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Interview with
LAURAN HIBBERD

(19th October, 2023)

Interview with Shaquira Hobbs and Dave Bruce

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Dave – Oh, my God. This is Lauran Hibbard. It really is. It is her. She is going to be playing with All Time Low and Mayday Parade.
Lauran – Now, that’s that’s pretty unbelievable. It’s pretty cool, isn’t it? I’ve got to admit, it’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.

Dave – And it’s not even happened yet. When you sit there and you’re meditating, you know, like you’re sitting there and you’re thinking, you know, who am I? What am I all about, etc.
Lauran – And you think, yeah, I’m going to be playing with All Time Low. I’m going to be sitting there with people that’ve been legends for a lifetime already. I know it’s the coolest thing. And I think, you know, I’ve never played in Australia before. So to be able to have that as my first experience is just off the top crazy. I think when it comes to the US and bloody Europe and Germany and all that sort of stuff, they’re all big.

Dave – Let’s start. Shaquira is going to sort of ask some questions. I’m going to pop in and we’re going to try and make this an interesting 20 minutes. Awesome. Let’s do it.
Shaquira – All right, let’s go. So you’ve been described as an energetic garage band superstar. Can you tell us more about your journey into music from picking a guitar up at 14 to your debut album?
Lauran – I mean, it’s been a bit of a journey, to be honest, I think, you know, when you’re 14 and starting out and learning your first songs and even writing your first songs, you you dream of, you know, where you could go. But I think there’s always that kind of voice in the back of your head that’s like, no, that’s unrealistic. So to be able to continuously prove myself wrong has been like an addiction of mine that I can’t shake now.
It’s just been I’ve just been obsessed with music ever since I’ve picked up a guitar, really, ever since I wrote my first song. I never wanted to stop. And I think it feels like it’s just kind of in me now.
And the more things I do, the more parts of the world I see, the more I just want to keep going, really. So it’s just like being on this constant hamster wheel of trying to get to the next step.

Shaquira – What was it like when you think about 14? What was it that kept you driving? Because persistence is an is an important part of this. And, you know, teenagers aren’t usually all that persistent. They sort of drop off. What kept you keeping on coming back and coming back and coming back?
Lauran – I think I was a bit of a loner of a child, so I never really had like a crazy amount of friends. I was always very much just wanted to be at home. And I think the one thing I consistently enjoyed at home and the one thing that never changed in my life was kind of like my love for music and discovering new music all the time. And as soon as I picked up a guitar and could kind of work my way around that, I was like, well, this is what I want to do. And it just kind of my obsession with it grew more and more. The more songs I wrote, the more gigs I played. It kind of just it fed itself. And I think that’s why I would never kind of. Yeah, I’ve never lost sight of wanting to do that or that kind of determination. So it’s the one thing I think I’ve kept up my whole life. Everything else I’ve, you know, I’ve started running for a bit and definitely stop that. You know, I’ve never been able to keep up anything else.

Shaquira – And speaking on your debut, you featured some notable collabs with DJ Lethal of Link Bizkit and B Brown of Wheatus. What was it like working with them and how did they influence your music?
Lauran – It was so cool. I mean, for my debut album, I really wanted to kind of nod to the bands that kind of made me want to make that record. So to have two people feature on it from two bands that have heavily influenced me was just crazy. And I remember messaging DJ Lethal on Instagram and being like, he’s absolutely not going to reply. And when he did, I remember just running around the studio, like screaming because I was like, this guy’s a legend and he wants to do it.
So it felt amazing. And for me, just made that record make so much more sense to me and to everyone else because it was it featured the people that had influenced it. And it just kind of felt like this full circle moment. They say don’t meet your heroes, but I think you absolutely should because they’re both killer guys.

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Shaquira – And your music has been described as having a playful nature alongside moments of darkness and dry humour. Can you expand on these elements and how they play a role in your songwriting?
Lauran – For sure. I think for me, I kind of like write songs the way I say things. So very much is like having a conversation with me is how my lyrics kind of come out. I have quite a dry sense of humour in life. I deal with dark issues with humour. That’s just how I cope. And I think that kind of seeps into my songwriting, as does my whole personality. So I think that kind of playful nature and that kind of tongue in cheek darkness does just come from how I am as a person. And that’s something I’ve never really been able to separate lyrically.
There’s so much of that kind of self-injected personality in there, which I think is actually a really good thing that I can’t separate. I think it’s important that I kind of am who I am and say things how I would say them if I was talking to you like now.

Dave – Is that a British thing? Like that dark humour thing? If you think about comedy, most of the British really take the piss out of everyone sort of situation. Whereas the young sort of have their one-liners and all that sort of stuff. They’re talking about, you know, a funny thing happened here and all this sort of stuff. Whereas the Brits are really just tearing people apart all the time and, you know, taking it out on each other. Is that where that comes from, you know, growing up in that environment?
Lauran – I think it must play a big part. I mean, me and my whole family, we, that’s how we show love. We rinse each other daily. And that’s just kind of a term of affection, really. You know, I think, you know, my brother’s told me to do one more times than he’s told me he loves me. But I know that that’s what he means when he does it. So I think that’s just kind of how I’ve been brought up. It’s definitely a culture thing. And yeah, my whole family, we deal with things with humour. Like for as long as I can remember.

Shaquira – And you’ve toured with bands like The Snuts and Hippo Campus. What have you learned from those experiences and how do they influence your live performance?
Lauran – I think every tour I’ve been on has kind of like changed me in some way. I’ve learned something from that band. And it’s so cool to see that evolving. Hippo Campus was like my first big support tour. So I did Shepherds Bush Empire with them in London, which was a venue I’d always wanted to play. So to follow those guys around the UK and Europe, you know, at kind of 19 was mind blowing for me. And I definitely picked up a lot of performance stuff from them. I remember going on tour with a band called The Regrettes as well. And watching Lydia Night sort of like command a room was something that I really, really was like, wow, I want to do that. I want to be able to get a room on my side like that. So she’s been a very big influence to me in terms of performing and how to kind of work a crowd. And that’s just kind of grown and grown.
The more I’ve supported different bands, The Snuts and obviously now All Time Low. It’s just amazing how much you can pick up from from watching other bands do what they do best. And it definitely shapes my live show.
Like it changes after every tour based on things I’ve learned from other people. So it’s really cool.

Shaquira – You said you were a loner for most of your young years. How do you deal with the you know, all these bands have big followings. You know, it’s not as if you walk, you don’t walk through the door without people knowing who you are sort of thing. How do you deal with that? How do you deal with that with the bands? And then how do you deal with it on your own sort of walking around now with this new notoriety? Or do you sort of have the cap down and you know, do you still walk around like, you know, no one can see you sort of thing?
Lauran – I mean, I think it’s not really at the point for me where I’ve ever felt like I’ve had to kind of be like, oh, don’t look at me. I think because as an up and coming artist, you kind of thrive in those moments and you kind of want someone to come up to you in the street and go, can I have a picture? It’s the best thing ever because you don’t get it. You know, I imagine if you get it all the time, it must be relentless. But for the stage I’m at right now, if someone recognises me in a shop, I’m absolutely over the moon for the rest of the day. But I think from coming, you know, from being that sort of child who just wanted to be in their room and write songs to kind of this new life, it’s definitely a change.
I think it’s something I’ve slowly began to adapt to because luckily for me, my journey’s been a kind of slow, steady, uplifting one. I haven’t really shot to anything crazy. Everything’s kind of felt and I’ve gone at a pace that kind of has let me grow up with it.
So I think in terms of that, I absolutely kind of love being in rooms with these bands and learning from them. And yeah, I love fan interaction as well. I love to meet everyone after the show.

Dave – I think it’s great to hear what they want to say. I think you’ll find I think you’ll agree, but I think you’ll find too, because these guys have been around all these bands have been around for so long. They’ve gone through the stages of ego and all that sort of stuff. And they’re pretty normal by the time you talk to them these days. You know, they don’t treat other artists respectfully rather than, you know, like they talk down to them. So it would probably be I would think that it’d probably be an easier gig than maybe even doing some of the other gigs with bands trying to make it.
Lauran – Exactly. I’ve been so lucky in terms of touring and I’ve always had really pleasant experiences with the other bands. And All Time Low are just so, so kind to us and to me and my band. We’ve become really good friends with them. And it feels so nice to kind of have that relationship with a band that you grew up obsessed with. It’s really weird to be like, oh, it’s just Alex. It’s not like Alex Gaspar from the poster on your bedroom. It’s a really weird thing. But it is very cool.

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Shaquira – It’s very cool. Speaking of All Time Low and Mayday Parade, you’ve got a huge lineup with them. How does it feel to be doing an international tour with them? And what are you most excited about?
Lauran – It’s so cool. I mean, I’ve never been to Australia before and I’ve always wanted to go. It’s been like a super bucket list thing of mine. So to be able to go and play, you know, with the sun. Yeah.

Dave – That’s never ever, never ever come up in England, is it? The sun. Have you ever seen the sun?
Lauran – Look how pale I am. It’s never come up. I honestly, I’ve never seen the sun. So I’m so excited to see that for the first time. I just can’t wait. I absolutely love new experiences, meeting new people, playing to new crowds.
So doing that in a capacity of an All Time Low Mayday Parade tour, you know, in a brand new country to me is just going to be like the best holiday I’ve ever had.

Dave – It might have been the Kiss show the other day or some other show, where about 10% of the room was there for the first band, you know, no one had turned up for the first band and, you know, they all pile in about, I think Weezer came on and, you know, they all piled in for Weezer. So do you get, do you find that when you’re playing, do you find that, you know, the rooms are full or they’re sort of, you know, what’s happening as you’re touring with these big, big artists?
Lauran – I mean, sometimes you can have shows like that. I’ve been really lucky on this American run with All Time Low. They have this kind of fan base that will get there before you do, and they’ll be queuing up to like secure a good spot. So you’re kind of luckily guaranteed that that first group of people that are desperate to be there. And for me, they’re the sort of people that are desperate to find new music and are more likely to like me. So it feels like, yeah, I’m playing to the right people, which is amazing. But I think you just kind of, as a support band, you adjust. And I think I’ve learned to still give the show as if the room was full, even if it isn’t. And even if there’s 10 people there, it’s better to have them clap and then stood there awkwardly.
So I think whatever happens, I always try to give it 110%, but I’m very confident in the All Time Low crowds. I’ve seen enough now to know that I think there’ll be a couple people there. And as you mentioned, touring is super exciting, but it can also be challenging.

Shaquira – What preparations and strategies do you have in place to ensure it’s successful tour and enjoyable experience?
Lauran – For me, I tend to try and look after myself quite a lot. I think, especially as a singer, I’m always very conscious about my throat. So I always kind of drink a lot of hot tea. I try and kind of walk a lot during the days because we really are just sat in vans. So I kind of, most of my kind of routine is based on like being healthy really so I can be in a good spot to give a good show. I think as well, me and my band, we like to have fun and, you know, we just do whatever we can really, whatever’s in the city that we’re in. We can go to an arcade and have fun for an hour and kind of just blow off some steam and move around for a bit. We’ll do that. Or sometimes we’re all just sleeping in the dressing room together and that’s also fine. I think touring is so hit and miss and you have to just follow how you feel on that day. But in terms of preparing, I’ll probably just buy way too many clothes and put them in a suitcase way too small, which is how I roll.

Shaquira – So everyone rolls. Yeah. So you’re set to visit various cities in Australia. Is there a particular city or venue you’re looking forward to performing at and why?
Lauran – I’m excited for all of it. I’m a big, big fan of Married at First Sight Australia. So I’m excited just to be, to be in the general area. I think I’ve always wanted to go to Perth for some reason. I don’t know why I’ve always loved that one either song called Perth and I’ve just always been like, I really want to go. So, and that’s the first show as well. So that’s going to be great. Brisbane’s going to be awesome. Sydney. It’s just going to be so, so fun. I couldn’t really choose. I want to hug a koala though. Should I do that?

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Dave – Koalas are in the capital cities. They’re all over the place. They’re on street corners and all that sort of stuff.
Lauran – No way.

Dave – We’ve got, we’ve got lines for cars and kangaroos. So, you know, so there’s cars that go down one line. We let the kangaroos go down another.
Lauran – Hell yeah. Can’t wait to see it. Yeah.

Dave – One thing, one thing we do have is we’ve got venomous snakes, you know, killer spiders, you know, we’ve got all that sort of stuff that we like to, you know, attract people with.
Lauran – That is one thing I’m very worried about. I’m very afraid of spiders. I am so afraid of spiders. Are they everywhere? Everyone tells me they’re everywhere.

Dave – They’re everywhere. They’re everywhere. No. Can’t lie. Most rooms have less than about 500, most rooms. So they’re not everywhere at all. Just don’t stick your fingers in places that you can’t see.
Lauran – Yeah. Okay.

Dave – But you don’t have to worry because it’s only the small ones that are as big as your nail that kill you.
Lauran – Yeah. Okay. Great. You don’t see it coming. I’m so excited now.

Dave – You don’t see it coming. No, no, no. Don’t worry about anything. So with fans of All Time Low and Mayday Parade, they have a diverse musical taste. How do you plan to connect with their audience and engage? Well, how do you do so now?
Lauran – Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I feel like we kind of, you know, my music does fit into that kind of pop rock world and almost kind of pop punk at times. So I think it fits in kind of genre wise for sure. But I think I try and inject so much personality into the show. I really like people to feel like they know who I am, which is hard to do in half an hour. But I feel like I do talk a lot in my set and try and really set up the songs the way I intended them to be heard. And I think I try and just give as much of myself as possible. And I think it feels more authentic.
And if you’ve never heard of me before, you don’t want to hear just eight songs you’ve never heard of and bob along. You kind of at least want to laugh in between them. I think that’s a really big part of being a support act is trying to get people on your side.
And sometimes music isn’t enough to do that. You have to give people a little bit of you, a bit of personality, and kind of just make them feel like your friend really is kind of my, my game, because especially if they’ve never heard of you, it can be quite weird for them just to stand there for half an hour and listen to stuff they’ve never heard before.

Dave – (to Shaquira) Who were we talking to the other day that said they’d do an hour and a half and 45 minutes of what he’s talking? The stand up guy. Major artist. Wasn’t that Fat Mike? Yeah, Fat Mike from NOFX. You know, he stands out there for an hour and a half and he sees himself as a stand up artist. Now, you know, they’re huge and they said, he’ll talk for 45 minutes. So, you know, I think, I think crowds will take what they’ve got once they like it. Doesn’t matter what you do.
Lauran – Exactly. Exactly. And I think it’s always such a big part. And just from personal experience, watching all kind of artists and bands, I’ve never thought of support for other bands when I’ve seen it done really well. There’s always been that little bit of chat that you’ve that you remember and you go, “Oh, I like that. I like that guy. Oh, he was funny. She was great”, you know, and it just kind of, it’s a little something else to take home with them, which is a nice touch.

Dave – And speaking of crowd, this tour is expected to bring huge audience. What do you hope your music will convey to new and existing fans attending these shows?
Lauran – I hope they really like my new songs because I’m working on a new album right now and I’m playing a lot of it on this tour. So I’m hoping they go down really well. They are in America, so fingers crossed. That’s the same in Australia. I just hope people kind of just discover it for the first time because I think being an up and coming UK artist, it’s obviously amazing to be in these different countries. So I’m just excited for people to find what I do and hopefully love it the way I intend people to and relate to it the way I hope they will. So yeah, I hope they have fun.

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Dave – I think we’ve only got a couple of minutes left, so I’m going to rush through some questions, Shaq. That’s all right?
Shaq – Yeah, that’s okay.
Dave – Let’s get some favourite answers if we can.

Dave – Favourite album?
Lauran – Blue album, Weezer.

Dave – Favourite Weezer? They’re playing down here. Favourite artist?
Lauran – Phoebe Bridgers.

Dave – Phoebe? She was Indy Star’s favourite the other day. Favourite movie?
Lauran – Scott Pilgrim Versus The World.

Dave – He rocks. Favourite place to visit?
Lauran – New York.

Dave – Unbelievable. Great place. Favourite venue to play?
Lauran – Wembley Arena.

Dave – Excuse me. Doesn’t everyone play Wembley? Don’t they? Favourite food?
Lauran – My favourite food is ice cream.

Dave – Oh, that’s good. That’ll keep you thin. Favourite drink?
Lauran – Favourite drink is, so British of me, a cup of tea.

Dave – A cup of hot tea, you said. Favourite person in history?
Lauran – My mum.

Dave – A lot of people say that. Do you have tattoos?
Lauran – No.

Dave – Well, then you don’t have a favourite. All right. A couple of really quick things here, because I know we’ve got to go. What’s the best thing about performing to a live audience?
Lauran – The energy that you feel back from them. It’s kind of just addictive. I just love the energy.

Dave – You can imagine when they’re singing your song.
Lauran – Oh, it’s the best. It’s the best.

Dave – A Queen live aid thing where they’re just rocking.
Lauran – Oh, God. It’s sickeningly nice. All right.

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Dave – Let’s finish up. What piece of advice, how old are you now?
Lauran – 26.

Dave – So you’re old. You’re ancient. You could write a book. What piece of advice? You’re going grey. I noticed that, but I wasn’t going to say anything. What piece of advice would you give to people starting off, especially when you consider that at 26 even, the things that you’ve done most people don’t do? I mean, you’re doing some pretty rocky sort of stuff. What piece of advice would you give to people having a crack and trying to emulate you?
Lauran – It’s not easy, so you’ve got to want it more than you think you do, but don’t give up and don’t take no for an answer.

Dave – Another question I’ve got, how do you do it? Do you notice that it’s harder as a female or not really? Or everyone just treats you like you’re just… I mean, it’s difficult to know.
Lauran – When people kind of ask me that question, I wish…I don’t have a comparison. I only really know what it’s like being in the industry as a female, so I can only really judge it off my experience, but I have been very fortunate and I haven’t really come across anything too negative. I think that actually in this day and age, I think being female in the music industry is a massive positive and I think the tables are turning and it’s getting recognised a lot more, which is great to see.

Dave – So mental health’s been pretty good in your area? Good parents, good upbringing, all that sort of stuff?
Lauran – I’ve had such a supportive family. They love what I do, which is amazing. Obviously, being in any industry is taxing. It’s social media and all of these things never help your mental health and it’s a rollercoaster that you can’t really predict. So there’s always ups and downs, but I think I’m very lucky to have such a supportive family, good friends and yeah.

Dave – Last question, what’s next for Lauren Hibbert? What’s still out there for you to achieve?
Lauran – I’m releasing my next album next year, which I’m so excited about, and I would love to play some of the venues I’m playing now off my own back. It would be so amazing.

Dave – Well, we’re collaborators now, so you’re going to have to share to YouTube when we put it out, but then when you need something, you can come on back and say stuff and when you become a superstar and we’re still bits of sand on the beach, you can sort of… You’ll be all right?
Lauran – All right. Jack, anything last? Any other?

Dave – No, we’ve pretty much covered it all. It’s been a great interview. Thank you so much for your time. Have a great tour.
Lauran – Thank you so much, guys. Thank you.

Dave – You sound really like you’re made for it, so just keep doing what you’re doing.
Lauran – Thank you, I appreciate that.

Dave – The future’s just going to roll out for you, so well done.
Lauran – Thank you, guys. So nice to meet you. Thank you for your time today. Appreciate it. Always, thank you so much for having me. Have a great night.

Dave – You too. See you soon. Bye-bye.

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Follow LAUREN HIBBERD
Website – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter

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AMNPLIFY – DB