Laura Dia, born in Nigeria and raised in Southern Ireland and Bristol, UK, has developed and refined her creativity inspired by the array of different experiences and cultures in her upbringing.
Creating a unique blend of R&B, Hip Hop and Soul, Laura’s musical journey began online in the YouTube and Instagram space, where she was posting covers. Since then, her music and her creativity have been growing and she is ready to share her soulful original songwriting with the world.
The sound that you will hear with Laura’s music is soulful.. intimate.. and emotive..
‘What Now’ is Laura Dia’s debut single and is the first of three songs in a storytelling trilogy series.
It is a ballad that captures the emotions and the feelings felt after being separated from the one that you have loved.
As you listen to the track, you will experience the unique and unpredictable drums.. A signature style of Laura Dia.. You will also be drawn in by the stunning vocal harmonies within the song.
You can listen to What Now below:
Would you like to start by telling us a little about yourself?
Sure! I’m Laura.
I’m a 20 year old singer, songwriter and producer from Bristol in the UK.
I started sharing my music almost a year and a half ago just after I started university and since then have been on a journey to get better at producing.
The stuff I like to make (currently) is based in R&B, Soul and hip-hop music, although I also have a love for other genres like pop and indie rock/pop too.
What was it that first inspired you to begin a career in music?
Pinpointing an exact moment would be difficult as I’ve been involved in music since I was a child.
An early memory I have is when my mum used to bring me to her choir practices when I was like 5 or 6.
I wanted to sing along so badly, but I was such a shy child that I would just hum. I loved hearing all the voices and how they would harmonise.
One day the choir director asked me to join and I was so excited!
It probably felt good to sing with the adults; and because I was so shy, singing was one of the few times I would be really noticed. I think the dream probably started around that time but meeting a friend at university helped me to see how I could take matters in my own hands and start a career independently.
Who have been your biggest influences?
My mum has influenced a lot of who I am.
Sometimes people ask why I like to be so independent, and it’s definitely from her!
She pushed me to always stand out and share my gifts with the world. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I would be as confident as I am now.
My dad was also similar in some ways.
Always pushed my siblings and I to be great & the best at whatever we do.
Apart from family I think a lot of my music teachers throughout the years have also helped to build my confidence as a creative as well.
Encouragement can do a lot for someone.
How would you describe the feel of your music?
The feel changes with each song but overall, I’d say it’s powerful.
I’m definitely trying to make a statement and tell a story with each song.
However, because I love playing around with vocal harmonies so much, I also like to add an air of softness, to create a sound that seems ethereal.
I think “urban-angelic” would be great imagery to summarise it haha
You have recently released your single, ‘What Now’.. what was the inspiration behind the creation of the track?
I wrote the song a long while after a breakup which happened during a transitional time for me.
Around that same time I was thinking of what university I wanted to go to, if I even wanted to go and what I wanted to do with my life in general.
All of this alongside dealing with heartbreak was a lot for me, I felt kind of lost and all over the place.
So, I wanted to put that “lost” feeling into a song.
After a while I was fully able to reflect on and accept that time and then put all those feelings into “What Now”.
What would you like listeners of this track to takeaway from listening to What Now?
The message I wanted to portray comes from the lyrics but also the music. I think it would resonate with people who feel things deeply, sometimes in ways that almost overwhelms them.
I want them to know that what can be labelled as their “sensitivity” can be powerful. And feeling everything fully can actually be liberating.
It is essential to healing after all.
What did your creative process look like as you created your single?
In my first drafts of writing the song I posted a voice recording of it on my Instagram story and got a lot of encouragement from people asking me to finish it and release it.
I might not have ended up releasing it if it wasn’t for that, because of how personal it was.
When I started producing the track I was listening to a lot of old Rihanna songs, which I think led me to making this “ballad with a strong beat”, kind of style; similar to “Rehab” by Rihanna.
In my opinion the punchy but simple beat of the song really emphasised the emotions she was trying to portray, and I wanted that same effect.
Where do you find your inspiration for your music?
A lot of the time it is from my own life experiences and what I’m learning from life at a specific time.
Other things that really inspire me to write is being outdoors, travelling but also the mundane things in life.
Sometimes, when I’m alone in the kitchen cooking or just walking back from the shops I get to be more appreciative of the small things and then go on to find inspiration within them.
What would you like to see happen for you in your music from here?
I would really love to grow as a producer.
Female producers are so underrepresented in the industry so I would love to show others that we do exist, wherever I go.
Apart from that I would love to build a community of people who relate to the things that I write.
A family that can support each other.
Especially in the live music scene, live music can be so impactful, it’s almost spiritual. I would love to be able to create that for people.
What is one message that you would like to share with your fans?
Over the past year and a half, I’ve learned that going for what you want and pursuing your dreams is so important and so fulfilling.
I want to tell everyone to start whatever it is that’s been lingering on their hearts.
There is so much growth that can happen from it.
Where can people find your music?
Well, I’ve just released my debut single on major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music etc. And I have another one on the way!
You can also find some songs I made while I was in my baby stages of learning to produce on Soundcloud; all under the name Laura Dia
You can find more of Laura Dia at:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/lauradiamusic
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUsqEizxeGQplWzyHywyTOg
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ohdialaura
Karen Harding is a Melbourne, Australia based singer/songwriter, founder of Sounds On The Couch, and founder and operator of boutique music PR service for emerging and independent artists, Rise Indie.