#171 Alaura Lovelight
Alaura Lovelight shares her experience with working in a million dollar studio in LA and working with Sugar Ray of the double X posse on her new music.
Alaura Lovelight is an American R&B singer, songwriter, producer, and published writer based out of New York City with her debut single currently playing on radio both nationally and internationally. She is also the CEO of Lovelight Sound Music, a music company that offers courses and workshops teaching musicians how to make a consistent income with live music through strategy and consistency, and teaches teens how singing and performing influences confidence and life skills. For free weekly confidence tips, music tips, and exclusives on tickets and merch, Join the mailing list at https://www.lovelightsoundmusic.com or follow @alauralovelight on all social media platforms
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Transcript
Rae Leigh: Welcome to a, Songwriter Trysts with Alaura Loveright, how are you?
Alaura Loveright: I'm good. how are you?
Rae Leigh: Good. Where are you coming from today?
Alaura Loveright: I am in New York city.
Rae Leigh: Oh, nice. Yeah. It's one of those places that I would love to get to, but I've never been yet.
Alaura Loveright: Yes. I want to come to you guys too.
Rae Leigh: Yeah, Let's
Alaura Loveright: Yeah, definitely. Let's try it. That was good. Got
Rae Leigh: I'll show you where the good coffee is and
Alaura Loveright: Oh, I would love that. Yeah.
Rae Leigh: but you have to promise me the same. I, last time I went to. I think it took me about five days to find good coffee in San Francisco. I don't
Alaura Loveright: Oh, well I'm in New York.
Rae Leigh: everywhere. It's a good coffee in New York.
Alaura Loveright: Yes. It's not probably better in Australia. I would say
Rae Leigh: We have really good coffee and I, I didn't realize how sport we were for coffee until I went traveling. I couldn't
Alaura Loveright: Yes.
Rae Leigh: I like to start this podcast by getting you to share who are you and where do you
come from?
Alaura Loveright: My name is Laura Love light, and I am out of New York city. I'm an R and B artist and I am a singer, a songwriter, a producer and I've been making music all my life and, recently released my newest single in September. yup.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. I saw that. And I've had a listen, I'm going to talk about that. So how did you get into songwriting? Tell us about your musical journey. When did it start for you?
Alaura Loveright: Oh, my goodness. How did I get into songwriting? Always I I've played the piano since I was very young. My mother was a piano teacher, so I kind of came out and was like, teach me. And yeah, I love it. I fell in love with the piano right away. And then I think that I was a shy kid and, You know, I wasn't like superstar performer.
Like I was very shy. I was not in front of my family, but like in public. And I think I felt like music was like where I could connect very early on. And I just always loved the whole process of making music and D intricacy of. Finding a chord progression on the piano and then writing a song, you know, these chords feel sad and then writing a song like that, or these chords feel happy. Then I, I was in the church choir. So that's probably where I started, singing and hosting the worship band. And I was on like the local radio, as a teenager. Oh, that's a cool, yeah, it was
one, um,
Rae Leigh: from being in the church choir to being on the
radio?
Alaura Loveright: It was like a little local radio station. I still visit there every time I go see my mom, but, yeah.
And they were kind enough to, you know, let me come play my guitar and, my cousins called in and, you know, it was very cool. Probably one of the first times I was like, Ooh, I want to do that. You
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Yeah. that's so cool. I can relate to that. I started piano really young as well, and I was really shy and it was where I connected to music and my parents were pastors. So I learnt in the, the worship ministries in
Alaura Loveright: Yeah. Very aligned. Totally.
Rae Leigh: It's an intense way to learn music, but I've heard that from so many people that church and community, and like not just family, but extended community in that environment, like a church environment is such a great way to cut your teeth on, on so many skills, outside of the school, you know, a school environment.
Alaura Loveright: Yes, absolutely.
Rae Leigh: for you? How did it fit into your family life?
Alaura Loveright: My family was very musical. My mother, you know, of course she was a piano teacher and then she went on to be acquired teacher at school. And then, my dad was in business, so music business kind of landed on me, but yeah. And then my, all my brothers kind of played an instrument at one point. It definitely was my like passion and my calling. But yeah, we came from a musical family. We love music, so it's always been in the house and in the church and yeah.
Rae Leigh: So when was the moment when you decided that it was actually going to be something that. You did outside of high school and church stuff.
Alaura Loveright: Yeah, I, my mother asked me, you know, what do you want to go to college for? And she was very like, specific about like, I'm not going to push, you know, I'm not pushing you into music. And I was like, I don't want to do music. And, you know, I thought, oh, everybody says they ended up hating it. And of course I, you know, get to school and it's like, what do I do?
And I'm like, I'm good at music. So I did end up pursuing music, music degree and actually composition. In writing songs. I really have always loved the composition of music and the lyrics. And I studied that in school and that's when I think I was like, I really want to do this with my life.
Then after school I had moved to, Los Angeles and I, worked for a film composer in Hollywood. And we were writing, you know, orchestrating the music and then I ended up being a part of that studio and they were like, oh yeah, I use the studio whenever you want. And I was like, awesome. Yeah. And like, you know, million dollar studio.
And I had the keys because I was, you know, in charge of the office and that's when I kind of was like, wow, this recording thing and writing. And that's really when I really fell in love with it. Yeah.
Rae Leigh: Wow. So, I mean, you've only just released. Your first single erose this year. What, what was the journey between sort of all that work experience in school, working with a film composer? Like that sounds like a dream job. If I'm honest, I love
Alaura Loveright: it was so cool. Yes.
Rae Leigh: What was the journey between getting there and then finally releasing your own music?
Alaura Loveright: yeah. I have released music in the past, under a different name. So I do have quite a bit of experience releasing that, but, I got to a point with my song writing and my artistry that it felt like. Stagnant, I would say, or stale. And it was like, what we're doing is not working, the vibe of the music I was putting out the look that I kind of had.
I still think I was at honestly really up until the last few years. I think I still hadn't identified who I was as an artist. I knew I loved music, but I didn't really know what my identity was in terms of, My self as an artist. And I think over, COVID really kinda makes you sit in your room and, you know, really reflect on life, because it's all there too.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Alaura Loveright: But, no, it really did. It really made me think about being intentional about the way that I look and the way that I speak in the way that I perform and what kind of music I want to put out. And it's been, like you said, it's always a journey up until this point. But yeah, all of that leading up to this point was a discovery of who I am and what I want to have as my mark. So to speak as an artist.
Rae Leigh: That's such a beautiful thing as well. And I've been there, you know, that constantly questioning, who am i, what am I, what
Alaura Loveright: yes. Every song. Yes. That makes us good songwriters, right?
Rae Leigh: Yeah. And then they're good questions to ask yourself all the time, but I, I definitely have been through that journey. Always being like that and being stressed out about not knowing. And now I call it my second life where I'm like, okay, I know now.
Alaura Loveright: Yeah.
Rae Leigh: like, it's still good to reflect and check in and go, all right. Am I still doing what I want to do is everything I'm doing still aligning with who I am, but before it was more like, I don't know who I am, so I can't align with who I am because I don't know what that is.
And that's, I think that's actually a really beautiful time in life to, to know. Really questioned things. Was it COVID that really instigated that in you? Or was there something else going on in your life that kind of push you to dig deeper?
Alaura Loveright: It w it was a combination of the fact that I had, moved to Atlanta a few years ago for music. And I was pursuing, a few opportunities with music that didn't really work out the way that I thought that they would. I really believe that. Everything is on the path of unfolding. So it was a crazy experience for me, but actually was like, once I heard this really great analogy about how we're like a glowstick and we have to be broken in order to shine. And I thought that, yeah, that's a good one. Right.
Rae Leigh: Yeah,
Alaura Loveright: Yeah, but that always stuck with me. I think I heard it in a sermon, but, yeah, it always stuck with me that like totally, Yeah, I think that's w that's the circumstance that I was in is that it really kind of made me break down all of my insecurity.
Not all of them, cause we all have them still, but like what, my insecurities about why am I not putting myself out there as an artist, as much as I want to. And am I. Being safe with my song writing, which I think I was. Am I, you know, pushing bounds, you know, and I, I was never that kid, I was never that like break the rules and be edgy.
And, I was shy and uncomfortable and, oh, I could sing and I was good at that. So I would do it in church. But it made me get to a point where I was like, kind of on my own down in Atlanta.
Rae Leigh: yeah,
Alaura Loveright: I really made me dig deep. So I was in Atlanta and then COVID happened and I was extra by myself.
So it was a really interesting time of digging deep and really go in there. And deciding if this is what I'm really going to do, I'm going to do it right. And I'm going to, you know, go as hard as I can and push all of my own bounds and things like that.
Rae Leigh: Yeah, yeah.
That's
Alaura Loveright: Yeah, yeah.
Rae Leigh: hearing when people do that and get out of their comfort zone, you know, cause it's someone said on another podcast, I said, comfort zone is where dreams go to die. And I was like, well, that's
Alaura Loveright: Ooh. Interesting. I like that.
Rae Leigh: probably uncomfortably true. But
Alaura Loveright: Yes.
Rae Leigh: I like it. And I love that you have to be broken to, to shine.
Alaura Loveright: Yeah.
Rae Leigh: Unfortunately, it is something that, we all experience pain, but action usually only follows anger and anger usually comes from pain of, of something. It's just the cycle of emotions and that's what we do as artists. So what's tell us about a rotor. See this new single that's come out. What was the, how did that come about?
Did you co-wrote it with someone.
Alaura Loveright: yes. Yep. I did. Co-write it with somebody? I. I ended up being in a writing session, with sugar Ray of the double X posse. He, they had a number one billboard hit in the 90 several actually. And I was, yeah, I had the opportunity to write with him and, he's a brilliant songwriter, really, really great, really challenged my songwriting skills of, you can say that more creatively
and. Let's be, like yeah. Like, you know, hat and cat and you know, like let's rhyme a little bit more slicker and, and things like that. So he definitely made me up my game on that. We ended up listening to some music one day and. He was trying to help me pick my next single. And he was like, what else?
You know, what else do you have? What are the music? And I, you know, I have a CA we all have a catalog right. Of like, oh yeah, we did this. And so I kinda went through it. There was a beat that I had made, that I just kind of made as a exercise for myself, because I wanted to just explore, like, can I make different types of music?
It was very different. And, I ended up playing it and he was like, that's it that's the thing though. And I was like, really? I, it was totally not. I was when I played the 20th song or, you know, it was not one of the first like, oh, you'll like this. Yeah, it was different and it was, it was a little bit more edgy and a little bit more dancing club vibe.
And, Not safe, you know, like I was like, really, are you sure? And yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. And we ended up writing the whole song that night, which is, you know, a lot of great songs come from sessions like that. Yeah. And we wrote it that night and it came out amazing. I'm so happy with it. And I would say it's probably.
Thing that I've done so far, which is great. Cause it's my most recent, you know, the, you hope the next thing is the best thing. Yeah, you always
hope that, so right. Always getting
better. always getting better. Yeah, that's, that's kind of the birth of the song. I wrote a C
Rae Leigh: Okay. But can you tell me about like what your ideas were when you were co-writing the song? It sounds like you, I mean, you were with someone who was very experienced and it was out of your comfort zone was a very sexy song.
Alaura Loveright: yes.
Rae Leigh: Help it help me understand sort of the thoughts behind the song and the story of the song,
Alaura Loveright: Yeah.
Rae Leigh: what you were thinking about when you
Alaura Loveright: Yeah, so, so the song errata C, which is funny is that, I had done an interview with a podcast the other day and they were like, you know, errata, C's not really a word. And we were like, actually nobody's ever said that to me before, but truly the word , is a word that Ray actually had made up and he.
Yeah, we were in the session and he's like, well, what about, you know, we wanted it to be sexy and classy, but we wanted it to be creative. So it was almost a game in the sense of how do we write this song in a way that is not explicit. It does not even have any curse words or anything like that. Somebody asked me, is there a clean version?
And I was like, There's no, you know, it is just the way it is and people are like, but how it's called her Odyssey. But it was fun. It was, it was a difficult, we wanted to write a song that was classy and sexy. And we played with this idea of errata C. That's like how funny that this is this, it makes you think sexy.
It makes you think alluring, but it's not even a word. And so that was kind of the birth of like how fun, if we could write the song and make people feel this certain way without. Really, you know, by being really super creative with the lyrics. Yes. Tell yeah, well we made it that's right. We made them
work, so
Rae Leigh: all.
Alaura Loveright: Thank you. Yeah, it was really fun.
Rae Leigh: alright, awesome. So tell me about the co-branding experience. Have you done? You've done a lot of co-writing. I hear you teach co-writing and stuff like that as well, or at least songwriting.
Alaura Loveright: Songwriting. I do. I actually haven't truly done very much. Co-writing I did a little bit when I was in Atlanta. I've had different experiences in terms of co-writing like when I was working, you know, in Hollywood, That was sort of a co-writing in the sense that, you know, they would play the music and we would have to figure out what notes, and then we would have to like, be like, this chord goes here and, you know, things like that.
So that's that version. And then with Ray, it was very much a hot, like completely 50, 50, he'll write a lyric, outright a lyric, he'll say something. And I was like, yeah, well, what about this? It was very back and forth, which. My favorite, you know, I haven't done much of it, but it was like, it seems to me that's how co-writing should go, is very playing off of each other and he'll be creative about something and it will make me be more creative and he'll be more creative and, and like that, you know?
Rae Leigh: you don't want it to be all one.
Alaura Loveright: It was fun. No, I'm definitely not. So yeah, it was a great expense.
Rae Leigh: Yeah, that's awesome. Well, that sounds like, you had a good experience there and I agree, like, I think with songwriting and co-writing sometimes, it's kind of like pulling teeth and other times it's like dancing, you know, it's just fun and it's, it's okay.
Alaura Loveright: Yes. That's a beautiful analogy. Yeah.
Rae Leigh: out whether you like it or you don't like it.
Yeah. Yeah. So what about in your experience? I mean, you've done so much, you've studied it. You still loved it. You, after you studied it, the church environment and then Hollywood and now New York, what would you say you've been every woman tell me about your experience and what you would say your best advice is to someone who is starting up, because I feel like you've done everything now. Now, what would you say is the best place.
Alaura Loveright: Oh gosh, that's a really good question. I think that I like what I tell my, my students that I work with. And my people that I coach is that everything has to count you can't and this is something that I had to learn later, or that I'm learning actually now of, oh, I did that thing and I thought it didn't work, but actually I learned this and now I'm using, you know, X, Y, Z. That would be my biggest thing. I would tell any person starting out is that you don't be a superstar overnight, like Beyonce, Beyonce, because she. So much experience because she sat in front of a camera. So many times she's done an interview. So many times she's performed on stage so many times in heels.
So many times, you know, it's not, you don't wake up and like that's, you know? Oh yeah. Yes. There is a natural talent that comes with being an artist, but there's so much. Which I often am such an advocate. You have to self artists develop because labels and independence and all these different things. We live in such a fast paced world that.
Everything is instant gratification and I'm guilty for sure. Of like, well, I want it tomorrow, but it's like, I feel like everything I'm doing is making me better at every piece of being an artist. Every conversation, every interview I do, I take it really seriously because to me, every single piece is like a piece of the puzzle, you know? So. Yeah, you can't just glaze over it. Exactly. And people are like, I enjoy the journey, you know, like that's, but it really is true. It really is true.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. It's one of those things, especially. Just life in general. But I mean, with this creative artistic journey, we have this vision and yes, we want the vision to happen like yesterday. But a part of the fun of creating is picking the colors and picking the type of paint brush you're going to use and where it's going to go on the canvas like that, that is the joy, as far as I'm concerned, like I enjoy creating and writing the song, you know, and producing it. And then once it's released. I just want to do more of creating. I
Alaura Loveright: Yeah, what's next.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. It's not so much about yeah. Like the, the success or the numbers, or how many people love you or hate you or whatever, you know, all of that stuff. Cause that's never going to be satisfying and it's completely out of our control. We have no control over anyone else in this world, but the stuff that makes me feel good. Just the actual creative exercise. So why would you want to wish that away? You know, and if you don't enjoy it, it's not going to get more fun
Alaura Loveright: Right. No, there's a lot of people who don't, who don't enjoy that and then you can't get it back, you know, and I had to learn that a hard way of doing, you know, like people are like, whoa, you worked in Hollywood for a film composer in a million dollar studio.
And it's like, I was so concerned. Getting to the next that I don't think I've fully embraced, that experience. And so I, am very particular about trying to set an intention before an experience. So I know, Hey, let me be present. Let me enjoy this. How is this going to make me better?
Let me say something that affects people or, you know, have an impact or things like that is, is part of being.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. And it is so hard to just enjoy the. be present it's it sounds, it sounds she'd be like, cause you are always, well, you're always physically present, right? Like we're always where we are. That's where we are, but mentally, we can live our entire lives in the past or in the future or in a place that is not where we are.
And that's so easy. It's such a, it's such an easy trap to fall into.
Alaura Loveright: It's so,
Rae Leigh: The best place to live is in the present because it's the only part that you can control it. So the only part that really exists, everything else is just fantasy. You know, or maybe something horrible happened in your past, but that's exactly where it needs to stay in the past.
And it doesn't mean you don't need to deal with the consequences of that. I'm not gonna, you know, things will come up, especially if they're traumatic or, you know, quite serious, but you still get to choose how you deal with those emotions in that the consequences of the Expedia. In the present and that's it, that's a daily choice. We all get trapped in it, but yeah, the more you can be in the present and enjoy the moments that we do have, I think the better life.
Alaura Loveright: Totally.
Rae Leigh: really deep here.
Alaura Loveright: Yeah, that's right. That's right. I guess is deeper than the song writing. That's right.
Rae Leigh: That's what the song writing to bed though, is get
Alaura Loveright: Totally. A hundred percent.
Rae Leigh: tell me if, if you could co-write or work with anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and why?
Alaura Loveright: Oh, that's such a good question. And my answer is always different because there's so many good ones. But right off the top of my head, somebody I really would love to work with in the present is Chris Martin from Coldplay. I think that he is. One of the best songwriters that is out there.
I would be honored to write a song with him and, because I think he is big on, like he's not very specific about structure and this and that. I get lost in that because it's my training, is, you know, like, but that court doesn't fit and it's like, okay. You know, but,
um, yes.
Rae Leigh: are in a car, right. And they're like, no, you're not allowed to do that. And I'm like, watch me, don't tell me. what to do.
Alaura Loveright: So you will be good for me
Rae Leigh: I didn't do the training though, for the same reasons that
Alaura Loveright: But you know,
Rae Leigh: want to be scared of losing
Alaura Loveright: Yeah, totally. But yeah, Chris Martin, for sure. I love Bruno Mars. He's a great writer. Billy Joel, of course forever. Yeah, there's so many out there that I just, I can't name them all, that John rhe anybody who's like great at jazz, Elton John, great at the piano, you know, lady Gaga is somebody that I really, really adore.
I think she is phenomenal. I would love to work with her. There's so many, there's so many, I hope that, I'm attracting all of them by putting it out there,
Rae Leigh: So, what is your plans for this year? Do you have plans to release small music doing shows what's going on?
Alaura Loveright: I am working on a new single now, that we will probably put out in February or March. Then I would love to do an album, towards summer. That's kind of my goal. And then pending that we get back to some kind of normalcy. I would love to, do a tour in the fall. So that's kind of my.
Blueprint idea of this year, but the truth is that honestly, I'm really loving, the traction that erotic city is getting it's, it's doing really, really well. And it's kind of my first like baby that's, really out there and doing really, really well. And so. Again, back to like the whole living in the present.
I'm really trying to embrace that and be, you know, everyday I'm like, oh, the numbers and how's this. And, stressing about things out of our control. But, mostly I really want to look around to see, kind of do what it's going to do.
But yeah, yes, absolutely. We'll have new music very soon, at least a single kind of another little appetizer to keep people, you know, and then, yeah, the album definitely will be on the heels of that. So.
Rae Leigh: That's exciting. And
Alaura Loveright: It is
Rae Leigh: I wish you all the best of the album and I'd love to hear more.
Alaura Loveright: Well course.
Rae Leigh: got one song to listen to. I'm we're going to put a teaser in the podcast for people to hear and then go, go and stream it, go follow we'll. Put all of your links to all of your socials and your music in the description of the podcast, which will be on the app that people are listening to it now.
But there'll also be a. Blog on the website somewhere to.com and we'll have all the links on there as well, and people will be able to listen in and follow and support your journey. And, we'll just keep watching you and watching what comes out and watching the development of this new brand
Alaura Loveright: That's right?
Rae Leigh: you're doing.
And I, I think it's really brave because it's, it's such a massive exercise to reinvent yourself in this way, you know, to, to start from scratch. But it also gives me lots of confidence, to know that you're. You're feeling like you know who you are now and what your plan is. And, I can tell you've just got such good passion and love
Alaura Loveright: Yeah. Thank you.
Rae Leigh: you in it. And I look forward to seeing what comes next.
Alaura Loveright: Thank you so much. I really appreciate that. Yeah. I'm excited to, grow along with people. I think people are kind of starting to get to know me and I'm starting to get to know me. So it's kind of a fun thing to like do with your fans of like, Hey, let's all figure it out, you know? So I'm really excited
about this next chapter and I appreciate you having me on and, I love, I love the topic. The topic of, songwriting and what are we really talking about and what, a lot of people like they've bought belong to whatever, but, it's important to know the stories behind the song, you know?
Rae Leigh: I love it. Yeah. I mean, music such a therapeutic thing, and it comes from somewhere, for me. It's like, when I love the person, I love the music so much more, when you really get to know the artist and.
Alaura Loveright: absolutely.
Rae Leigh: versa. The person's not nice. They're
Alaura Loveright: Yes, right. You're like, yeah, you're right.
Rae Leigh: And that's where I guess PR and publicity is, is important to get it right. But, that's just the journey of an artist and we never really know each other as well as one knows yourself. So you just keep having faith. Is there anything, that you would like to share before we finish up the podcast? That's completely yours.
Alaura Loveright: Oh, my goodness. I just, I hope that people will kind of come along this journey with me and, that they will kind of find me, come find the music. I find me, they can see my, my website is love, light sound, music.com, so that that's where they can find everything. I do do courses for musicians. I also teach, teen girls, about confidence and, and things like that through music.
And I love all of it. I love everything I'm doing with music. So yeah, if people want to learn more, they can go there or follow me on Instagram at a lower level. And, I'm excited. I'm excited to connect with your audience and other audiences and, keep growing together.
Rae Leigh: Well, I look forward to seeing you, especially when you come to Australia
Alaura Loveright: Yes, I
Rae Leigh: a
Alaura Loveright: do there.
Rae Leigh: That'd be great. But thank you so much for joining us. I really appreciate it.
Alaura Loveright: Awesome. Thank you for having me.
