By: Staff
Singer-songwriter Laura Mock is making waves with the release of her highly anticipated debut EP, “home//body”.
Featuring five captivating tracks, this folk-pop masterpiece explores the universal question: “Where do I belong?” With a sound that ranges from heartfelt ballads to infectious pop rhythms and touches of country charm, Laura’s music is a soulful journey through themes of home, identity, and belonging.
Drawing inspiration from her Maine roots and her current life in New York City, Laura blends naturalistic soundscapes with urban energy, creating a distinctive and relatable sonic experience. From lush instrumentation featuring piano, acoustic guitar, and strings to poetic lyrics that evoke nostalgia and self-discovery, "home//body" is a testament to her artistry and versatility.
We talked with Laura to dive deeper into her creative process, musical influences, and the stories behind "home//body". From her classical music roots to her self-taught exploration of guitar, Laura shares how her journey as an artist shaped this stunning debut.
Keep reading for an exclusive interview where Laura Mock opens up about the inspiration behind "home//body" and what this project means to her!
We also had the chance to catch up with Laura Mock for an exclusive interview in "The Cage" Music Blog and we were excited to share it with you.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview
Hello Laura Mock, we’re thrilled to have you for this interview! We’ve had a blast diving into your music and exploring your work, and now we’re even more excited to learn more about you, both as an artist, and as a person.
Your EP explores the concept of "home" in three dimensions: place, people, and self. Can you share how these themes emerged and how they shaped the structure of the project?
I'm also so excited to be chatting with you, thanks for having me! The concept of "home" really started popping up naturally for me in my songwriting during the COVID-19 pandemic, when I had to evacuate my college campus in NYC and move into my parent's basement in Maine for a year and a half. In the middle of that time I also lived in an apartment with a friend in Massachusetts for three months and a camper in the Maine woods - I felt pretty unmoored, and I was powerless to stop that from translating into the music I was making.
With five tracks ranging from ballads to upbeat rhythms, how did you decide on the flow and diversity of the EP? Did any song stand out as particularly challenging or rewarding to create?
The songs themselves came together pretty naturally, and my producer Jason Sill and I gave a lot of thought to the narrative arc. Stylistically, the tracks just happened and we just let them happen - I would always fret to him about cohesivity, and he was quick to assure me that we could make it work. I'm so happy with how it all came together. I will say, we were super stuck on CTC for a while (the track with the most pop elements) and were having a hard time finalizing until we pulled in our fabulous friend Hannah Tobias for additional production help. She really gave us a sparkling finishing touch that we needed.
Can you walk us through your songwriting process? Which instrument typically serves as the foundation for your songs, and how does it influence the overall mood and direction of the final sound?
I'm primarily a pianist, so when I began writing music that's always where it started for me. During the pandemic, though, I started learning guitar because I was bored, and now so much of my music starts on the strings (and it's not insignificant that guitars are so much easier to gig with). I think part of me for a while was so intensely endeared to folk traditions that I felt like I needed more of an acoustic lift in my music, hence the guitar, but I've come to appreciate the merit and unique soul each instrument brings to the songwriting process.
How did your Maine upbringing influence the sound and lyrics of home//body? Are there any specific natural elements or experiences that inspired particular tracks?
Maine is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and growing up there it felt so strange to know that and still be so desperate to leave. I had a hard time with what I felt was rural isolation, though moving to New York may have taught me a thing or two about the benefits of countryside space. I think a lot of the songs speak to the unresolved nature of this internal conflict; how can I love something so much and still long to be freed from it?Acadia especially speaks to this experience, being named after Maine's only National Park. It's on a small coastal island and I spent countless weekends climbing on the coastal rockbeds there as a child. That's still where I head when I'm missing home while I'm still in it. I think there's nowhere I belong more than sitting on Otter Point, granite under my toes, ocean caw in my ear. You can actually hear Maine coastal waves in the background of Acadia!
As someone classically trained in piano and vocal performance, how has your musical education influenced your songwriting and arrangements on this EP?
I did all of the string and vocal arrangements on this EP, and I'm so grateful that I had a really sound theoretical foundation to help me with that. Some people are able to arrange using just their ears - I'm constantly amazed by that, I'm such a stickler for the written note and I feel like I can't function without it! Of course they're all just different ways of approaching music - I'm so grateful to have my educational background, and I'm also grateful for the experience and education of others that keeps me learning no matter what I do.
Living in NYC, a city so different from Maine, how does the urban energy manifest in your music? Are there specific sounds or ideas that came directly from city life?
I think if I didn't live in the city, every track on this EP would be just vocals and a guitar. I've had the distinct priviledge of experiencing an incredible amount of live music in NYC, and every new sound I hear inspires me. I think about things now that I never would have before when it comes to arrangements (ie....... drums).
Your EP blends folk, pop, and country influences. What drew you to this eclectic mix of styles, and how do they reflect your personality or story?
This is the kind of music I listen to, so I think it comes naturally to my own music! I'm inspired by the sounds of Anaïs Mitchell, Hozier, Aoife O'Donovan, and so much more with folk and pop and even cinematic elements. I feel deeply connected to the natural world, and I think nothing sonically represents that connection better than trad instrumentation - though I lean pop, every move I make is considered with a fiddle or twang in mind.
Collaboration seems to be an important part of your creative process. What was it like working with your producer Jason Sill, mastering engineer Fred Kevorkian, and the ensemble of musicians?
My music would be nowhere and nothing without all the amazing people who helped bring it to life! I met Jason Sill through a mutual friend and it could not have been a bigger blesssing. Jason has changed my life in so many ways, from transforming my relationship with listening to being a warm and enthusiastic collaborator to bringing his beautiful heart to everything he does. We had so many friends come in to work on this EP, and then were lucky enough to bring it to Fred's studio.
You describe yourself as a naturalist at heart. How does that passion connect to your music, and how do you hope it resonates with listeners?
I hope my music inspires an element of mindfulness in listeners; I think just noticing little details about the world around us can shift our relationship with it. The Earth needs a better steward in her people, and I think that starts with a simple rumination. I also am inspired in my daily life and in my music from how our Native siblings view and cherish their space; in Maine, the Penobscot Nation and Passamaquody Tribes continue to advocate so fearlessly for the natural world, and I would love to direct as many people as I'm able to their voices and teachings.
Your self-taught guitar skills add a sense of discovery to your music. How has this element of exploration shaped your sound on home//body?
This is a hilarious question mostly because I still consider myself so amateur at guitar. I wrote Landlocked in an open tuning simply because I couldn't figure out how to introduce all the chords I wanted to use otherwise! I think that goes to show that creativity can serve us just as well as a formal education, and I'm grateful for the chance to have gotten to experience both of those things. My background in classical music did help enormously - if you know music, instruments are easier to figure out, especially one as forgiving and versatile as the guitar. I am actually in my first semester of formal guitar lessons now, and it rocks SO hard.
Themes of self-acceptance and identity are central to the EP. What do you hope listeners take away from this introspective journey?
More than anything, I hope they feel understood and seen! Acceptance can be an emboldening step towards empowerment.
How do you see the concept of "home" evolving for you in the future, both personally and musically?
A really good question because - who knows where I'll end up! I want to get a masters degree in another country, I want to move to a place with more trees, I want to stay in New York with all the people I love - all of those things are true, and they're constantly on a drying cycle tumbling around in my head. A lot of the time I think I don't know anything 'til it happens, but I think where I feel at home will really come down to the people around me, and right now, I couldn't ask for a better four walls.
With all the depth and complexity in your music, what’s one fun or unexpected fact about you that might surprise your fans?
I'm a hobby linguist! I love languages and find engaging with new ones so entertaining. I minored in Spanish in college, spent a summer in China in high school, and even took semesters of Czech and Korean! (Do not ask me to say anything. IT'S JUST FUN OKAY!)
In a world where the music industry can be demanding, have you ever faced moments where you questioned continuing? What motivates you to push through those moments?
ABSOLUTELY. A huge barrier for me and for a huge number of indie artists is finances, as well as workload. There are absurd expectations about what one must do to achieve "success" as a working musician, and being entirely self-funded means fewer opportunities than artists supported by corporate entitites. I also find content creation so draining - I'm not on this Earth to mouth my lyrics to a camera, but it seems almost paramount to perform in that way in order to sustain myself. It really works for some people, but I question the notion that it has to work for everyone. The reason I keep making music despite these obstacles is I feel like there's nothing else for me to do. This is what I love and this is what is true to me - it feels unmovable, and my credit card debt won't change that!
If you could make one change in the music industry to support emerging artists like yourself, what would it be?
More opportunities for mentorship! You can pay to go to conferences, you can cold DM people, but I think the industry really lacks concrete touchpoints for up-and-comings -- there's more we can all do to lift one another up, and I think we owe it to ourselves as a community!
Looking ahead, what excites you most about sharing home//body with the world? Do you have any plans for live performances or visual projects to accompany the release?
It's been such a long time coming, I feel like I've been in labor for 4 years. I'm so excited to relish in this sense of finality on this project! I'm so proud of it, I'm so grateful. I'll be performing live in the city in the coming months, and I hope to make it onto the road sooner rather than later!
Laura Mock, thank you so much! We appreciate you taking the time to talk to us.
End Interview
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We’re happy to have shared Laura Mock’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
Now, click the links below to experience their incredible work firsthand!
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