Superbly creative, gifted beyond reason, and extremely hard-working are just some of the tools in Seattle-Native Laureli’s arsenal. This young woman is celebrating the release of her first EP “From Seattle With love” which marks a new stage of her career and her life, one that we’re sure will be filled with success and professional realization.
Join us today in getting to know her a little better; her background, her experiences so far, and what sets her apart from the rest.
Your voice blew us away in an instant. What were your biggest influences growing up?
Thank you! My biggest influences definitely include Ariana Grande, Kehlani, Post Malone. When I was younger my family would play guitar hero, so I was also of course rocking with Journey, No Doubt, The Killers, etc.
Tell us a bit about the people in your life that nurtured this amazing talent of yours, were you professionally coached?
I wasn’t professionally coached, but I did do choir for a few years both in elementary school and high school, with some amazing teachers. My parents definitely supported me and encouraged me to learn instruments and participate in talent shows and things like that, which was also a great thing for me.
“From Seattle With Love” is your first “All you” recording, how does it feel to finally be the protagonist in the studio session?
It’s been a great experience. I got to work with my friend as the producer, and my boyfriend, Moses Ray Walker, as the engineer, and we all get along really well so it was just really fun to make. I was happy to collaborate with Samurai Del on my first project since in the past I’ve mostly focused on singles. It felt like a good stepping stone into the world of longer-form releases.
A whole EP seems like one hell of a way to tip your hat to the Seattle Music scene as you moved to LA for a new chapter in your career. It must be a very special community to you.
Definitely! I love Seattle, it will always be my home. The EP name was actually Samurai Del’s idea, but I think we both knew after he came up with it that it felt like the perfect way to showcase our roots, and really how we both were shaped by the city and the music culture within it. I didn’t even know I was going to be moving to LA at the time of making it, so looking back it feels like a great way to tie me to home, even if I’m not physically there.
How did it feel to make that change from your hometown to the navel of the music and entertainment industry? Must have been a bit daunting, at least!
It’s definitely a big move, but I’ve known for a long time that at some point, it would be essential. I find myself in sessions more often, being available for more opportunities, and just generally knowing my future will be here makes me feel like I’m already achieving it. Also, my manager, Austin Santiago, is out here which is great because I came in already knowing at least one person.
DJ Samurai Del and you were a brilliant and very natural fit. How long have you known each other? it sounds like you’ve been collaborating for a long time.
We first collaborated in 2019, when he messaged me on Instagram and we met up to make something together. We ended up releasing “Forgive Me,” which we shot a video for, and was on his 2020 project, Till Death. That was definitely the start of something great! Not too long after we decided to work on this project together, which was a whole new experience and ended up bringing us closer as friends as well. I think that really helps to have a great result; music you make with your friends will always be the best music.
I read that you’ve written almost 300 songs for customers on Fiverr in the span of a year, IÂ am still trying to wrap my head around that kind of creative output. How do you even manage to keep up and still have creative juices left for your own musical projects?
I think it helps that a lot of Fiverr clients come with their own ideas or beats, so at the very least I have a starting point. My writing process though is pretty random, which can foster a lot of different ideas. I like to step into different characters and scenarios, even if I’ve personally never experienced them. It’s sort of like an endless well of ideas if you’re not restricting yourself to just your own personal experiences. Sometimes it is definitely draining though. I find that I don’t like writing songs for myself the same day I’ve written a song for Fiverr, since I’m much more particular about what I want to put out as my personal image rather than what I’m making for someone else.
Have you ever made something for a Fiverr client and felt like it was too good to not keep it to yourself?
Of course! There are a few times I’ve been recording a song for a client while my boyfriend is in the room listening, and he’s convinced me that I have to hang onto something. Sometimes, those end up being the best ones. I end up trying out something new that I usually wouldn’t do on my own, like a new genre, or headspace that I tried to create for another person.
It doesn’t happen too often though, I think because most of the people I write songs for are interested in a different style than I’d make for myself. That definitely helps with a bit of work/life separation.
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photos / courtesy of artist
story / Samuel Aponte
