You may have heard of Chet Baker, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. These icons are heavy influences for many of our favorite singers today. One artist bringing it back to the modern world and breaking down the barriers for the new generation is Laufey.
Laufey (pronounced LAY-vay) is a 24-year-old Icelandic jazz artist. She has gained fame over the last few years, and her social media presence has been a significant factor in her early success.
Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, to classically trained musicians, she was bound to fall in love with music. Her mother is a professional violinist, and her grandfather was an orchestra director at the Central Conservatory of Music in China. Laufey began learning the piano and cello when she was just 4 years old.
She had a unique start in live performances; in 2014, Laufey was a finalist in Iceland’s competition show “ísland Got Talent” and a semi-finalist in “The Voice Iceland” in 2015. At that time, she was the youngest competitor in the show’s history.
Laufey spent most of her life traveling between her homeland, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. She graduated from Reykjavik College of Music in 2018, after completing vocally based studies. In 2021, she graduated from Berklee College of Music with a presidential scholarship. Berklee is known to be one of the largest universities for music in the world. Graduating from Berklee is just one of the many milestones in Laufey’s career.
The beginning of a new decade in 2020 was when everything changed for her.
In 2020, Laufey released her debut single titled “Street by Street,” which reached number one on Icelandic Radio. She released her debut EP, “Typical of Me," in 2021. It had seven songs, many of which were written and produced in her college dorm room. At the time of its release, she was only 22. This was when she found her place in our current music world and began to reach for the stars.
This EP received a great deal of recognition. Rolling Stone gave her a shoutout for her version of “I Wish You Love,” originally sung by Charles Trenet in 1942: “Her fluid guitar playing pushes the track towards bossa nova, while she buttresses her tender lead with long lines of sighing backing vocals.” She has explained in many interviews and press releases that she wants to combine old and new melodies and harmonies; this is why her sound is unique and personal.
One thing many people admire about newer artists is that they give recognition where recognition is due; Laufey is one of these artists. She recognizes her influence and inspiration from those who came before her.
Sept. 7, she was interviewed for NPR. When asked how she is planning to attract young people to jazz music, she answered:
“I always feel like I'm balancing the two worlds. I always honor the legends, you know? I'm not trying to recreate what they did. Go listen to Miles Davis and Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday. Like, go listen to those incredible recordings that I draw inspiration from. My hope is that an older audience finds a sound in my music that reminds them of when they were younger. And my hope for a younger audience is that it's introducing something new, but then also something that can just bring audiences together.”
In early 2022, she signed her first record deal with AWAL.
Through AWAL, she released her debut album, “Everything I Know About Love." This release led her to become the most-streamed jazz artist of 2022.
“Everything I Know About Love” takes us through the journey of the little things we find in romance. Orchestral arrangements and magical storytelling bring the album to life. Listeners can find ways to relate to many of her lyrics.
Her hit single from the album, “Valentine,” explains how love is new to her. She has never experienced something so true; a new romance can be awkward as you learn and discover what falling for someone is. One lyric that exemplifies this is, “With every passing moment, I surprise myself. I’m scared of flies, I’m scared of guys, someone please help.” There is something comforting about her smooth and deep vocals. She’s sincere when singing about her coming-of-age stories.
Another single that went viral on TikTok is “Falling Behind.” This song hits home for many listeners. Laufey describes what it is like to sit in the background while it seems everyone around you is falling in love. Love can be enigmatic. Stepping into newness can be scary. Laufey is a true poet for this when speaking about everything regarding romance.
Instrumentals can be romantic and used to set the scene. Nothing beats seeing musicians doing what they do best in person. Seeing and hearing the strings of violins and booms of the timpani makes people feel alive. The change in tempos, rising dynamics and articulations make Laufey’s sound her own.
In 2021, Laufey performed the song “Let You Break My Heart Again” with the Philharmonia Orchestra. The song soared and allowed listeners to hear her voice over the beautiful orchestral arrangement. Her voice truly belongs to the classics of jazz.
As mentioned before, Laufey grew up playing the cello. She’s been touring the country for her second album, “Bewitched,” which was released Sept. 8. Videos have circulated on social media of her playing her beloved cello for the crowd. At her show in Cleveland at House of Blues, she brought out her cello for the song “I Wish You Love.” She encapsulates such a classy essence in her performance. Her musicianship truly shined while on stage.
“Bewitched” features the Philharmonia Orchestra on “California and Me,” a rendition of one of her favorite songs, “Misty” and a heart-wrenching, bittersweet song titled “A Letter to my 13-Year-Old Self.” Although Laufey often sings about wanting love like in the movies, she also sings about the regular things that life can give you.
“A Letter to My 13-Year-Old Self” brings a powerful touch to the inner child everyone has. Lyrics like, “I’m sorry that they pick you last, try to say your foreign name and laugh," can make anybody's heartstrings feel a tug. Laufey has a voice for all the beautiful things regarding life; everyone should hear it.
With the holidays coming up, Laufey has a few songs that can make your holiday dreams feel real. Check out “A Very Laufey Holiday”. It features three songs, “Christmas Dreaming,” “The Christmas Waltz,” and “Love to Keep Me Warm," which features another beloved indie artist, Dodie.
Laufey is an artist and a poet who speaks of love in a dreamy light and is on her way to fame. Jazz is making a comeback for all those who enjoy it. Watching her growth has been impeccable. The “Lauvers,” her fan base, wish her love and success on her journey in the music industry and jazz world.
