GEMMA LAURENCE

gemma laurence interview with throughseptember through september interview

It was my fourth week of doing the Artists Way for the third time and I was determined to successfully fulfill my assignment: avoid as much media consumption as I could. I was walking around aimlessly in Williamsburg and remembered that I do indeed live in NYC and probably could find something to do pretty quickly. Obviously, my first thought went to music, wondering where to find a concert on a Sunday night.

I walked to Baby's Alright, bought a ticket for a random artist I’ve never heard of, and walked into the show. Gemma Laurence was opening up for another great artist, Piktoria Vark. I, fully immersed in the show, felt pulled in my Laurence’s soothing voice and powerful lyrics.

Gemma Laurence on heartbreak, emotional alchemy, and creating,

We Were Bodies UnderWater

by eylül şeyma

throughseptember

a deep dive & interview with Gemma Laurence

Gemma Laurence, alt folk indie artist from Brooklyn, NY and 'We Were Bodies Underwater'

A young woman with long curly brown hair smiling while sitting on a bed inside a room with a brick wall and wooden furniture.

Text about folk music, its cultural significance, revolutionary works by artists, and the emotional depth expressed through lyrics, focusing on human stories of love, acceptance, defeat, and peace.

A woman with curly dark hair, smiling, sitting in a room with a brick wall and a mirror behind her.

A woman walking inside a room near large windows with sheer curtains, living plants, and bookshelves.

Quote about longing to be loved and vulnerable feelings during album creation.

Page of text about folk music, mentioning a gentle voice, a banjo, and a talented band, describing a music album 'We Were Bodies Underwater' by Gemma, and the emotional impact of her songs.

Text excerpt discussing emotional expression through music, emphasizing honesty, courage, and the importance of space in music performance, with quote highlighted in red.

Gemma Laurence discusses the importance of reflection, vulnerability, and emotional processing in connecting with others, emphasizing steps of feeling, writing, and sharing.

Gemma Laurence's personal experiences creating peace with herself and her past, her artistic process as a self-made artist in NYC, and her challenges as a musician.

Gemma mentions bands like The Clash, Ramones, for inspiration for the album We Were Bodies Underwater

Gemma discusses building her band, mentioning iconic NYC based musicians Fran Pastore and Aida O' Brien.

'Can you speak more about the three step process of creation?'

Interview or article excerpt about the creative process, featuring a conversation between an interviewer and someone named Gemma, discussing songwriting, emotional experiences, and personal growth.

Gemma Laurence discusses poetry, music, and artistic inspiration for her third album; We Were Bodies Underwater

Gemma Laurence gets personal in interview with ThroughSeptember

ThroughSeptember: Interviews Gemma Laurence -- discussing emotions, music, and creation

Stack of various books with different authors and titles against a brick wall background.

gemma laurence talking about adrienne rich musician from maine, a folk artist in nyc. books that inspire her in this interview

Image of interview questions and answers about the impact of pieces on songs and the goal of helping others feel connected, featuring a person named Gemma.

Text of an interview with Gemma discussing her music and interactions with fans, highlighting the importance of music as an emotional vessel and the connection it facilitates.

Interview excerpt from a magazine or website featuring a conversation about music and touring, with questions in bold red text and responses in regular black text, discussing the impact of music on life and career experiences.

Text excerpt from a book or document: 'And the tour did come together. I was determined to do it. And literally everything was against me on that tour.'

Text-based interview with quotes about driving, a car accident, and a near-death experience

A black background with red, white, and gray text. The quote at the top in red italics reads, 'Everything split into two camps; things that mean something and things that don't.' The main text is a conversation about stress, music, and personal growth, with questions and answers, including the bold red question, 'Has that changed your relationship with yourself and your music?' The dialogue continues with a quote from Gemma about focusing on what matters, and a supportive, encouraging message in bold red text about overcoming fears and pursuing what you love.

Gemma Laurence discusses her biggest obstacles & strengths of becoming a musician in this ThroughSeptember interview

Text of an interview or article featuring Gemma discussing her singing, voice, storytelling, expressing herself through music, and her strengths in vulnerability and honesty.

A woman with curly dark hair wears a white tank top and jeans, standing next to a wall decorated with papers, notes, a mirror, and small hanging objects.

Gemma Laurence Interview with ThroughSeptember

Gemma Laurence and Bloodlines: This Postpartum Emotional Release

Gemma: “Yeah seriously. He got to see the Clash live, and the Ramones. I’m very envious. I think I was always bound to write rock music at some point because I grew up on it and I listen to that all the time. When I'm sad, I don't want to listen to sad folk music. I want to listen to something to get me out of it. And as an artist, I can be sad a lot of the time so, I like listening to rock. This record, We Were Bodies Underwater, actually leans more rock.”

Oh that's super exciting, my favorite genre might just be classic rock.

Gemma: “Yes! I love it too. I mean, at the end of “Bloodlines,” there's a full-on rock guitar solo (played by the amazing Aída O’brien). I was writing all this folk music, but “Bloodlines” was the first song I made for this album in 2021. I had just formed a band. It was my goal to go to New York City after I graduated college… to start a band of like all queer femme folks, just make music, go on tour, play in New York and sell out venues.  And so that's what I was trying to do.”

Gemma’s work is revolutionary in a similar way, depicting stories of her intimate relationships, platonic and romantic, and showcasing the rawest aspect of human nature; falling in love, exposing parts of your inner world, occasionally being left like a dying corpse, crashing out, then finding peace in the act of the self love and love itself. Through her lyrics, she owns her emotions and rawness -- her yearning, her acceptance, her defeat, and her peace, sprawling it out across many pages and stages. throughseptember gemma laurence interview

all photos taken by moi
thanks for reading