Media Studies Magazine Article Draft by Niamh SygroveCurrently 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 run-down 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...