Following on from a wave of impactful offerings this past year, fast-rising artist Laura Jadi is back to her best once again with her stellar new single 'don't get too close'.
Bringing back more of that broad and inventive alt-pop aesthetic she has been crafting since she first emerged, 'don't get too close' makes for a rich and immersive return for her. With her shimmering vocals layered across a bold and dynamic production throughout, she continues to shine as one of the more exciting names on the rise with this one.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with her to find out more about her origins and what has been inspiring her most recently.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The piano. My grandma was one of the most prominent piano teachers in Hungary, so she taught me from a super young age - I don’t remember when we started and I don’t remember a time I didn’t play either. Playing piano was like our love language, not just an instrument. When she left us, I actually couldn’t touch any piano for 2 whole years and - the irony of life - being isolated with Covid-19 was the reason I started playing again. At this point, I have been trying to find any sign of the supernatural for 2 years in order to connect with her, and playing piano again, I couldn’t even grasp it… It’s like she was standing right behind me, just how she used to. So even though she’s not among us anymore, the language we spoke can still reach her.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I spent most of my teenage years competing in classical music. My cousin is a cellist, my sister played the violin, my other cousin played the piano as well, so there were many many categories for us to compete in: four hands, trios, solo categories, you name it.
That being said, I was very lonely in my music taste. For my little Hungarian self to blast Kanye, Tinashe, Travis Scott (before the hype), H.E.R., was very unusual. They were artists unheard of in my environment. They used to play Macklemore type music in the radios back then, and I literally remember being like “What is this guy doing in mainstream music? He can’t even top the rappers I know…”. For the time, my taste in music was not mainstream, and you know children. They can be really ruthless. I was doing YouTube deep dives on freestyle raps, RnB, literally anything I found and on class trips, I would just listen to music and plug my ears in. There was this one old Hungarian book I read when I was around 10, which was about a girl wanting to become a painter. She never wanted to even learn the rules and her teacher told her that breaking these rules comes only with knowing them. So I guess I was on a form of quest for every sort of music to understand music overall. I have always been quite tactical.
What was the first album you remember owning?
When I was like 7 or 8, I got a Madonna album from my mother. She was my first icon - I mean she was daring, innovative, like the strong, tough, unapologetic woman that I aspired to become one day. Though I gotta admit, she is not my biggest influence in music. I just admired who she was, especially coming from a bit of a broken family and watching my mother single-handedly conquer every obstacle thrown at her.
I really want to add my most influential album though, because streaming services came shortly after the Madonna album, and the first album I downloaded was Encore by Eminem. Growing up without my father, I could’ve easily slipped into thinking I was unlovable, like many young girls do when their fathers leave. I know Mockingbird by heart - I just kept telling myself that a real dad would behave like this. Even if he had to go, he’d make sure his kids know they’re loved. So whenever I felt lost or unlovable, I’d blast Mockingbird and Like Toy Soldiers. Eminem really doesn’t even know that he potentially saved my life and self image.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
I wouldn’t necessarily say I wished I could’ve written another artist’s song, simply because every artist’s voice and style is unique to them and I respect another artist’s craft as something that is a part of them and their identity. That being said, “Lost Horse” by Asaf Adidan is a MASTERPIECE. The lyricism, musicianship, delivery, his voice… Yet the simplicity - I was and still am in awe. He describes this state where love is not present anymore. When you feel like you’re abusing yourself by staying with this person. I felt like that countless times in my life - I think a lot of people do. Where love was once present, you can’t just let it go when it isn’t anymore. You need to make sure that it won’t return again.
Asaf Adidan is super underrated in my opinion. His lyrics deserve to be analysed the way we do “Tao Te King”. His other song “My Tunnels Are Long And Dark These Days” is another great example of his lyricism and musicianship. He somehow merges this grand, orchestra-like sound with minimal beats and beautiful messages. So inspiring!
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I don’t really have habits or rituals, besides prioritising music. I feel like when the right inspiration hits, I get into this “dream-like” or “trans” state, where I am one with what I am creating. Like I’m tapping into something subconscious. I never force it though: if I have a cool chord progression or hook in my mind, I record it immediately on my phone. Honestly, I used to be unable to trigger this state of creativity, but recently, I have found myself in settings that I couldn’t just leave like that in order to make music. So I kind of learned to “store” the state I was in when I got the inspiration, along with the inspiration itself, until I had the chance to lay it down. Perhaps one thing is that I don’t allow myself to stand up until I am done with the rough mix. I write, record, produce and mix at the same time.
I have a really hard time being emotionally available and expressing myself, so I usually write poems and songs to make up for it. Though you can say I have this raw authenticity in my lyrics, you’d be shocked at how fast I shut down when I need to actually talk to someone else about the very same things. A lot of my friends had no idea I was going through what I was going through, only when they heard the songs and saw the music videos. And funnily enough, most of the time I myself don’t know how I’m actually feeling, until I read back what I wrote in my lyrics. It’s almost a form of therapy to me. It’s the only time I can access my inner world.
I’m anxiously fearful of sounding like someone else all the time. So when I do start a song and it feels generic or basic, I drop it real fast. My goal is to nurture what makes me unique.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
My music taste is all over the place. I listen to a bunch of contemporary Arabic artists, I mean their musicianship is superior. The quarter-tones, the Arabic scale, chord progressions, soundscape… I feel like they understand the source of sound. Just to name some great artists: Muhab, Draganov, Sherine, Nancy Ajram, Elyanna… the list is endless.
At the same time, the two artists that I listen to every single year for 10 years now are RAYE and Sevdaliza. There’s a lot of pain in being a woman: the responsibilities of the mother, dating, being minimised to appearances, being objectified… I come from a tough world. I needed these two strong women and their music in order to not feel so alone in it. “That Other Girl” by Sevdaliza and “Sober” by RAYE were the first two songs I heard from them, and my life changed. It meant that I can be an authentic woman in the music industry. I don’t just have to sing about superficial love, first kisses, stereotypical breakups. I can actually sing about all the things I understood and wished I didn’t. You could say I was exposed to the authentic adult female perspective at the insanely young age of 7, and for about 8 years, I lived in this split world, where on one hand, I see and hear everyone being basic and acting “according to their age” (we were children), and on the other I am looking around thinking “is this really all you guys comprehend? Is your life really this simple?” Huge shoutout to these two beautiful women. They stopped the separation of my two worlds. I wasn’t alone anymore.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Oh my god - RAYE. Without a single doubt. I have all of her albums downloaded, found her music back in 2015ish and the journey she went through, the topics she authentically covers… She is a huge inspiration of mine. Even just being in her presence would be my biggest honour.
I also feel like our audiences could match. I write songs primarily for women, to empower women. I know she does the same, she also doesn’t shy away from self criticism in her work, or even showing her vulnerabilities or toxic traits. This is the kind of authenticity in art that I feel this “baddie culture” type world misses, and that I am also aiming for.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
I find all parts rewarding to be honest. But if any stand out, it’s maybe when the master is done and I’m in my room just banging my head to it, and when someone reaches out that they found my music and they feel seen and heard. That stuff touches me so much. There was this one teenage girl who reached out to me, saying she comes from a really strict, religious family, and the song “FROZEN” was the first song she heard that gave her the idea that she is worth more than what she’s being told. I’m not gonna lie, I actually cried. Because this is literally all I wanted. Just for one girl to feel like I felt when I heard RAYE and Sevdaliza. Back then, I only really started music, and you know how it goes. You expect to hustle without payoff for a long time. Even though I didn’t see any actual results yet (I mean I really just started), she was the first person who reached out, and that made it abundantly clear that I have to continue. I have a future in this.
I also love being on stage. It’s always a gamble if you can keep your audience’s attention. But the moment people put their phones down and look at me, or when they take their phones out to start taking videos, man… Such a rewarding feeling as well.
And what is the most frustrating part?
I guess what’s frustrating for anyone in any situation: putting yourself out there. It takes a bunch of courage, there’s a fear of failure at play, fear of being judged or misunderstood… I mean I also tackle topics that are quite wild for a woman to express. I’m running the risk of not finding the great partner I aspire to find, because social media is how it is. It can happen that I get reduced to who I am online and the songs I decide to make. Clearly, that’s not all I am, I mean I was months away from getting my degree in law, I travelled the world alone to find spiritual truth, I am extremely family oriented and loyal to the people in my life. My goal with music is to get people moving, and to create questions in the heads of my listeners, to get them thinking about their own actions as well as all the things they tolerate. But still, I mean if I was into a guy who makes music about PTSD, drinking to an excess and doing things he regrets, or ridiculing his relationships, I’d be super worried as well. I can’t blame them.
I wanna believe the right person will understand though, and if I did manage to forfeit my chances, that at least other women will get into better relationships because of listening to my music.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
There’s so many things I could say here. Firstly, LISTEN. Don’t just let music play in the background. Listen to the frequencies you hear, the ad libs, percussion, BPM, and how certain key signatures make you feel. We forget that music used to be something people did together. Throughout most of history and in most areas of the world, people didn’t sit down to study books on music. They just listened and did it. No amount of studying can replace a pair of open ears.
There’s many funny things that you realise when you really start listening to music. You might realise that your favourite song wasn’t mastered right, you can hear when the vocals are cut out. Or all of the sudden, the hi hats are too loud. The snare doesn’t fit. And the lesson here is simple: if you sit on a song for months and months, you will keep finding mistakes. When you feel like you’re mostly done, and at this point you are over listening to find anything to criticise and scrutinise, trust me, the song is done. All artists could keep perfecting until eternity, but what’s the point? The song will never be out like this. And when you actually would feel happy with the mix, you already hate the song because you over listened to it and forgot that someone else would listen to it for the first time, not the 10000th. I think a lot of great artists make this mistake, and so they kind of guilt trip themselves into thinking they can’t do it. Self criticism is the enemy of creativity.
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Laura Jadi's new single 'don't get too close' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.