Gemma Laurence

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Recently I was able to connect with Gemma Laurence, a rising talented indie artist based in Brooklyn, New York, about her great new single and video for “Hedonist.” In this interview, I asked Gemma about her songwriting process for not on only this single, but her forthcoming album (We Were Bodies Underwater) slated for a July release, and much more. If you’re enjoying the video and interview, you can stream “Hedonist” on your favorite platform here.

Thanks for your time today, Gemma! Can you walk me through the writing process and inspiration behind your great new single called “Hedonist”?

Thanks for taking the time to chat! I wrote “Hedonist” after coming out of a relationship which really wasn’t working, and it’s a song about falling back in love with myself again and learning how to be a little self-indulgent. It’s about giving myself the love and attention that I usually give to others, and being very shameless in that. It’s fun, it’s a little tongue in cheek, and it’s very different from anything I’ve released before. Sonically, I wanted to create something that felt as dramatic and over-the-top as I felt at the time. I was really drawn to big dynamics — big dramatic hits punctuated by silence. This was a song that really came together with my band though. It wouldn’t be the song it is without that ripping guitar solo at the end, Aída [O’Brien] absolutely shredded on that one.

Do you have a favorite lyric from this single? Can you delve into the meaning or significance behind it?

There’s a line about my therapist: “I’m on my selfish antagonist shit / Shared my body count with my therapist / And honestly she can get it too,” which started out as more of a joke between me and my guitarist Aída — we threw it into the song as a placeholder when I was writing it because we thought it was funny and it rhymed. And then it stayed in the song! People seem to like that line. It’s a little chaotic, but so is the song. Haven’t shown it to my therapist yet…

Your new music video features some really cool dancing/choreography! How long did it take to make the video, and did you need to do any additional preparation to create your vision for the song?

Thanks so much! Yeah it was my first time choreographing and I worked with this amazing line dancer and choreographer Julia Wortman who really helped pull the vision together. It was a blast to work with her, as well as the four dancers (who are very close friends of mine from the queer line dancing scene) on set. I will say, I line dance every week, but dancing for like 10 hours straight on a video shoot the day after a big rehearsal / choreo day is a different story. My quads were BURNING. But in a good way. Turns out jumping around in cowboy boots is not for the weak of thigh.

What motivates you as an artist?

Honestly, other artists. I’m getting to that stage in my career where some of my friends and peers are really taking off. I think that’s so cool to see. I’ve always been very competitive with myself, but not so much with other people. It’s really motivating for me to see other people’s hard work pay off and get them where they need to go, especially other queer artists. I know they’re cheering me on too.

Your new album, We Were Bodies Underwater, releases this July. What is the meaning behind the album title, and also what plans do you have for the promotion cycle for the new record?

The album title actually comes from a song on the record, “Bloodlines”, which also happens to be the lead single. (You can check it out here!): ”Blue hands holding mine in a vice grip when we dive in / and we’re bodies underwater in the wreckage.” That line is inspired by an Adrienne Rich poem “Diving into the Wreck,” which is a poem about unearthing trauma on a collective and individual level. The album is all about memory, trauma, and how the past is still alive, so it felt like a fitting image to sum up the album. I’m very excited to share this record. I’m really proud of it. It comes out July 18th and then I’m playing a big release show July 19th at Sultan Room in NYC before heading out on a solo US tour (hitting LA, SF, Seattle, Chicago, and some festivals in Alaska and Wisconsin – check out my tour dates here) and I’m very excited about hitting the road again. I love going on tour and meeting fans and friends along the way.

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