“Too Late To Move On” is the name of the EP with which the 20-year-old LAHRA expands the musical spectrum of the domestic scene. The Viennese with Serbian roots has released five songs so far, the next one is already in the starting blocks. Because as LAHRA reveals herself, the range of her interests is not particularly large, the focus is 100 percent on music. The singer talks to Katharina Reiffenstuhl about her difficult relationship with social media, her school days and the part after that that got her to where she always wanted to be.
How did your path as a musician begin?
Lara: I’ve always loved to sing. When I was 16, I started working in a studio with a friend. It really wasn’t a big studio. He was even a year younger than me. We then made songs together and I sent them to my current management as demos. They signed me when I was 17. Since then I’ve been making music professionally.
Do you do anything else on the side?
Lara: Thing is, I don’t have many hobbies or interests. I’m only interested in one thing, and that’s music. I also like to play table tennis. Many have fun facts about themselves, I don’t have anything like that, I just like music. [lacht]
The fact that you like playing table tennis is a good fun fact, I would say.
Lara: I’m actually pretty good at it too. But otherwise I really don’t like much.
So where do you get inspiration for your music from?
Lara: Mainly from my everyday life, to be honest. For example, on “Bye Lovely” I saw a dead frog on the street on the way to the studio and then wrote a song about it. They’re little random things that often don’t even have any meaning. Sometimes I write the lyrics that just go well with the melody.
Lahra (c) Michelle Rassnitzer
You just released your EP recently. So these five songs aren’t connected at all?
Lara: Not really, no. Three songs deal with death, but that’s the only similarity. I like to write about death, but not in a negative way. I have to deal with it, I have to process it somehow, so I write lyrics that I would like to hear. “Where I’ll Go” is about my dead dog. The lyrics are what I would like to hear from him. Even if he can’t talk. “Big Blue Eyes” is about my grandfather, who also recently died. The song is about me feeling bad because I could have done things differently.
So is music your way of dealing with such issues?
Lara: Yes. For me, I’m not a person who gets depressed for a very long time when something bad happens. I’m really trying to process this as quickly as possible because I know no one would want me to be sad. Songwriting helps me with that.
“I DIDN’T EXACTLY KNOW WHAT I WANTED AS AN ARTIST”
You were only 17 when you made your debut. What have you learned in these last three years?
Lara: I got to know myself better as an artist, now I know how I want to come across. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted as an artist. I think you never really know what you want to do because you’re constantly changing as a person. I am a different person today than I was three years ago. In the same way, I want to achieve something different now as an artist than I did three years ago.
What did you want to achieve three years ago?
Lara: I don’t know, I think I just wanted to make music. Now I have more goals.
And what would they be?
Lara: My goal now is definitely to be 100 percent satisfied with my music. Whenever I listen to my songs, I think “Oh, I could do that differently”. I want to make myself proud and feel like I’ve accomplished enough to be fulfilled. The biggest goal is probably just to reach a lot of people with my music. I want haters too. [lacht]
Haters are attention.
Lara: But hopefully positive.
„IF THEY LIKE IT, THEY LIKE IT. IF THEY DON’T, I LIKE IT“
Do you feel like you are sometimes underestimated because of your age?
Lara: I already have the feeling. If I’m in the studio with a new producer, for example, who doesn’t know me yet, then I think they don’t expect that much from me. he thinks “She’s a singer, lyrics and melody might not be her forte, she can just sing”. Especially when they are older producers or songwriters. I can’t tell if that’s because I’m a woman. But I went to sessions when I was 17 and just did it. So that doesn’t really bother me. Who cares? If they like it, they like it. If they don’t, I like it. In the end, they are always satisfied or pleasantly surprised.
Many style movements meet in your music. Do you categorize yourself into genres?
Lara: It’s definitely pop, maybe alternative pop at times. But when I make music, I don’t really pay attention to the genre. I always do what I feel like and it’s always different. Because everyone feels different every day. It always depends on what I hear. „Colder Than Ice” is a disco pop track. I was totally into it Boney M. and listened to disco all the time. „Where I’ll Go” was just a phase where I was sad. It was more melancholic then. As an artist, I can’t really put myself into any category that I’m in right now, other than over all pop.
“I DON’T WANT TO GUESS IF I’M DOING MYSELF SOME GOOD OR BAD WITH THE ALGORITHM NOW”
I saw you post regularly TikTok. Do you think this will be an important platform for musicians in the future?
Lara: In any case. This is already a very important platform. I think it’s getting harder and harder without. In the very beginning, not that many people used it. PINKPANTHERESS really started with it and she has now become totally successful because of it.
You don’t have one for that Facebook.
Lara: I’ve never had Facebook. I can remember when I was 13 I begged my mother Facebook to be allowed to have. she means “No no, that’s only from 14. If you’re 14, you can”. And when I was 14, no one has anymore Facebook used.
It’s just a generation thing. We’re probably more of the generation that’s on then TikTok or Instagram Keeps hanging.
Lara: I don’t have one either TwitterI do not know how to Twitter used. My friends love it, they think it’s totally funny. I look up Instagram then screenshots of tweets. That’s enough for me. But I’m generally not a person who likes to be active on social media. I still do it because I think so „Ok folks who hear me would like to know what I’m doing”.
Why don’t you like being on social media?
Lara: Social media can really shape you positively, but also negatively. I don’t want to guess whether I’m doing something good or bad for myself with the algorithm. Why are you doing this? I just post for people who enjoy watching me.
You’re playing at relatively big festivals this year, am Lido Sounds or on Waves for example. How excited are you about this?
Lara: I’m never excited until I’m on stage. I am this Saturday Lido I’m looking forward to it, but I’m not quite realizing it yet. But I’m glad that I don’t seem nervous to other people. I could be nervous as hell, you don’t tell.
From the way you showed up here for this interview, I wouldn’t have the impression that you’re an excited person either.
Lara: I just enjoy it too. i love to talk In the end, it’s not always just about me. [lacht]
are you a stage person
Lara: Yes. I love it. Ever since I was a kid, I loved singing in front of people. In elementary school I was in the school band and when I was 10 I sang in front of the entire elementary school. I had so much fun there.
And from there you knew, that’s what you want to do later?
Lara: Yes, but I always thought that was unrealistic. When I was 16 I was so unhappy with my situation because I just wasn’t doing what I wanted to do.
What did you do when you were 16?
Lara: School. [lacht] I went to business school and was actually really good. If I had pulled through, I would have finished too. When I was 16, I even won an entrepreneurship award in Barcelona. First place in the social category, I was in the paper for that. I developed an app against domestic violence with two friends, we created a business plan and submitted it to this competition. That was really cool.
So today not only a singer, but also an entrepreneur.
Lara: So to say. But school just wasn’t my thing. You really have to take the pressure off there. So many students have depression because of school. It’s not because they schedule it poorly or don’t learn enough. No, it’s just too much. You are still a child. School takes your whole childhood and your whole youth, I think.
Do you have a collab you’ve always dreamed of?
Lara: I am in love Lady Gaga. Ever since I was a kid Maybe it’s still unrealistic now… no, nothing is unrealistic, I take it back. She is human, I am human. She really is my idol, as a child I only Lady Gaga songs sung.
But your music is very different.
Lara: Yes, that’s true, but we’re still different people. But I could certainly do a song that’s more her style. I’ll do anything for her. [lacht] Who do you think would suit me?
Now that you said it I believe Lady Gaga would be a good choice. Otherwise maybe King’s wool.
Lara: Uhh yeah I like that. That would be really cool.
as soon as you Lady Gaga or King’s wool If you have a collab, we’ll meet again and do a new interview.
Lara: We do that!
Then thank you for the conversation.
Katharina Reiffenstuhl
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Links:
lahra
Lahra (Instagram)