Garrett Laurie
“A lot of my music has an orchestral, folk sound as I am really inspired by American film and classic, iconic singer-songwriters. I also love to read and make short films."
Music has always played a vital role in Garrett’s life. Growing up, Garrett was in a theatre company, primary school orchestras and choirs. They also sang in their family's church folk group every week and at weddings. Then by the age of sixteen, they started writing their own music, “just as random melody ideas. Before I had GarageBand, I would record vocals using the camera app on my iPad then harmonise and layer them using voice notes on my phone. I’d then use my laptop mic to record both and layer them more on Audacity. From there I started working with a friend from school in his home studio and experimenting with my sound. For the past couple of years, I've been professionally releasing original music produced with my friend Ryan McGroarty from Beauty Sleep, and more recently with Chris Ryan of Robocobra Quartet.”
Garrett’s primary genre centres around folk and pop, however, they find that sometimes those labels feel a bit restrictive. “I guess I like to write in a typically singer-songwriter way, with just guitar and voice and then build a fuller concept around that, making the whole thing a bit more theatrical or inspired by cinema.”
“I think as a queer artist I inherently have a unique perspective on the world. Being queer, I have always been 'othered' and made to feel like a bit of an outsider before I even fully understood what that even meant as a child. I never felt like I fit into one gender, and I think my music reflects that. I think coming to terms with existing somewhere between genders has altered my perspective in everyday life and influenced my writing quite a bit too. I view my voice as a tool I can use to echo the gender roles I play with in my songs, and I think that sets me apart a little bit too.”
“My favourite artist has to be Stevie Nicks. Her energy has always been really inspiring to me because I love artists who fully embody their work. She seems to live and breathe her artistry and as someone who writes prolifically, I like knowing that there are established, successful artists who write and approach work in a similar way that I do.”
“I write all of my own songs and usually begin with a random melody I fall into that I really like. It's usually the riffs that feel a little eerie or that make me sad that stick with me the most.” Most of Garretts recordings initially are taken on their phone if they are out, or their laptop if at home. After that, they start riffing on the guitar and will start building a loose draft of chords and lyrics. “I started by writing simple guitar and vocal led, diaristic singer-songwriter type music years ago which has developed into a more layered, cinematic sound despite my approach to songwriting staying pretty much the same.”
Working with other people, Garrett claims, depends entirely on at what stage of the project they are at. “I prefer to write totally alone and to co-produce with a producer as we make our way through the reference files I send them. I'm open to collaboration when it comes to building instrumentals in the studio etc. as sometimes one of us can be playing around on a keyboard or something and kind of accidentally fall into a synth line that changes the direction of the entire song - those are moments I find really inspiring.”
When asked if Garrett’s music is written about their own experiences, Garret says, “This feels very main character of me, but yes. I'm constantly creating song concepts throughout my day as things happen - a conversation with someone close to me, or maybe seeing something that reminds me of a time that I miss etc. Recently I have been spending time around my old university campus and have felt really sad for the version of myself as a student that couldn't quite appreciate the structure it gave my life back then and the friends I could have spent more time with but didn't. My recent song writing has been influenced by feelings from that time quite a lot.”
“Learn to sift between what is constructive feedback and what is just negative reactions to your work from an audience who doesn't understand what you're doing. It's difficult to not get the two things confused, but that also definitely applies to more than just music.”
Last year they opened for Hex Hue in The Oh Yeah Centre for Sound Of Belfast. “We had visual projections around the room and the set up was just really ethereal and interesting. That show kind of confirmed to me the kind of venue and environment I feel most comfortable performing in and makes me want to aim for that for future headline gigs of my own.”
Garrett, unlike many current artists, hasn’t allowed trends to influence their songwriting. “However, I think I am most proud of how I have developed and honed my own craft in the past few years to a place where I can stand behind what I have done so far and feel excited about my upcoming music too.”
So, what is next for Garrett Laurie?
“My primary goal is to live as an artist full time. I've always envisioned my life in that way… putting everything into albums and music projects. Right now, I have a new single that has just come out called 'Novak' and an EP on the way. I'm excited about it because I've been approaching the recording process in a different way than my prior projects. I'm excited to be performing and promoting the new music because I feel like I have changed so much as an artist over the past year since the release of my first studio EP ('Can I Play Too Or Is It Just For Boys?').”
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Photos by Danny Mills and Kate Lawlor
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