Media Studies Magazine Article Draft by Niamh Sygrove

Currently gracing the cover of the latest issue of Curve magazine, Laura Sygrove
is the hottest property in music right now as the world awaits her Insomniatic
Part 3 album.
At the age of just eighteen, Laura Sygrove has a discography to kill for, her
Interscope record label and co-worker Julian Murray rustling up a full English
every morning. And thats not to mention the perfume collections and clothing
lines. In her own words; Im not a businesswoman, Im a business, woman.
So Insomniatic; how long have you been recording it for?
Forever. My whole life. I must have honestly started the process three or four
times. But it actually started out in the UK when I was playing Manchester. Julian
Murray came along to my show and brought me a CD full of beats that she no
longer used for herself as demos and they were all sequenced. So hes like, "This
is the album!", and I was, "Woah slow down". Julian thought it was done and
ready. But that was pretty much the foundation for what would become
'Insomniatic Part 3'.
Did you always know it was going to be 'Insomniatic Part 3'?
Yeah. I knew from day one.
And did you always intend to complete the trilogy?
I had my last trilogy with the '....Ultraviolence' volumes one, two and three and
Id skipped over 'Insomniatic' for a bunch of albums and I thought now was the
time. It would be very appropriate to go back to it, you know? The first
'Insomniatic' was a return to my roots. It was like the pop samples that I grew up
listening to. This album sets the example for the next generation. We are
becoming those icons we looked up to for this new generation, kids look up to
us that way. Me, Lana Del Rey, Sky Ferreira. I just wanted to return to making
music like that. Im calling it a new classic. The songs are really lush and I tackled
it without any formulas in mind. It just needed to feel like classic music with new
subjects of course... I had all these big records and all this success with
Insomniatic I had to take a step back to take a step further.
But is this it? Or could we see a 'Insomniatic' quadrilogy?
A quad what? (laughs) There is no more this is the end of the series. Enjoy it!
But know that Im just getting started!
So when youre recording an album, do you approach it as if it could be
your last? Every record should provide a fitting legacy...
Yeah, I try. Ive actually been approaching it like that since the 'Sinners Album'. If
there is no more, Im happy leaving that as my final word. Its the words of who I
am. Thats a great pick up! Did I ever say that anywhere before? Youre pretty
sharp...

You mentioned Julian showing up with a CD full of beats. Is that how

you like to work? Or is it more a case of getting into the studio with
people and letting it evolve?
I like it to all evolve in here (taps head). He left me with the tracks, I just took
them and sometimes I would send them to him when Id done and let him do his
thing. But it was really cool this time round cos Julian is Julian! When it was the
first 'Insomniatic', he didnt have any opinion on anything. He didnt dare. He laid
the beat and was just happy to have a beat on there. You know, now hes the
amazing Julian Murray. Were going into the studio and having these tug-of-wars
over the direction of a song, or how this should sound. Things like that. It was
fantastic, I like it that he has the ego (laughs).
Did any of that original CD make it onto the album?
Yeah. 'Shades Of Cool was on that original sequence of what Julian played me in
Manchester.
And I heard you recorded a lot of the album over in Hawaii. What made
you decamp over there?
Thats Julian he goes out there and likes to record in Hawaii. He kept going on,
saying Im telling you its a good vibe over there! And Im like Hawaii?! A good
vibe in Hawaii? In the end I buckled and said alright. Turns out there was a great
vibe! We laid down 'D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)' straight of the bat over there. So
Julian; it worked out!
You say that Julian had the record already sequenced in his head and I
assume you put a lot of effort into how it all hangs together, so how do
you feel about people picking and choosing tracks when they listen to
the album? iTunes encourages people not to sit down and listen to
records anymore does it bother you?
It is what it is and thats how people listen to music. I cant dictate how they go
about that. My approach is still the same when I make a full album. When I
sequence a record Im thinking about you listening to the record and I dont want
to interrupt your good time! I dont want to put a song in way over here, then
something else way over here... I want it to make sense and tell a type story that
just moves. So I still make it as an album and people decide how they want to
listen to that music. Except in the case of 'American Rebel' I wouldnt let iTunes
sell that because I didnt want to break it up. But that was only because it was a
concept album and a movie director doesnt sell scenes of his movie. But all the
other albums Ive ever put out, iTunes have and I cant dictate what people want
to do with it once its out there. Maybe I am old fashioned, but a record is a piece
of music from start to finish and thats what I set out to create.
And when it comes to the subject matter of a record, is that you
speaking or do you assume a character?

Even a record like 'American Rebel' wasnt actually me looking to be the person
in the film, it was my interpretation of the emotions I felt whilst watching it. I
took emotions that related to my life from the movie scenes and talked about
them in that way to make an album. It was a concept album, but not about the
movie. It was influenced by the movie, so it was still me as me speaking and
feeling, you know?
Do you feel exposed as an artist putting your emotions out there for
people to dissect and experience?
Despite us sitting here and discussing things, Im not really the type of person
who can sit and talk about how they feel. You know, Im bad at that and so is my
whole family. We were raised to hold a lot in, so for me making music is like
therapy. It gives me a chance to express my emotions and the things I have
going on, so yeah Im exposed. But it cant be any other way.
Listening to the album, there are some notable collaborations Lana
Del Rey, Sky Ferreira, Lorde etc. Do you have a fixed idea of who you
want on a particular track and then aim to get them?
Actually, they werent on till the other day. Literally, Lana wasnt on there until
two days ago. It just felt like she needed to be on there. I was listening to this
track and the drums just kept reminding me of West Coast and I could hear
her... And thats how collaborations usually happen for me. I dont sit there and
pick people out of the air. Its more that Ill find myself in someones zone and Ill
be man, this would sound good if so-and-so was on it.
But how far is it collaboration compared to a guest spot? Does someone
like Lorde get to have artistic input?
I like anyone who Im working with to bring their flavour and their energy to the
track. You know? Or else why get them? If I bring a person in theyre free to do
whatever. You do whatever you want to do and what you feel. Thats the reason I
came to you. Otherwise theyre just another instrument...
Anyone youd really like to collaborate with?
Let me see... You know who? Justin Timberlake. He can do it all, hes a
renaissance man.
Throughout the album you seem to be reasserting yourself. At one point
you say tell me one thing I havent done then go on to say that no one
is bigger than you apart from The Beatles. Do you feel a need to come
back and state that youre here and reassert your place?
You have to do that, you just have to. Every artist has to make a stance. One
song I have is called 'A Reminder' and thats what it is. I believe that you have to
do that every time. How can you be complacent?

So when youre recording do you cut yourself off from other peoples
music? Or do you think its important to stay submerged keep an eye
on what everyone else is doing?
I dont think you should ever isolate yourself especially when youre recording.
You know, making an album and doing music is current events. Its really a rundown of where you are in life at that exact moment. Its my Kodak.
Theres no current affair bigger than Obama at the moment and you
name check him a fair bit on the LP and you played his inauguration
ball. How do you think hes getting on now hes well into his first year
as president?
Its going great. He has a lot to deal with. Its going as well as it can go
considering what came before. You know? You gonna hit on some things and
youre gonna miss on some things, but you gotta try. You cant not do anything. I
like his courage and I think hes handling the job rather well. Theres a lot of
challenging issues and you know, its going to take some time.
Is he a good representation of America in 2009?
I think hes the best representation of America in 2009. He is the only president
we could have right now at this particular time. With the direction we were going
as a people and the way we were being perceived around the world, we needed
him. The moment he got it it felt like that perception of America changed. It felt
like we had a World president. Just look around and places like London and Paris
were cheering. It needed to happen and it did.
Youre quite outspoken on certain subjects alongside other artists like
Kanye, Coldplay, U2 etc. and willing to stand up and say what you
believe in? Is it an artistic responsibility?
I mean if you can and thats what you want to do then yeah. But I dont think its
a responsibility of an artist. You know, the responsibility of an artist is to make
great albums (laughs). But after that, you have a voice so use it to speak out on
certain issues. I went to Kenya with MTV as part of the Water for Life campaign
and I thought that was a fantastic way of using my voice for something that
really matter. Its water! You know. We just take it for granted. I just open a bottle
of water thats like eight dollars or something. But right now people are walking
miles and miles for dirty water. I thought that was a good way to use my voice.
Its there, so why wouldnt I.
Would you ever consider going into politics?
(Laughs) No! But people ask me that all the time. Its so weird. I can honestly say
that I never thought that I would be asked that question. Politics is too much
about the perception of perfection. And Im not perfect. You cant have ever stole
anything, youve never done anything bad, you cant lie, you cant say anything
inappropriate or people will be calling for your job. I just think thats impossible
to attain. Were all flawed human beings. In eight years, I may say something

inappropriate (Laughs). Actually, not just one thing a tonne of things. So no, I
dont see me going into politics.
Now youre becoming the generation that others look up to, do you
watch out for new talent?
Yeah, Charli XCX is the newest and most exciting. She made an album called
'True Romance' that is generating a lot of buzz.

But youve fostered talent since the early days. On the track In The
Lights you seem to be giving a nod to the likes of Lana and Lorde who
you have brought to the publics attention.
With Lana I feel like shes my older sister. Were a family.
And when Lana had her problems earlier this year, was did you all feel
part of that?
Of course. We are a family, simple. If we need to close round to help someone,
thats what we do.
Do you think its important to nurture new talent? Help it up where you
can?
You have to protect the thing that gave you all this success. You know? This
music thing pretty much saved my life. I dread to think what Id be doing now
without it. So its my responsibility to pay that back and leave music intact and in
a great place. And then its Julians responsibility to leave it to the next
generation and so on and so forth.
Taking that then, on a track like End of Autotune, is that you protecting
music from something you consider harmful? The fad for using autotune
in pop music?
Yeah, its me challenging the industry or at least having that dialogue and saying
we should talk about this. Anytime something is overused to the point it
becomes a gimmick its time to move on. Im not really putting anyone down.
People seem to think it was a diss record and its not a diss record. I mean, I like
some songs with autotune... I dont like a million! If I hear ten, Im good. If I hear
a million Im getting sick.
Why do you think it was embraced so enthusiastically?
Its all part of a bigger thing. Because of the internet sales of music are down
twenty percent so artists are struggling now. Take someone like Redman. Before
he could put out a record and not get anywhere near number one, but still sell
five hundred thousand copies, you know? Now thats not going to happen.
Simple. So what theyre going for is the biggest exposure they can get. Everyone
wants to get played on the radio and radio gives people this impression that you

can be successful if people are hearing it and then you sell more records. All the
music is trying to fit in this one lane everyone is trying to get on the radio. You
know what Im saying?
Has it passed now?
No, I fear not. Theres probably another year or so in it before people start saying
yeah, lets try some different things. To me, when you start hearing it in
commercials for Wendys thats when you know its something to avoid. Youll
never hear me saying bling for the very same reason.
You mention that people thought it was a diss song and this whole cycle
of beefs seems to have consumed hip-hop culture. Youve been
embroiled in ones with the likes of A$AP Rocky and Iggy Azalea over the
years yet on the record you say were not in the same league, so how
am I in your way. It sounded as though you were becoming weary of it
all.
Its really just common sense. For many you have been making music and at the
forefront for so long, people like, "Girl, you gotta let the new guys in", and Im
like why? Thats never happened in the history of the world. It doesnt work like
that. You have to claim your spot. No one's in your way. If I was to stop making
music tomorrow doesnt mean suddenly there is this gap. You dont get elected.
The people decide where you are. Whether Im here or not, if they want you to
be at the top then the people will move me out the way. On you go...
So how will pop fare throughout the economic recession? It has been so
defined by consumerism in the past.
It has to react and reflect. The beautiful thing about a recession... Let me
rephrase that! Probably the one bright side to the grimness of a recession is
great music is made from pain. And theres a lot of pain coming.
How did the video for 'Long Gone' come about? It has a very strong
aesthetic.
I wanted it to feel like we were taking it back. Everything you see is a metaphor
for taking it back to basics. The factory represents my house and when I pulled
the car up and went upstairs, youre seeing me at home getting my makeup
done. Im shedding all the rubbish. And then eating, playing cards and smoking a
joint. Theyre all just regular things. I wanted to give the same sense that if you
were to go past Frank Sinatras house in the Sixties you dont know who would
have been there. Sammy Davies on Monday, Marilyn Monroe on Tuesday... I want
to be the modern embodiment of that. So in the video theres Harvey Keitel
playing cards and Kobe Bryant playing basketball. Ordinary, normal everyday
things... And the stealing is me saying, "Lets just get rid of all the gimmicks". We
need to cut out these gimmicks and all the rubbish so we can make music again.
How much input do you have into the video?

Lots its mine (laughs).

So was it your idea to have Harvey Keitel in there?
Yeah, I wanted someone who represented New York. And he was a bit to the left
of Robert De Niro, you know. But its that same character. They have that sense
of the city.
Do you ever worry that the video becomes synonymous with the song?
A track like 'Forever In The Dark' I cant hear that without seeing the
video in my head.
But thats the best video I ever made hands down. So no, that doesnt bother
me. I think it's all part of one thing. The visuals are part of the music and thats
actually a compliment as well. Its all art. If you can make a video that marries
the music and nails it so well, then you have something special. 'Forever In The
Dark is by far my best video. When you nail it its just great.
When you were growing up, was music an important part of your life?
Yeah, my family had a huge record collection and we listened to everything
Prince, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Bobby Vinton. My Mom had
rap records too, King James 3rd, Jimmy Spicer... I can hear all these records. I
used to sneak listens to the Richard Pryor records, with him cussing all over
them. Al Green... Our whole house was the party house and just stacked with
records. In the living room there were planks stacked up with crates between
them. It was just a homemade unit; two crates, a board, two crates, a board...
The reel-to-reel was on top, then the amp and the turntable. Records were just
everywhere. It was overflowing!
If you hadnt had been surrounded by all this music, would Laura
Sygrove have been sat here today?
Maybe because it was so prevalent in the neighbourhood. It was just coming
through and on the scene when I was growing up. Girls just out on the street
singing and crews bringing the music outside, wiring up to a lamp and having
these on the spot block parties. But the fact that it was in the home made it
seem so normal.
You said you grew up listening to Michael Jackson, how do you feel hes
being judged as an artist now hes dead? It seems to me as though his
public image has been rewound the focus is more on the music than
the life...
I think thats a good thing because hes dead. For people to let go of all the other
stuff and what he may or may not have done, all that other shit. However he
lived his life is unimportant now. He has left us with his music and what he did for
music... I mean, he is beyond the greatest entertainer ever ever created and I
dont know if anyone will get near that bar again. I saw bits and pieces of the
memorial service and whilst it was cool and well done, at the end when his

daughter spoke you realise that to her he was just a father. It was heart
wrenching. It was her dad. He protected them so much from the media and that
was a very admirable thing. Kids are kids.
You had your King Of Pop moment last year when you played
Glastonbury how did that feel?
It was a pivotal moment for me. Its up there alongside the first time I won a
Grammy. In fact, it may have been more important. This wasnt just a show cos it
felt like a barrier being broken a wall went down. Music should not be separated
or segregated. Live performance or anywhere. We live in the age of the iPod and
people have everything on there all together; Kings of Leon next to Kanye West
or Lil Wayne. So thats how we listen to music now and it seemed like a push
back and weird that people would have a problem with me being there. I was
like, "That stuff is still happening?". And in England of all places. Just to know
that there were these few people, a minority hanging on to this outdated idea of
tradition. But the masses spoke the moment I walked out and the people were
ready. All that crowd cared about was what they had in front of them. I knew they
were thinking, "Just be good" (laughs). "We dont care what type of music youre
playing, just be good and the best!" And it just felt incredible. I cant describe
what a moment that was for me.
Were you aware of the festival before hand?
Yeah, a little bit. It was sat there on the peripheral, just outside my knowledge.
And what did you think of it when you saw the site? Was it what you
expected?
Ive never seen anything like it. All I remember was coming over the hill in the
bus and I was in the toilet, and everyone was shouting for me to come look. We
came over that hill and there were like fifty thousand tents and I was like, "Man,
this looks like were invading the country!". Its like a medieval battle ground! I
was like, "What kind of crap have we got ourselves in to?" (laughing). But I was
prepared. Wed been tipped off about wellies and had everything on (laughs).
Laura Sygrove is in wellies!
So was it your idea to come out to 'Wonderwall'?
It was and actually I did try to play it on the guitar. I should have just sat down
and practised it and I could have nailed it on the day, but I didnt think of it until
an hour before I went on stage. So Im sat in the dressing room trying to work out
the chords for 'Wonderwall'. But Noel Gallagher helped out a lot and I appreciate
that!
But in reality there are very few pop artists like you who could have
headlined Glastonbury purely on a logistical level. They just dont suit
big events that well. Is that down to the way you come up through
mixtapes etc. whereas bands tend to play live in order to become
known and get that practise in early on?

Definitely, that is exactly what happens. A lot of the time people have a hit
before they even step a foot on stage. This type of music sees you put a song
out and that song catches fire and suddenly people are booking you to play live
shows. Next thing youre stood there in front of fifty thousand people so what
you gonna do? You grab yourself in places (laughs) and start shouting. "What the
hell, turn the music up and everybody scream!". You dont know what else to say
when you never played a show. Its just lack of experience. Ive played more
shows than a lot of rock bands and I think artists like me are now coming round
to thinking about the live show because theyre seeing the level of production
and what were doing and understanding that its an intricate part of the whole
performance and entertaining. Before it was a case of play the music, shout on
stage and grab your baggy shirt!
When you record do you keep it in mind how it will play out live?
Only for the past couple of years. It is now something I have to think about when
I record because I understand the importance of it. But its still a background
consideration. If I can fit it in there I fit in there, if not I dont.
Do you prefer playing large arena shows to small intimate ones?
Theyre both equally great for different reasons. The intimate shows allow you to
play the kind of records that wont work in some sixty thousand deep venue,
theyre just nice little things that maybe only fifteen hundred of your core fans
truly know and understand. When its intimate, people are right there with you
they have a say in what works. But then the large show is great because of the
sheer bigness of it. You start feeling like so... so big (laughs). Im big! But it can
be overwhelming, but its a fantastic feeling. I love it.
Are you looking forward to playing the arena dates with Lana Del Rey
then?
Its going to be fantastic playing with them, especially with Lana being such a
close friend of mine. Ive never played with her before, so it should be pretty
cool. Weve been friends for a long time now and we ended up doing a couple of
tracks together and then last year we were both on the same festival bill and we
thought about maybe doing something live as a unit...