We were lucky to catch up with Lara Lafferty recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lara, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Growing up with a deep love for the arts and a sensitivity only music could heal, my songwriting began to find its home in combining cinematic themes and stories with personal feelings and experiences. Placed in its own genre I can best describe as baroque pop-soul, my songs are rooted in piano, swelling harmonies, and orchestral or cinematic sounds.

I have a deep appreciation for finding the beauty in this world. My songs attempt to paint a picture of both the truth I’ve discovered from challenges in love, pain, and growing up, and also the hope captured from the many storybook-like places that inspire me: endless mountains, moonlit forests, cobblestone streets, and so many more.

I hope to provide a healing space of relatability, the same way my favorite music artists have provided a healing space for me- carrying me through some of my most challenging times through relatable and vulnerable lyrics.

Lara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Going back a bit, my first ever EP was completed and released in 2021. I actually moved to LA in 2019 after five years of teaching, and immediately began pursuing acting. I realized with that choice that I was neglecting the thing that got me acting in the first place: music. With nothing falling into place when it came to acting for about a year, the moment I switched my focus to music it’s like the wheels started turning. I took some classes and shared my songs for the first time, met my producer, and immediately started working on my first release. That’s not to say it was easy- I had been writing, playing instruments, and singing since I was 12, so I was prepared, I just didn’t know the first steps to take or who to talk to get started after studying theatre in college. Shoutout to the Songwriting School of LA for helping me with my first steps, as well as my scholarship with NYU’s Music Industry Essentials program!

Throughout 2020 and 2021, I learned to produce music and vocals and have since produced over 120 songs for myself and clients. Some of my favorite projects happened during the pandemic- working with local community theaters when they were shut down to edit together vocals for theatre productions. I even produced a full-length virtual production of Les Miserables that was mentioned by Broadway World and The Lavender Effect.

Sound wise, I might call myself a unique combination of Sara Bareilles, Haley Reinhart, Lana Del Rey, Christina Perri, Ashe, and The Head and the Heart. I’m extremely proud of my first few music releases and being an incredibly ambitious person, I’m dreaming big dreams for this one. My music is unique, hopeful, and very personal. Growing up in the musical theatre world, it’s a dream of mine to combine my love for storytelling with my music, so I’m hoping to find that a very welcoming home awaits me in the synch world. I’m also starting to dip my toe into the acting world again.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media has been a big part of my career thus far. I was given advice when I was first starting out to really put the focus there. When you’re a struggling musician, live shows can get EXPENSIVE. And look, live music is definitely a joy in itself, but when it comes to growing your audience, these days you actually can get a lot further for a lot less money by focusing on social media content.

The first piece of advice I would offer to musicians trying to get started on social media, is (at least right now) to focus on TikTok. There is a HUGE audience on TikTok that trumps Instagram and Facebook, as people are wanting to see more raw, honest content these days. I started using TikTok in 2021 and have accumulated 12K followers in a year so far. Not too bad at all! That’s 12,000 people that are listening to what I have to say, maybe 10% of those being real, true fans. It would take a lot longer to gain that kind of following playing live gigs.

I would also say to follow the 80/20 rule- 80% of your content should be entertaining, engaging, or educational, while 20% of your content should be promoting your own products- in this case, music. I will say I haven’t been following this rule perfectly, but when I do, it makes a HUGE difference in my engagement. Make content for the people who would listen to your music. What would they want to see?

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Pursuing what I love, and making a difference. While I’m not working full-time as an artist yet, I know that’s on the horizon, and just knowing that it’ll be possible someday keeps me going. Nothing compares to a job that makes you happy, no matter what that job may be. For me, happiness has always come before money or stability, and while that can get albeit *chaotic* sometimes, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I aim to live a life where I’m spending most of my time doing what I love, and I know that’s on the horizon for me.

Making a difference is huge for me as well. I want to provide the same kind of home and support I found in my favorite artists and performers growing up. I aim to create a safe space for my audience, where everyone can fully be themselves and have relatable art to lean on, and a supportive, honest fan base to engage with.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.musicbylara.com
• Instagram: @musicbylara
• Facebook: Music By Lära
• Twitter: @musicbylara
• Other: TikTok: @musicbylara

Image Credits
Lara Lafferty, Kira Bartoli, and Kevin Fernandez