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The life of a new song, something to dance to, plus a 20-page zine Q&A with photos and studio recording notes.
The only way to get access to future Correspondent’s Club releases is to become a member – browse member perks here.
Track listing:
1. Life Of The Party (rehearsal)
2. Pearlescent Brilliant Sporty Blue (posh demo)
3. Life Of The Party (posh demo)
4. Life Of The Party (phone performance)
What: Join me for a weather-themed mix of Penfriend/She Makes War songs, with at least one shiny new one (probably two)!
When?: Wednesday 29th November 2023, 8pm GMT
Where: Here (tap to set a reminder)
Remember to subscribe if you’d like to join the live chat on the night xo
Hope to see you there!
Love,
Laura xxx
* PS for the kind people who always ask how they can pay to attend, there are several ways of supporting me: joining The Correspondent’s Club, buying some music/merch from my shop and/or sending me a contribution via Paypal.
During last month’s online gig I said I was going to play live more regularly – so I’m playing a completely different set of songs (including a BRAND new one – written yesterday!)Ā next Wednesday 25th October at 8pm.
I’m calling itĀ “Comfort Songs for Dark Days”. As the rain lashes down from a wintry sky here in Nottingham and the world news gets more sad and more scary, it feels like a good idea to keep coming together.
So, I hope you’ll join me for an hour of sad songs to make you feel better, beaming live from the cosy nook of my brand new attic studio The Launchpad*.
Entry is FREE*, the gig starts at 8pm UK timeĀ and you can set a reminder for yourself here.
After last month’s silly troll I’ve restricted commenting to subscribers only, soĀ here’s a link to subscribe to my channel while youāre thereĀ ā it all helps spread the word to other music lovers too. Thank you!
Love,
Laura xoxo
* PS for the kind people who always ask how they can pay to attend, there are several ways of supporting me: joining The Correspondent’s Club, buying some music/merch from my shop and/or sending me a contribution via Paypal.
Remember the time I wrote a song about my own imagined death? Here’s “Black Car” from last week’s livestream.
Today I released the whole gig as a live album, available as a limited digital release for the next 10 days only on Bandcamp.
I also released a second live album called “Encore”, recorded the next day “just in case”… Brains are strange – the first gig was good!
Both albums are available on a pay what you want/can basis so, while your contributions are greatly appreciated, feel free to pick up a present from me xo
Keep your loved ones close
Even on calm waters waves will rise
As my heart explodes
Loving echoes dancing in my eyes
Keep your loved ones close
Keep your loved ones close
Keep your loved ones close
It’s been a while…I moved city, painted some furniture bright pink and have been auditioning local Post Offices for the lofty honour of handling packages of music and merch for generous music supporters.
I’m delighted that the PO closest to me has easy parking, lots of space inside for piling up bags and boxes and, most importantly, a super friendly and positive man running the place.
His joyful hello perked me right up yesterday when I dropped off several bags of CDs and zine bundles for my Correspondent’s Club members – a friendly welcome and a smile makes such a difference, doesn’t it!
Speaking of which, this is your friendly invitation to beam into my new home next Wednesday 27th September for my first online gig of 2023. What with releasing an album, moving house and LIFE OH LIFE the months have slipped by, so I’m delighted to be getting back to these regular performances.
I’ll be playing songs from my Penfriend album “Exotic Monsters” as well as from my She Makes War back catalogue.
Entry is FREE*, the gig starts at 8pm UK time and you can set a reminder for yourself here.
Subscribe to my channel while you’re there – it all helps spread the word to other music lovers.
* For the kind people who always ask how they can pay to attend, there are several ways of supporting me: joining The Correspondent’s Club, buying some music/merch from my shop and/or sending me a contribution via Paypal.
Hope to see you next Wednesday!
Laura xoxo
One never-before-shared demo, some buried treasure plus a 24 page zine-letter with photos.
The only way to get access to future Correspondent’s Club releases is to become a member – browse member perks here.
Track listing:
1. Lady Music For Ladies
2. Olympian Livestream 10/6/23
3. I’ll Start A Fire 9/9/20
4. Exotic Monsters a capella 26/1/21
My debut album “Disarm” is 13 today, so I’m running a flash sale to celebrate!
Get 25% off:
+ “Disarm” on CD
+ “Disarm” on vinyl
+ “Disarm” demos and rarities collection on CD (25 tracks WTF?!!!!)
+ “Disarm:15” 5-track CD (reworked versions of songs from “Disarm”
+ “Disarm” bundle – 1 x vinyl, 2 x CD
+ “Disarm” / “Little Battles” double vinyl deal
GO GO GO!
I always find it interesting looking back at blog posts from around album releases, and it’s especially pleasing to compare Past Laura’s opinions with Current Laura. I think the two of us would still get on very well!
Shared on 2nd September 2010:
“As artists, musicians and videomakers we have all the tools at our disposal now and absolutely no excuses not to use them. Gone are the days when bands could get away with saying āThatās not my job, I just make musicā and expect to be handed opportunities.
I prefer it this way, having been stuck in a stingy record deal in the past with all rights removed, no say over the spending of money and told off by the label boss for asking too many questions (thankfully I hadnāt written the entire album of songs that got lost in the ensuing band / label splitā¦), but hey, since I was a little girl I always wanted to be in charge.
The late nights and early mornings in front of the computer and the money spent on printing, videos, ribbon, glitter and suchlike is all time and cash well spent, in my opinion, in the quest to create my funny little world of art and music, and feels even more worth it when the reaction from the world is this warm.”
Social media shifted my focus from longer form written pieces for a good while, but with the launch of Penfriend in 2020 I signalled my forever return – so do have a browse of the Letterbox some time š
Here’s another smoke signal from the “Disarm” times:
A humble aside: I remember sitting down in front of the camera to film the quiet performance of “Eye Spy” in this video and feeling SO awkward and silly and embarrassed, even though I was in a recording studio I was paying to record my album in. Isn’t that funny?! Next time I feel silly sitting down in front of a camera to film something in my own home (probably next week), I’ll try and remember that – and, as always, will just try and get on with it.
Photo by Laura Ward taken at The Apollo Project, Herne Hill in June 2009.
TL;DR: House Clearance Sale – last day to get up to 50% off music and merch!
In 2009 I was living in a rented maisonette in South London where, for the first time, I had a separate room to write songs and edit videos in. The windows didn’t close, and there were definitely mice under the floorboards, but I finally had space!
A (real-life) friend I’d first met on photo-sharing site Flickr invited me to take part in a month-long local art installation called The Apollo Project, based in the old Apollo video shop in Herne Hill. Thank you, Laura Ward!
I played gigs, volunteered at other events and even sat on the floor before one of the shows burning CD-Rs of my first EP “Threeā¦Twoā¦One⦔, clicking them into DVD cases that I’d decorated with a print of a photograph of a cassette tape.
I also uploaded the EP to Bandcamp.
Back then, I could never have predicted where sharing my music on the internet could take me. After years of playing bass and singing with big artists around the world, I knew it was time to say what I wanted to say, but I never dreamed anyone else would want to hear it.
Over the years, I’ve funded the making of new music through Bandcamp pre-orders, crowdfunding campaigns and, over the past four years, my Correspondent’s Club subscription, because music fans are the absolute best.
7 albums on, I’m preparing to move to Nottingham after 11 years of doing my thing in Bristol, and so I’m running a House Clearance Sale with up to 50% off 23 items: vinyl, CDs, tees and badges.
I will forever be grateful and thankful for Bandcamp for making it possible for indies like me to easily sell our music direct to you.
ā”ļø I ALSO have tons of free downloads available across both my Bandcamp pages, handily collated for you here.
BIG LOVE
BIG THANKS
Laura xxx
For this new article I was invited to share my thoughts on how artists can take control of their online presence, instead of leaving it all in the hands of big companies who don’t care about us.
After Pledge Music folded in early 2019, stealing Ā£6000 of my fans’ money aka the profit from my 2018 album “Brace For Impact”, I created my own Patreon-style membership club.
I invited everyone on my mailing list to join, and since February 2019 I have been able to do this weird and wonderful job full-time, instead of frantically freelancing in the day, trying to write songs at night and putting albums out every few years.
This is an unusual state of affairs. Most music makers have to juggle making their art with paid work doing other things. There’s nothing wrong with that, and the art isn’t any better or worse because the artist has to support themselves in other ways – but wouldn’t it be lovely if more of us could have a bit more time to make the things you love?
I’ve always been a grafter, and I enjoyed my freelance career making videos, taking photos and doing all sorts of digital bits and pieces – BUT I love what I do now way more. It’s what I’m best at, and I am forever grateful and thankful to everyone who’s:
– been a member of The Correspondent’s Club (and Supersub Club before it)
– crowdfunded or pre-ordered one of my albums
– bought music or merch from Bandcamp or my shop or at a gig
– come to see me play
– said hi and been friendly online
We’re in this together! If you’re in a position to support the artists you love by picking up music or merch please do, and if you’re not – PLEASE subscribe to their YouTube channels (hint hint), like and comment on their posts and, if you feel like it, send a compliment their way.
It all adds up to a really wonderful feeling of community, and spurs us on to keep making songs for you.
For my part, I’ll continue sharing how and why I do things, to help anyone else who wants to be more creative in their own lives.
Sending big love
Laura xxx