From Broadway (Once, Dear Evan Hansen) to television (Glee, Netflix’s The Politician) to breaking through the music industry with her debut EP Peaks – Laura Dreyfuss is the star to watch.
“With acting, it’s me playing a character and saying other people’s words… How I sing as that character is a reflection of the role. But, my own music is who I am – it’s how I want to sound and what I want to say.”
Dreyfuss had never written music before until she found the inner courage to do so. “I needed to find a version of myself that felt worthy of writing songs,” she stated. She had been wanting to release music for a while but didn’t know where to start. Producer and close friend, Michel Heyaca, “held her hand” through the process, resulting in her loving the art she came up with.
Her EP Peaks was written over a span of 3 years with each song acting as a “journal entry”. The process involved “finding her voice while examining and reassessing people and relationships”. At this time, her professional career was shifting which tested her close relationships. She was also navigating her relationship with her own anxiety. Dreyfuss’ EP is a reflection of this period and the emotions that accompanied her experiences.
“One of the first songs I wrote was “Sidelines”. It’s based off the idea of having a partner that isn’t fully supportive of you and your achievements. People say they want the best for you, but don’t always mean it – it’s a negative thing people go through. I wanted to create a somewhat playful song that basically says ‘I’m my best, show up or watch from the sidelines’.”
Similar to “Sidelines”, Dreyfuss has a song titled “Be Great” on her EP. This song is “directed at people who try to put you down”. It was based off a phrase she and her friends would use when they felt negativity from others; they’d joke around and say “well, they don’t want you to be great”. Her good friend Jeremy Pope is featured on the track and this was one of the first songs Dreyfuss felt happy while writing, making it a special one.
Dreyfuss is open about her struggle with anxiety and wrote “Better Drugs” to help navigate those anxious feelings. She wanted to find a playful way to allude to this concept in her song. “There are steps people can take to make it better. But sometimes, all we want is a quick fix or really, better medication”, she said with a little laugh.
We all know the pandemic was an uncertain and scary time for many people. Those in the performing arts no longer had job opportunities present – Dreyfuss being one of them.
“It was probably the lowest I’ve ever felt. I realized I thrive off of being an extrovert and having human connection. I tried to push myself to call people, even when feeling exhausted, because I knew it would make me feel better afterwards. It almost felt painful to make art during this time, but in Fall 2020, I wanted to write and get things out, so I ended up writing a lot.”
One song she came up with was “Pillow”, her tied favorite on the EP, which she described to be a vulnerable song. It’s about the feeling of isolation, even when having a loving partner and/or strong support system around you. “Sometimes you can’t ask much from people other than to show up and hug you,” she stated. This song captures that secure feeling.
The visualizer for “Pillow” contains real footage of Dreyfuss throughout the pandemic. It is heartfelt and cozy and reflects the song beautifully.
While the majority of her songs focus on serious topics, “Nose to Nose” is more of a fun one. “It’s a love song written about my dog – but people can interpret it the way they want to,” she explained. “Nose to Nose” was the first single released from her EP, back in September.
Dreyfuss feels fortunate to have grown up slowly. She often found peace in nature and gets her creative energy from that connection. Her relationship with other humans also plays a huge factor in her music.
“I’m drawn to people that make me feel like the the fullest version of myself. It’s easy to access all parts of me through music…You just need to find the people that bring out the most of you.”
Dreyfuss hopes for listeners to hear themselves within her own music and lyrics. She wants it to be an “empowering experience that can bring humanity together”. Even though it has been a vulnerable process, she wanted to do it with hopes of helping others, and herself.
We can expect a lot more from Dreyfuss in the future. Aside from currently working on a yet-to-be-announced acting project, she hopes to put out more music and perform it live. She is excited to keep working on things that excite her and keep “writing music that feels authentic”.
“Don’t wait for anyone else to give you permission to be yourself. No one can give you that permission, but you. I hope my music inspires that and allows people to feel like they can access themselves. We all have the ability to do so – we just need to make the decision to.”
Dreyfuss looks forward to sharing her art and connecting with people along the way. The rawness of her lyric-driven songs, along with her electro indie pop sound, is what makes her music so special. She enjoys creating “music that feels fun to dance in your room to” and we can’t wait to dance some more.
Listen to Peaks now!
Feature Image: Luca Venter
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