have fun with it. I always find experimenting outside of my comfort zone always brings fresh ideas or even fresh identities with my latest alter rap ego ‘Delilah Bon’.

9. Which song are you most proud of in your bedroom sessions and why? Is there also one that makes you particularly emotional? ’ll always love ‘Baybee’. We played it live a handful of times and it always makes me emotional. I wrote it about college and fitting in, feeling so small and useless in this big scary world, wanting to crawl back into my hole and hide. I’ve always been so young and childlike, never wanting to grow up and when I sing that song I imagine myself really old and it freaks me out. I love how my voice sounds on that recording, that was a good singing day!

10. I personally love your bedroom sessions album so much! What sparked in you to make it? And what genres are your songs in them?

Thank you, I’m so glad! I worried people wouldn’t get it and would want their money back haha! It’s very experimental I guess, like a mixture of sad grunge and alternative rock with pop elements here and there too. I wanted it to sound chaotic in parts with lots of sounds going on throughout, mini songs dipping in and out almost like radio stations changing. I wanted to make it for girls like me, showing a real intimate side of me, an imperfect side that I’ve since found has really helped so many people. It captured a real special time in my life as I discovered myself as an artist and I’m so glad to be able to have that forever now.

11. The last extra question I quickly added is about hands off gretel! (My size, blame myself, milk, kiss me girl and be mine are my favourites) As an underground punk rock grunge band, how do you put yourselves out there and become famous? How did the fame start? And what can I learn from you to promote my band in the future? Also which female and male rockstar impacted you the most and why?

My favourite female Rockstar is Brody Dalle from The Distillers. She was a huge influence on my style and made me want to pick up a guitar as a teenager, I dream to meet her someday. Then male I’ve always loved Layne Staley from Alice In Chains, his voice was one of the greatest I ever heard. I guess recognition comes from lots of work over a long period of time. Many people ask me how I did it but really there is no simple answer. I played hundreds of shows over 6 years and released music videos and albums that luckily people enjoyed enough to share and add to their playlists. It’s taken so long to finally get an audience and all of that is down to determination and sticking with it. Building good relationships with fans and other bands and taking the time to reply to comments and keep up engagement. I wish you the absolute - THIS IS THE END OF THE ONLINE WRITTEN INTERVIEW best with it!