2016 brachte sie ihr Debüt-Album raus, danach wurde es für ein paar Jahre still um die Elektro-Pop Musikerin. Jetzt ist zurück! Vor ihrem EP Release haben wir mit Låpsley über das Erwachsenwerden und ihre Fähigkeit den Herz-Schmerz einer ganzen Teenie-Generation in Songs zu packen gesprochen. Hier unser Interview mit Låpsley.

I’d like to start in the beginning. What is your first memory of contact with music? 

The first concert I ever went to was Kate Nash and I was 13 years old. That was on her ‘Made Of Bricks’-Tour. I went with my parents, because obviously I was too young to go by myself. 

You were classically trained when you were younger. 

Hmm… kind of. I learned quite a few instruments. I wouldn’t say that I was particularly good… I definitely wasn’t at a high level at all. (laughs)

Does this have any influence on the music you’re doing lately?

You mean growing up playing music?

Yeah, right!

Yes, I mean it gave me the skills, that I can play music whenever I like. I can pick up a drumstick, sit down at the piano or just grab a guitar. 

I always had a passion for music. Whether it was just playing or listening. I think my music is a lot more influenced by the present. Like what I am listening to at the moment.

How would you describe your own music, and do you have any [musically] influences or role models?

I would say it’s quite minimal and a bit romantic. It’s also quite sad sometimes. 

I think the different artists I admire influence different things. In terms like the sound, I love people like Caribou. In terms of lyrics it’s Jessica Mitchell or Kate Bush. 

Your first album was released in 2016 – I think you were just 19 by then.

Yeah, I just turned 19.

 And you’ve already managed to outline all the doubts and and heartaches of a whole teenie-generation. How did you do that? 

I think I’ve always been quite good at turning feelings into writing. Even when I was younger, like in English class: writing poetry or fictions. I think I am quite emotionally. I was a typical teenager: I do make it see a lot worse than it probably was.  So definitely an adulation in the sadness. 

Did you see yourself as a voice of a teenie-generation by then? And maybe still …

Yeah, I am definitely one of those people that’re like, if my friends are in a difficult situation or shit, they just ring me, and I set them straight. 

A few years past since then. What happened between 2016 and 2019?

I needed some time off for my mental health. I started in this industry when I was 17, that’s quite intense, for example touring at that age. I think I just needed some time to get to know who I was as an adult. And then, after I felt like a bit more comfortable in my own skin, I started to write again. And here we are. (laughs)

Your new EP “These Elements’ is going to be released in a few weeks. Would you say that you’ve grown up in the past 3 years – also from a musical point of view?

Massively! I think you change so much in this age. And I can honestly say, that with every year I get older, I get to know myself a lot better. So, I get more confidence, like in the studio, writing, producing. There are more things going on in my world. I got a lot of stuff to write about. I definitely feel like more mature and that’s great. 

It’s a four track EP. In an interview you said, that each song is dealing with a different state of mind.  Could you tell us about that? Where did the idea come from?

Yeah, ‘My Love Was Like The Rain,’ which is the first song, is about kind of accepting contradictions. Life isn’t one-sided. The second track is called ‘Eve’ and that’s about kind of the similar thing. Well, it’s more about sex. It’s an illusion to the garden of Eve. It’s about a relationship. What happens when one of them cheats? It’s really easy to say like: oh, it’s their fault! But life is more kind of balanced. maybe it’s both of them and not just one of them. That was referencing too. 

The third track is about breaking up with someone and how hard that is and the way of ruining someone’s world. But it’s also hard for you, cause your world is ripped apart, too. The last track ‘Drowning’ is about feeling as an adult. I felt like really confident as a teenager, but during adulthood I lost it somehow. And I felt like sinking.

All your songs seem to be very personal. When and how do you write those songs? Is it affect based or do you plan on writing those?

I don’t plan anything. I don’t write any lyrics on train or in libraries or anything. I go straight into the studio. I write whatever is on my mind that day. Also, for the last two years. When you’re listening to it again it’s like: Oh shit, that is how I felt that time. It’s like looking back on a diary. 

That was also my next question, that your music is like a diary for you…

Yeah, for sure!

“My love was like the rain” was your latest single. It’s about self-love and accepting yourself with all your good and negative features -When there’s darkness, there is also light. How can we learn to accept and love ourselves? Do you have any tips? How did you learn to love yourself?

Accepting that we are all different. I think when you’re a kid and you look at adulthood and all these big things like relationships and stuff and you think: When I am an adult, I’ll understand. And then you realize it’s really complicated. We live in this great era, it’s not as black and white as you think it is. 

It really helped myself to help someone else – I volunteered, you realize how lucky you’re. It’s also important to give yourself a break and not being so harsh on yourself. 

Do the things that you love and spend time on people who really give a shit about you. And don’t use apologies when you don’t feel comfortable. 

In the past years you’ve achieved so many things – what would you say, did you learn during this time?

I think I learned that life is complicated. Also, in terms like several beautiful things like falling love, being independent. I feel like in general a lot happier now that I am older.

And I really took my time to enjoy and listening to music, which makes me so happy.

The EP release is in a few weeks. What are your plans after the release?

On the day of the release I am going to have a party with all my friends and everyone who helped with the EP and stuff. And then it’s my favorite time of the year, it’s Christmas. So, I am going to spend a lot of time with my family. And then there’re a lot of surprises around the corner after Christmas.