Livvy Lauren is kicking off September with debut single ‘Felt Love’, a firecracker hit that has already heated up the dance world following its feature on hit TV show Love Island. We caught up with the singer-songwriter about the inspiration behind the track, discovering a passion for music at a young age, exploring genres and taking inspiration from Tate McRae.
Hi Livvy, how are you?
Heyy, I am really good, thank you!
Congratulations on the release of your debut single ‘Felt Love’! Can you talk us through the inspiration behind the track?
Thank you so much! Yes of course – so the main incentive behind the writing of ‘Felt Love’ was to create an energy that makes people feel good.
I wanted to write relatable lyrics conveying a connection between two people who have chemistry together. Whether they met on the dance floor or are life long partners, the song is about finding a fun kind of romance that makes you feel young wild and free. I definitely gained inspiration from my current partner, who has an infectious energy, always making me come alive and be the best version of myself.. even when I am in the darkest places. Essentially, I just wanted to create a song that makes people want to sing along and dance to, as this is the type of music I love to listen to when I need to feel uplifted.
‘Felt Love’ was originally featured on Love Island – what was your initial response to the track being featured on such a huge TV show?
I honestly couldn’t believe the song got played on Love Island! I have been writing music and grafting in this industry for so many years now, this felt like the first time my hard work was really paying off. Just knowing that millions of people have heard my song from the show is an incredible feeling, and the responses over social media from the Love Island play were incredible and made me feel really proud of myself. It was definitely a pinch me moment and something I will never forget.
How did you originally get into music, and who were your key influences growing up?
I began singing lessons when I was 4 years old! I think because of the amount of energy I had as a child (and still do now) my parents realised quite quickly that the arts were definitely something that could help me burn of steam as well as something they knew I would thrive in. When I was little, I was always creating little shows, and writing mini songs to perform to my parents, so I honestly cannot remember a time in my life where I haven’t been influenced or involved in music in some way. Growing up, my mum was always playing all kinds of genres of music around the house, and something I fell in love with at a very young age was classical music. At secondary school I started taking my grades in classical singing, as well as performing with bands, and studying music and music tech for GCSE and A levels. At the same time, I always involved myself in any form of drama production possible, getting into some TV and short film roles as a child, as well as performing in musicals at school.
At the age of 18, I couldn’t really decide exactly what part of the arts I wanted to have a career in, so I went to uni and trained in Musical Theatre so that I could get both my music and acting fixes! In terms of vocal training, even after the classical experience I had, learning musical theatre was an incredible part of my vocal training journey. Throughout this period of time I continued to write a lot of music, but all for myself as a form of writing therapy I suppose… however, when I left university I decided to send off a couple of demos and gained a lot of incredible feedback from industry professionals. This is what sparked my career in singing and songwriting and made me realise it was actually something I could do as a job! Every part of my journey has inspired me to become the artist I am today and I am massively grateful for this.
Writing the track at Abbey Road Studios with Jungleboi must have been an amazing experience. What did you learn from this collaboration?
Writing the track at Abbey Road with Jungleboi was such a fun and relaxed experience. I love the studios there, and always feel at home working in their space. We had quite a cosy room for this writing session, which was really lovely as it was super intimate and just felt like the perfect place to be create and write fun and passionate lyrics! Jungleboi is super talented, and he instantly knew the vibe I wanted to create for ‘Felt Love’ so working with him was really easy! He also pushed me out of my comfort zone many times, challenging me to create more complex melodies at points which were still catchy and fun! I had actually written the verses for this track on the train on the way up to the studios, so as soon as I arrived we were in the zone straight away working out ways to make it better and just go a bit wild with our creativity. We actually wrote the whole track in about 3 hours which I always prefer as it feels more organic, real and raw this way.. and not too overthought. Sessions like these ones are always the best as I leave feeling like I am on cloud 9.
Can you share any memorable moments from the recording process?
We recorded the vocals for ‘Felt Love’ at Metropolis, which was actually the first ever studio I worked in! I remember it was just such a feel good day, the sun was shining when we arrived, we ordered pizza into the studio, and we recorded the vocals super fast too! My energy was just so high, and I was in such a good mood that conveying that in my voice came easy! Tim Gosden was the producer for this song, and I love working with him, he is like my brother from another mother, so these sessions will always be memorable for me.
Your music is described as a fusion of RnB, house, pop and drum and bass – would you say you’ve defined a distinct style or do you hope to continue exploring your sound?
As much as R&B, dance, and pop are the strongest influences in my music, due to my background, there are so many other genres that inspire my writing, it is so hard to pinpoint it to just a few. Going forward, I would say the main thing I want my music to convey is just positive energy and good vibes! Whether I am writing about sad experiences I have been through, or the best days of my life, I want the energy to remain the same – powerful, uplifting, and something that makes you want to move! That being said, I do love to write a good old power ballad from time to time haha!
What’s on your current playlist?
Good question! I actually listen to a lot of Afrobeat music at the moment! Tyla’s new album is on REPEAT! I also listen to a lot of Tate McRae! – again all music that just makes me want to dance!
Following the release of ‘Felt Love’, what are you working on next?
I have so many songs ready to go which I cannot wait for the world to hear! I am especially excited for a couple of liquid drum and bass songs I have ready… for me this genre has the perfect balance of combining meaningful lyrics with an intense and catchy dance beats!
