Laura B's Big Voice! 30/4/13

Image property of Aoife White

Laura B is a fairly new singer/songwriter to the music scene in Derry. Most recently Laura B performed at a night full of local talent where artists where filmed in order to have a chance to take part in the “It’s Happening” festival, a two day event over the 11&12 of May.

Laura got started in music a little later than usual but it didn’t take her long to decide she would pursue it and see what happens. “It all kind of started when I did a transition year in school, I never did music before and I picked that and started teaching myself guitar. I was always fairly shy and doing all the different activities and stuff I built up my confidence. I tried my hand at playing guitar and I liked it. I always liked singing but you always kind of need an instrument to back yourself up.”

Continuing her music at school, Laura spread her wings into the world of gigging very early.  “Then I thought I’d do it for leaving cert and I got an A so I decided to do a bit of giggin as well. There’s an organization for young people down in Moville called the Up Scene and I started giggin with them and built up a bit of confidence. 

Mainly I started before Christmas, started writing my own songs and giggin with other artists like Susie-Blue. Been coming on leaps and bounds and doing a bit of recording as well. It’s about two or three years ago but I’ve only been getting serious about it in the last year and a half and building myself up. I’ve noticed myself getting better, changing poems into songs and that kind of thing. I always used to write poems, just adapting them musically. It’s a good way of expressing myself. 

I tend to get a wee notebook whenever I’m feeling annoyed or whatever and jot it down and then just make it a song. Any kind of feelings, happy, worried, strong emotions that you need to get down on paper.”

Feedback from local music followers has given Laura more confidence in her performing and her songwriting abilities. She explains how the Derry music scene in particular has been a comfort where she can learn from other musicians. “People have given me feedback about it being catchy or saying they really liked it. Some will say they noticed the lyrics are really kind of deep or whatever and that’s what I like to hear because whenever you’re singing songs to people in bars, like your own songs, you are really afraid about people not liking it. It’s your own work so you’d be more conscious of it where as when you’re singing covers that’s not your own song so you don’t really mind. It’s relaxed in Derry. It’s nice to see all the different musicians because you learn stuff from them and it’s always handy that if your friends are musicians you can go do gigs with them. It’s a nice wee community of people that are like yourself. I’m from Greencastle originally but play mainly in Derry. I would do regular slot in Ruddins in Moville but mainly in Derry because I go up to college here. I do the Bound for Boston with Susie-Blue and any open mics that are around. I’m trying to get myself known so I can get more proper gigs about Derry as well .”

Having listened to Laura B perform there is no doubt that her voice carries a lot of power. It’s controlled in such a way that she doesn’t give everything away to begin with but when that song goes for the emotion so does Laura. “I’ve been described as sounding a wee bit like Regina Spektor, Jilly St John’s compared me to her. Last week at the singer/songwriting competition in Moville I was described as sounding a bit like a young Edel because my voice was kind of powerful. I didn’t place but there was a lot of people involved and there was about 15 that had gotten through to the final. My friend Jack Craig came second. It’s always good to get the live experience I mean every gig’s different but live is more atmospheric.”

More atmospheric indeed! If you’d like to hear some more you can hear Laura’s demos online at http://www.reverbnation.com/laurab3 or on her Facebook Laura B Music. I recommend seeing this artist live as the energy that comes with the live setting is conveys Laura’s true talent and potential.

There are to be more professional recordings coming up soon and Laura is hoping to be possibly bringing out an EP of her own music. “I’m hopefully going to release one in the summer. I’m working on it now. I have the songs ready, it’s just a matter of getting them recorded and getting everything ready. Maybe even a launch in the summer time. In a year hopefully I’ll be a bit more better known and playing a few festivals like Stendhall and Glasgowbury and stuff like that, keep it small so there’s something to build upon.”