Photo Credit Beatrice Helman
Gemma Laurence is ready to come out now. After eighteen months holed up on the coast of Maine, the indie folk artist emerged from isolation with a stack of scribbled-in notebooks and dog-eared classics, a lingering smell of woodsmoke in her hair, and a collection of eight songs held tightly underneath her arm. And now, we present the first of the collection: “Adrienne.”
Opening up about her queerness for the first time in her music, Laurence paints a picture of a past lover with disarming vulnerability and tenderness. Inspired by a line in Adrienne Rich’s Twenty-One Love Poems (“You’ve kissed my hair to wake me. I dreamed you were a poem, I say, a poem I wanted to show someone…”), “Adrienne” transports listeners to the exact moment in time in which the song was set – a shared twin-sized bed at 6 A.M., sunlight dancing across the walls, coffee boiling on the stove, the taste of sweet rum lingering from the night before. Recounting these fleeting images with razor-sharp precision, Laurence draws listeners into her world with her unique gift for storytelling.
Tell us about the genesis of your project. How did you get to where you are now?
I’ve been writing music since I was a kid but I only started seriously pursuing it at college when I ran my college open mic and started performing on a weekly basis. That’s where I really found my community and got motivated to pursue music professionally. I had big plans to move to NYC and pursue my music career after I graduated in March 2020 but alas that didn’t go according to plan! So I moved back to my childhood home in Maine, where I spent the year writing new music, and eventually got the pleasure of recording it with my friends Charlie Dahlke, Micah Rubin, and Will Orchard at Ashlawn Recording Company. That was a treat.
The new music that I’ll be putting out this year feels a bit more reflective as opposed to reactive. While my debut LP Crooked Heart felt like a collection of diary entries, written in the heat of the moment – very passionate and filled with raw emotion, the music I wrote over this past year has more of a reflective quality. The songs still carry deep emotion, but in a more intentional, perhaps removed way. I think “Adrienne” (my latest release) captures this well. It’s a love song, but in the past tense. A bit more nostalgic and yearning, but still tender and intimate. It’s all about opening up to somebody for the first time.
What is the favorite song you wrote and why?
It would have to be my latest single “Adrienne.” That song carries a lot of meaning to me. It’s inspired by my favorite poet Adrienne Rich and her collection of poems Twenty-One Love Poems, which are in my mind some of the most beautiful depictions of intimacy. The song feels a bit like a vignette, allowing listeners into the exact moment in time in which the song was set. I’ve always been a very visual writer, and I hope that comes across in the imagery of “Adrienne” – it’s a love song captured in the little moments of intimacy. The way the sun dances across the walls of a lover’s bedroom at 6A.M., the smell of coffee boiling on the stove. It feels really exciting to share this song with the world because it’s not only my first release in two years, but it’s also the first song which opens up about my sexuality. I identify as queer/bisexual, and so it feels really meaningful to share this song with the world.
Who are your all time musical icons?
Joni Mitchell, Adrianne Lenker, Phoebe Bridgers, Sufjan Stevens, Gregory Alan Isakov, and so many more!
What are some things to do to keep your inspiration alive?
Journaling, reading poetry, quiet mornings sipping coffee by the window, getting outside, exploring new parts of Brooklyn (where I recently moved), diving head first into the live music scene in NYC and going to friends’ shows.
Who are you binge listening to these days?
Ada Lea, Big Thief, Indigo De Souza, Japanese Breakfast, Hope Tala, Field Medic, Faye Webster, Lucy Dacus, Squirrel Flower, Bestfriend, Pictoria Vark, Hodera, Babehoven, Bedouine, Tomberlin, Arlo Parks. I recently discovered I have a cousin who also does music – his name’s Oscar Jerome and he rocks. Been listening to a lot of his stuff too.
Favorite movie or TV show?
Favorite movie would be a toss-up between Moonlight, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Moonrise Kingdom, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Carol, Get Out, or O Brother Where Art Thou. I just finished Normal People and it absolutely wrecked me. My all time favorite TV show would have to be Fleabag. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a comedy genius.
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about
“Adrienne” was inspired by a poem in Adrienne Rich’s Twenty-One Love Poems that particularly resonated with me and this one particular line: “I dreamed you were a poem, / I say, a poem I wanted to show someone…” How beautiful is that? To be so into someone so much you want to show them to everyone you love. Each of the poems in that collection set these perfect scenes of intimacy, and that was a huge source of inspiration for the song. I wanted to put listeners exactly in the place and time in which the song was set, down to every sensation and smell and image. I wrote it in one sitting. I cracked open that book of poetry and was reminded of the feeling I felt when I first read it, and the song unfolded from there.
Do you have any peculiar pre or post show rituals?
Maybe not the most peculiar, but after every show I go straight into the audience to chat with people and meet the wonderful folks who came up and showed their support. Because at the end of the day, that’s why I’m making music! It’s kind of for me, but it’s mainly for other people. If I write a song and even just one person listens to it and says “I feel heard,” then I’ve done my job. Connecting with fans/listeners has always been super important to me. I also pretty much always crave tacos after I perform. I don’t know what it is about tacos but every time I want them.
What’s the future looking like for you?
Well I’m excited to be playing more local shows in NYC! I have a release show at PIANO’s coming up on Saturday October 16th, and then a house show in Queens on October 23rd, and then a show at The Broadway opening for Hodera for their first full band show back in four years! Very excited about that one. I’m really grateful NYC has mandated proof of vaccination at every venue now. It’s made me feel a lot more safe and excited to play shows in the city!
Who inspires your style and aesthetics?
The 1970’s folk scene, queer culture, Sappho, anything that makes me feel comfy and powerful at the same time. I’ve been told my aesthetic is “Sapphic cottagecore” which I can definitely get on board with.
What is the achievement or moment in your career you are the most proud of and why?
Honestly coming out with this new song “Adrienne”! It’s not only my first release in two years, but it’s also the first release in which I’ve opened up about my sexuality. I came out as queer a bit later on in life (end of college), and although my friends/family know that I’m queer, I haven’t opened up about it explicitly in my music until now. It feels like a really important part of my identity.
What do you think is the best way to make it as an artist nowadays?
It’s kind of interesting coming at this question as not only an artist but a publicist representing other artists right now. Although there’s no script for how to “make it” as an artist I think the three most important things I’ve found are 1) Taking it seriously and being organized and professional with the people you work with, leaving enough time for release rollout, staying on top of your deadlines, treating people with kindness and respect, and not feeling entitled to anything. 2) Supporting other artists! Nobody’s going to magically show up at your show and buy all your merch unless you’ve built a relationship with them. Make friends, go to other artists’ shows, share other artists’ music, make it not entirely about yourself. 3) Keep going! Very few people find success overnight. There’s so many more folks who have been doing this for years and only just “break” on their third or fourth album. As long as you love what you do and you have motivation, you’re already making it.
What would you change in the music and entertainment industry especially after this past year?
We need to be checking proof of vaccination at all venues! We can’t keep live music alive without prioritizing the health and safety of our communities, and especially our immunocompromised population. Cases in NYC have been going down significantly since the city started requiring proof of vaccination at indoor restaurants and bars, venues etc. We should hold every city/state to this standard. As somebody with a high-risk parent, I take this extremely seriously, and I only play at venues that require proof of vaccination. Get vaccinated. Keep each other safe. Hold each other accountable. End of story
