When you attend a press conference with a multi-platinum, chart-topping singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who has amassed over 11 billion streams, you might naturally assume they would be a bit cocky.
But in the case of Lauv, you would be dead wrong.
When you attend a press conference with Lauv, whose real name is Ari Staprans Leff, he listens with intentionality, speaks with conviction, and is not afraid to be vulnerable. His latest album, ‘All 4 Nothing‘ communicates all of those very things and so much more.
‘All 4 Nothing,’ released August 5th via Virgin Music Label, is Lauv’s second full-length album.
“The album is about the death of a dream I was chasing and waking to that dream that was already there…”
‘All 4 Nothing‘ serves as a multi-directional dose of darkness and light, yin and yang, the ups and the downs that we are all privy to as residents of a beautifully messy planet. Tracks like “Molly in Mexico” and “Bad Trip” showcase lyrics that the artist says are “a little less polished and pretty…”
“i feel like it just honestly reflects my life so much. For a while you feel ashamed of the parts of yourself that are darker and you only want to show the lighter sides and we all get exhausted with that…”
Listeners will easily discern Lauv’s distance from the sounds he is known for. With explosive hits like “The Other” and “I Like Me Better” ringing in their ears, fans will come to know a different side of the artist, one seeking to re-connect with his inner child. Not only that, Lauv touches on his own mental health struggle and healing journey.
It’s no secret that our country is in a mental health crisis. Young and old alike struggling to stay afloat in a world of pandemics, history-making events and a general increase in the collective darkness invading the human experience. Lauv admits he was in a bad place and for the longest time, that he was “so resistant to the idea of going to a psychiatrist. Then I finally became open to it and saw how much it started to help me.” At one point of the recent press conference, an interviewer admitted that his song “Sad Forever” is what finally prompted her to get on anti-depressants.
That is the kind of power this album holds. And what is even more intriguing is the fact that ‘All 4 Nothing’ marked a turning point in Lauv’s creative process. “I took a more ‘zoomed out’ approach,” he says, “I used to have to control everything but this time I stepped back. I had some friends that I really trusted as producers on the album that brought some new sounds while I focused more on the singing and songwriting.”
While some fans may not fully appreciate his sonic deviation from the songs that launched his career, those that will, won’t just appreciate it, they will be affected by it. This album has the ability to change the listener, to help them on their own journey, and I can think of no better outcome from a body of work.
‘All 4 Nothing’ is available everywhere now while Lauv’s North American Headline tour kicked off yesterday. You can buy tickets here.
