Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: I grew up in Maine and I connect to the land very spiritually. When I was a teenager, I obviously did not feel that way – I was like, “I have GOT to get out of my small provincial town and see the world.” I got my wish and moved to NYC when I was 17 for university – and every second since I’ve felt pulled in the direction of home. It’s a really complicated feeling – where I grow up will always hold a different version of who I am than the current me, and I feel at odds with her and with the people who expect her when I’m home. But the rocks and the trees and the dirt – that’s what keeps me coming back despite it all.
Q: Can you describe the musical style of Laura Mock in three words?
A: Contemplative, communal, celestial
Q: How do you stay connected with your fans, and what role do they play in shaping your musical journey?
A: As a new artist, it has been the joy of my lifetime to see what kind of support a community will muster for my work and for me. I could not be luckier to have the foundation that I do. My family, my friends, and most recently the welcoming embrace of the New York indie scene is what inspires me to push my creation forward. Without guidance, compassion, and mutual understanding from my fellow musicians, I think none of this would exist at all.
Q: You have just released your new EP, ‘home//body’. Is there a story behind it?
A: There is! It describes the sort of conflict I outlined in the first question – feeling at conflict with something that you love, and feeling like you need to define yourself more concretely within its parameters. I didn’t realize I had written the album until all the songs were finished and told this story: the story of a girl who longs to leave the home she loves, leaves and feels unmoored, questions her place on the Earth, and then finally returns to her core self. I divide the concept of Home into three parts, each explored on different tracks on the album: Home the Place, Home the People, and Home the Self.
Q: What is your favorite track from the EP and why?
A: CTC is a sleeper fave – I wrote it as part of a Song-A-Day challenge (of which I completed maaaybe 25%) in my last semester of college. I didn’t think much of it until I did, and I really didn’t think much of what it could be until my producer and bestie Jason Sill came up with the beat. I think the soundscape tells the story better than the words ever could.
Q: Can you walk us through the creative process of producing the EP, “home//body”?
A: Jason and I met for 3 hours a week for almost 2 years to produce these 5 tracks! I was blessed beyond reason or belief to have been introduced to Jason through a mutual friend, and he has given an almost unthinkable time and energy to the project. We both worked full time (often multiple jobs) during production, and had to work around finding the right musicians and hiring the right collaborators, overnight studio sessions, etc. All the hardships of some broke starving artists! I think it happened how it was supposed to, and we definitely made something more pride-inspiring than I ever imagined we would.
Q: What has been the most memorable concert or performance for Laura Mock so far?
A: Probably the rooftop concert where I first performed Landlocked for songwriter peers in 2022 – the concert was curated by my dear friend and fellow singer Belle Shea, and that’s where I met Jason! I had called Belle a week prior and asked if she would mentor me as I ventured into recording territory. She immediately introduced me to everyone she knew, brought me into her community, and taught me so much about putting your music out into the world. I sang just the one song and sat curled on the roof with strangers I’d soon meet and love, and it started me on my journey. How lucky am I to know these people?
Q: Reflecting on your body of work, each song holding its unique significance, could you share a particular track that stands out to you personally? What makes that specific tune special, and why does it hold a place of pride in your musical journey?
A: Acadia was the first song I wrote from this album – I remember waking up in the middle of the night probably in April of 2020, isolated and emotionally mangled from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the chorus melody was just there in my head. I recorded an off-key, grotesque approximation in my voice memos (who can relate) and then woke up the next morning and wrote the song. It was my first venture into articulating this terrible feeling of incongruency, this horrible beauty that comes with loving something that hurts you. I don’t think those words would have been pulled from me at all without those pandemic circumstances – there were some really harrowing things happening in my home, and also in the world, and also in my heart. What held me together was the ache, the love for the Dawnland (the Wabanaki term for the occupied Northeastern territory that Maine is a part of, the people of the Wabanaki Nations being the traditional stewards of Acadia’s land).
Q: Exploring the diverse creative processes within the music industry is always fascinating. Could you provide insight into Laura Mock’s unique approach to crafting music? From the initial spark of an idea to the finished song, how do you navigate the creative journey and bring its musical concepts to life?
A: When I sit down to write a song, a melody always comes attached with words. I can’t do the thing where you write one and then the other – they’re one organism to me, the music is the poetry and vice versa. That’s why one of my biggest challenges and greatest lessons in the last few years have been about rewrites; being willing to rethink a melody or a phrase. That being said, if a rewrite becomes necessary, a completely new song often emerges… it’s my version of just letting it happen!
Q: As we wrap up our conversation, looking ahead, what aspirations or dreams do you have for Laura Mock, and what message would you like to share with your fans as they continue to accompany you on this musical journey?
A: The reason I make music is because I’ve always known it was all I was meant to do – this is where I’m at peace, and I want to live in that feeling and share it with whomever I’m able. I think my dream is really all small musicians like me can hope for – to be able to support myself with music. I want to tell any fans or anyone that gives me a listen, my heart is full of gratitude for you. I’m humbled and honored by your choice to hear me.
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