From Alaska to California, the Singer/Songwriter Lauren Dair releases a wistful and sincere single titled, "Ceiling Tiles."
Always having a passion for music, Lauren Dair landed herself in the heat of the entertainment industry acting as Zooey Deschanel's younger self on "New Girl," while experimenting with other bands and sounds.
Now making it independently, Lauren Dair's recent single "Ceiling Tiles" is a perfect introduction to the authentic artist, as Lauren paints a surreal image reaching for memories and the desire to have them play out again. We're let into the fascinating mind of Lauren Dair, as she displays her gifted songwriting skills through each genuine lyric.
"Ceiling Tiles" begins with ambient background pads that flutter in the distance, all while building up to the appearance of Lauren Dair's sweet vocals. She begins reminiscing of times where she experienced young love at the mere age of seventeen and effortlessly sets this intoxicating and passionate atmosphere. The softened instrumentals and production back up each heartfelt lyric Lauren belt out while transcending us into an emotional space with each melody.
Lauren Dair has created a beautiful love song that captures nothing but pure emotion and affection, and she keeps us floating above the clouds with the tightly-wound production serving us mesmerizing melodies. Lauren Dair's single "Ceiling Tiles" keeps the listener's heart warm during these unpredictable times and paves the way for other passionate love songs to follow.
Hello Lauren and welcome to BuzzMusic. What initially inspired you to create your passionate single "Ceiling Tiles"?
I have always been a hopeless romantic and loved the idea of love. I have always been inspired by movies and love how music can help tell the story. I wanted to write something that felt very theatrical and could fit into a scene in a coming of age movie. At the time I had never really been in love (well, requited love anyway), and was daydreaming about how wonderful and scary and exciting a new relationship was. Now that I am in a relationship, I think "Ceiling Tiles" perfectly describes all the excitement and fear that comes with falling in love for the first time.
Do you usually keep the production so celestial and calming, or was "Ceiling Tiles" an exception because of the song's heartfelt vibe?
"Ceiling Tiles" is very different from the last few songs I've written. Rather than solely relying on electronic production that I've done in the past, I wanted this to still be dreamy and magical but also somewhat grounded. I think the strings do a really good job of creating that romantic feeling but also pulls you out of the traditional "alt-pop" sound.
How has your music changed since you first started releasing music independently after parting ways from your previous band Gravity Hill?
After Gravity Hill, I went through a huge transition period. I had always done rock music and was terrified to write music that was considered "pop." I LOVED pop melodies and wanted to write songs that were catchy but also had deep lyrical content. With Gravity Hill, everything was recorded live: real drums, real guitar, real everything. I was insistent that I didn't want electronic production or "fake" instruments. When I started my solo project, I went to my producer and said, "okay I have this song and I'll let you play around with electronic instrumentation, but if I hate it we have to change it." When he sent me "Crawling Back to Me," I immediately fell in love with the style and decided to dive into the deep end. I've also really opened my writing up to be more vulnerable and honest; I learned that being soft and open can be really beautiful and inspire others.
We've heard that you've endured countless gigs and experiences within the entertainment industry. What have you learned from working with professionals, and how did it expand your career in terms of knowledge?
I'm a firm believer that everything is a learning experience and everyone you meet can teach you something. Even though I have now been writing and releasing music for 10 years, I'm still learning every day. One of the smartest decisions I've ever made as an artist was getting my master's degree in Music Business. While not everyone needs to go spend a ton of money on higher education, I highly recommend that artists understand the fundamentals of the music industry. There are a ton of helpful books, online articles, extension courses, and resources for independent artists. Especially in an industry that's always changing, you can never be too educated. The one thing I had to learn is that not everyone is going to like what you do, but that doesn't make it bad. However, if EVERYONE is giving you the same feedback, then it might be time to listen. But at the end of the day, it is your music and if you are proud of it, that's all that matters.
What has been keeping you inspired throughout 2020? What can we expect to see next from you?
To be completely honest, 2020 has really hit me hard in terms of creativity. I've been feeling so uninspired and drained from the current state of the world. Right now I'm focusing on grounding myself and writing about everything I'm feeling. This whole experience has given me the opportunity to break out of my comfort zone and try to write about things that are new to me. I've been trying not to be too hard on myself and using it as a learning experience. I'm continuing to write and record and hopefully will release an EP in 2021.