“I believe it’s important to stay hopeful and find the positive in even the darkest situations.” Laura Cahen’s music is like hidden trail through a secret garden—filled with raw emotion, poetic intimacy, and glimpses of hope even in the darkest corners. Raised in the picturesque town of Nancy, France, Laura grew up in a household where music was as natural as breathing. By the age of ten, Laura was already composing her own musical language, experimenting with piano, violin, and then the guitar, which became her companion in songwriting.
Her upcoming album De l’autre côté, out tomorrow, is like a rich, emotional quilt of sound, exploring love, resilience, and the tumultuous world we live in. Reflecting on her process, Laura explains, “I often start writing in an automatic way, for about twenty minutes or so without lifting my pen, which helps me to get things out and understand what’s going on in my subconscious.” The result is a body of work that resonates deeply, blending personal stories with universal truths, all wrapped in lush, nostalgic soundscapes.
In our interview, we dive into her creative upbringing, the collaborative process behind the album, and how she transforms thought-provoking themes into poetic songs that linger in the soul.
photography by June Tamó-Collin
I think I felt the need to talk about what’s going on in our world right now, and I couldn’t do it any other way than through songs. And just like in life, I believe it’s important to stay hopeful and find the positive in even the darkest situations. So in a way, the themes and tone of the album are just a reflection of what was going on inside me — and I hope that even in the deepest chaos, love and desire can still be born.
Your lyrics often touch on deeply personal and universal themes. How do you approach songwriting to achieve this balance between intimacy and broader resonance, as seen in songs like “Les Astres”?
I think it just happens. When I write, I try to put words to inner feelings and emotions, which can hopefully resonate with a lot of people. For this reason, in a way, I find that the most personal stuff can be the most universal too. Of course, I use imagery and metaphors to cloud some of the specific details or to open up to broader meanings when I need to, but otherwise, the lyrics are pretty much straight from the inside.
The album explores themes of love, climate crisis, and societal oppression. Which song was the most challenging for you to write, and why?
I don’t really ask myself what I’m going to write about before I do. Instead, I often start writing in an automatic way, for about twenty minutes or so without lifting my pen, which helps me to get things out and understand what’s going on in my subconscious. So I didn’t necessarily choose to write about these difficult subjects; they just revealed themselves to me.
Having said this, when I wrote the first lines of « Je reste », which describes a situation I was living at the time, I realised they were quite intense and could be interpreted as the story of someone trying to escape a toxic relationship, and that it was going to take courage to finish the song and own it.
“Using physical and analogue instruments was great to make sure the album had a warm, organic sound, and felt timeless.”
Working with Josephine Stephenson and Mike Lindsay, among others, seems pivotal to the album’s sound. Can you describe what the collaborative process was like in Margate’s seaside studio?
Yes, this 3-way collaboration was absolutely brilliant because we each have very different brains and approaches to music, which are very complementary. Josephine, very precise and perfectionist, was working on the details of each note, each line, and the fineness of the arrangement. Mike was obsessed by the vibe and colour of each sound and was offering us a beautiful palette of machines, instruments, and making sure everything sounded special. As for me, I think I had a more global vision, like a director of photography; I needed to see the song as a whole and make sure the emotion was right.
The fact that we were in Margate by the sea also plays a part in the album for sure; I was going swimming in the cold water in the mornings before going to the studio, which inspired some of the lyrics, and I used my seaside walks to record the waves, the birds, the wind.. which we incorporated into the album. Also, when we searched for sounds, we often came back to this idea of describing these big sea landscapes, cliffs, etc.
You’ve mentioned the importance of physical instruments and analogue sounds in achieving the “English sound” for this album. Can you elaborate on how this choice impacted the recording process and the final texture of the album?
First of all, this choice impacted the people I decided to work with for the album. I was eager to collaborate with Mike after discovering LUMP, his duo with Laura Marling, which sound-wise was exactly what I wanted to do: 70s synths, guitar & bass, drum machines, and lo-fi textures under songs that feel folky and timeless.. And I was mesmerised by Josephine’s work on the album ‘Ex:Re with 12 Ensemble’, dreaming of string arrangements of that nature. So I thought mixing these two creative minds would be magical, that the sound would be special. And it’s true that using physical and analogue instruments was great to make sure the album had a warm, organic sound, and felt timeless, as well as giving us a framework and some limitations to work with!
“The most personal stuff can be the most universal too.”
With its cinematic and narrative qualities, De l’autre côté feels like it tells a story. How do you approach crafting a live setlist to maintain that storytelling arc during performances?
This is a great question, and I am actually just working on the live set as I am writing this. For now, we are preparing shows where we are plann to play the album from beginning to end, in order, but I think we will gradually find ways to get away from the album tracklist and enrich the story by integrating older songs, and field recordings… We are also working on lights to take the audience with us on the journey, and I imagine I will talk a bit about the story, giving some context between the songs.
Your upcoming shows in Germany and across Europe will bring De l’autre côté to live audiences. How do you plan to translate the album’s intricate soundscapes to a live setting?
Again, this is something we are working on now. On the one hand, I feel it’s important to stay true to the album’s sound, but also the live experience is a different thing, and an opportunity to explore new ways of presenting the songs. Right now, we are two on stage, so not enough to be playing everything (also because I am refusing to use pre-recorded material or a laptop!), but it’s a great exercise to see what is essential for the song to live.
Touring often brings new perspectives. What do you hope to learn or experience during this European tour that might inspire your future work?
On this European tour, I will be playing not only in Germany but also in the UK. I am interested in seeing how the songs will resonate with an audience of non-French speakers and am hopeful that the music can also resonate beyond language. I am also curious about the people I will meet, the music I will discover, experiences I will have… which always all inspire me to write new songs.
Catch Laura on her upcoming tour – check out the dates near you here: linktr.ee/lauracahen
