After spending years behind-the-scenes, LAU is ready to step into the spotlight. On February 12, she’ll be releasing her debut album, BELIEVER, via the label she co-founded in 2010, Aztec Records.
Videos by American Songwriter
Starting her career as a session drummer for the likes of Sam Sparro, Ricky Martin, Taio Cruz, Big Black Delta and more, LAU was already making a name for herself when she and Ariel Amejeiras launched Aztec Records. With the label, LAU was able to guide several top-notch synthpop acts to success—with the artist NINA, for example, she co-wrote and produced the majority of the material.
Yet, through all of this, LAU has kept her likeness relatively hidden, always allowing the artists she was serving to shine. Now, however, she’s stepping out onto center stage—on February 10, she released the music video for her single “True,” which features shots of her on the beach in her new home, Barcelona.
“I always wanted to do a video by the sea with palm trees and I finally managed to do it (even though we filmed in winter),” LAU told American Songwriter. “The video was shot in Barcelona and was directed by Lluis Miras. It was quite difficult to shoot during Christmas—and with the lockdown, all the bars were closed—but we managed to find a super cute Irish bar at the very last minute that allowed us to shoot in there. This is my first ever music video, so I hope people will get to know me a little better. The final scene where the ball hits my face, nearly broke my nose. That’s why it looks so real…. but it was worth it. ‘Suffer for your art’ they say…”
And LAU has suffered for her art—in addition to getting lobbed by that volleyball in the video, she also went through a rather tumultuous time prior to making BELIEVER. While the personal hardship made things difficult, LAU was able to mine beautiful art from her experiences.
“‘True’ was inspired by a bad breakup I went through,” LAU explained. “After going through many different emotions and reflecting upon it, ‘True’ is the song where, after the dust has settled and time has passed, you finally see things with perspective and realize you allowed your partner to ‘use’ you all along. It’s about learning that lesson, finding your self worth, and making sure that you will never make that same mistake again.”
Balancing the infectiously fun synthpop arrangement with the hard-hitting honesty of her lyrics, LAU’s writing on “True” shows off just how skilled she became after all of those years behind-the-scenes. Combining fun and genuine vibes with world-class musicianship, the tune is evidence that LAU has more than earned her time in the spotlight.
Watch the music video for “True” by LAU below:
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