Q&A Lavalu
Another fine interview from our Q&A series from Q3Ambientfest, carefully curated by Sebastian and Daniel, Brueder Selke. Today we are joined by LAVALU.
portrait by Jitske Schols
A small excerpt from it:
"I have two [studios]. At home there’s my favorite upright Ibach piano, but since my daughter now has homeschooling due to the pandemic, I mostly write and work in a lovely souterrain I rent from a piano playing dad of my daughter’s friend. Luckily it is only a three minute walk from my home. It conveniently has an Ibach as well and a hell of a lot better wifi then I have at home."
LAVALU
LAVALU has been creating albums since 2009 when she received much critical acclaim for her jazz-pop crossover album Now. She performed at Montreux Jazz Festival (CH), Noorderslag (NL) and over 350 clubs and festivals. Besides performing her own songs LAVALU is a composer for theatre productions. The past summers 20 newly written songs were featured in the sold out theatre spectacle Het Pauperparadijs (The Pauper’s Paradise), based on the best selling novel by Suzanna Jansen. LAVALU got nominated for ‘Best Music’ in the Musical Awards 2019. She has composed and arranged for choirs and orchestras e.g. the Residentie Orchestra and the Gelderland Philharmonic Orchestra. She’ll be touring her album MIDAIR throughout 30 theaters in The Netherlands.
Finding Inspiration
The calmness of this period in time. Less stimulus from the outside creates space to write from the inside.
Gain & Loss
Writing mostly. For my third album of the Rise trilogy and for commissioned projects for the stage, that will hopefully see their live performance in one or two years time. And applying for funding. In the Netherlands, where I come from, there were quite a few newly set up opportunities to gain funding for musical projects.
Physical Stage
The intensity of the moment. Whilst performing there is no before or after, only then and there. And the connection with an attentive crowd. Sharing that magic together.
Studio & Workspace
I have two. At home there’s my favorite upright Ibach piano, but since my daughter now has homeschooling due to the pandemic, I mostly write and work in a lovely souterrain I rent from a piano playing dad of my daughter’s friend. Luckily it is only a three minute walk from my home. It conveniently has an Ibach as well and a hell of a lot better wifi then I have at home.
Daily Routine
Mornings are for composing mostly (if I’m not home schooling my kid), afternoon’s for the rational stuff like emails etc. I try to run twice a week. It’s mostly once though. A bit of yoga. And weekends doing zero, hanging with my family or a few friends. I’m loving a bit more free time, to be honest.
Dream Collaboration
James Blake. I’d love to hang around his studio for a few days and have him sparkle a bit of his type of genius onto my songs.
Entry Points
Having a way to make sense of the world.
Finishing Records
By choosing it to be. There’s a rationality to it. For feeling wise, it’s never done. I try to give myself deadlines, otherwise I wouldn’t finish anything, ever. I wouldn’t even be able to get out of bed without them, really.
Health & Productivity
Not in the best way I have found out this year. I’ve been pouring way to much energy into things over which one has no control. I’m trying to slowly turn this around and focus on where I actually can make a difference. For that, this lockdown period is actually helpful.
Resonating Releases
My first release in what I like to call ‘today’s chamber music’ was called Waiting. The song still means a great deal to me, since I had been searching over the years through all kinds of musical genres to find my voice, and this song marked the first release where I could say to myself: nailed it.