Press Conference: Lauv
Words by Sydney Hise
Reflection comes easily for Ari Leff, more famously known by his project name Lauv. Ari has amassed a great amount of accolades - a platinum song (the ever-popular ‘I Like Me Better’), a debut album that reached #16 on the Billboard 200 charts, and multiple hit singles with artists like Julia Michels and Troye Sivan. His extremely personal lyrics about heartache, mental health, and overall feelings have touched many. But what comes next? Leff sat down for a conference call with blogs, zines, and other media personnel for a chat about his upcoming album, All 4 Nothing, releasing August 5th, 2022 to let us in on what we can expect.
As he sat in a sun-soaked, beige room - casually in a pair of thin framed glasses and a white tank top - Leff started off by sharing an up-tempo, lively song from his new album, appropriately titled ‘Summer Nights’. As soon as the beat dropped, it was clear to everyone in the Zoom chat that this era of Lauv would bring a lot of sonic changes, while still staying true to the typical sentimentality of his lyrics. You can tell Leff writes music to soothe something in his soul - the smile on his face is contagious and represents something bigger than just enjoying the tempos and rhythms of the song he’s playing. At some point during the call, he mentions that some songs on the album helped him “get in touch with” his inner child - and from the grins and enthusiasm, you can see it’s worked.
Leff also played a ballad for us, the stark juxtaposition from the first track clearly showcasing his dynamic range as an artist, producer and songwriter. His effortless melodies and vocal range are evident in every song he allowed us to listen to - and everyone in the room was grateful. With Lauv, you’re never sure what to expect, and that is the beauty of his bodies of work.
Mental illness and emotions have always been a huge part of Leff’s musical M.O. as well. As he says, the theme of All 4 Nothing is “me, being in my mid-to-late twenties, and realizing that I had this big dream that I chased, and I reached a certain level but felt really empty on the inside. Basically me on a journey trying to find my own inner light again, and the ups and downs of that after feeling really out of touch with my true self. It is the positive side of that, and the not-so-positive side of that.” He mentions meditation and inner-child work as methods that he used to get back in tune with his core being. Fans can look forward to even more of Leff’s signature diary-style writings on this upcoming album.
Thank you Lauv for the chance to pick apart your brain and creative musings pertaining to this album!
Pre-save Lauv’s upcoming album here and follow him on Instagram and Spotify to stay up to date!