Following his melancholy lockdown song “Cabin Fever“, the heartwarming follow-up single “Time Took Tolls“, the solo piano track “Heaven On The Hill” and the heartbreaking song “I Don’t Believe in Loss“, the Australian musician Lucas Laufen releases the fifth single “In Cologne” from his upcoming album Weathering, out May 13th.
“In Cologne” was created a few days after the first lockdown in Germany in 2020. “I was on tour at the time and was able to play one last show in Cologne before regular life collapsed. The song describes the feeling I had in the city as I roamed around Cologne in the early evening before the show. I managed to get into the cathedral, and there was no one there, just a huge empty church, a cemetery, and bars. When I arrived at the venue, the staff received calls from artists and promoters to cancel my show. In the end, we all sat down, had a drink and welcomed the uncertainty,” says Lucas Laufen about his song.
Laufen’s fifth release from his forthcoming studio album, Weathering, exudes a sense of anxiety at a time of uncertainty. “I experimented with this song. We double-recorded tons of stuff, ran piano parts through guitar amps, Gidon played some lo-fi drums live, and I found a spot for my trumpet. Lots of noises, set pieces and dynamics.” says the singer/songwriter about “In Cologne”. Lucas Laufen manages to capture the mood of this uncertain, exceptional situation with the single without losing optimism for a good outcome.
About Lucas Laufen
Lucas Laufen’s music can be linked to a form of therapy. His delicate brand of folk effortlessly relieves the listener of any stress, grief or sorrow. Sombre falsetto melodies married to shimmering guitars within elemental orchestrations that yearn and plunge, endow us to stop, breathe and escape the daily noise.
Growing up in the small ex-fishing town of Port Lincoln, Australia, Lucas was a passionate pianist at the age of eight and an ardent trumpet player at ten. It was not until his teens that he discovered the acoustic guitar and began fostering a deep and unique passion for songwriting
Lucas’s musical narrative embodies the dichotomy of the two worlds he inhabits, combining the coastal poetry of the wild Australian landscape with the rich history of the European continent he now calls home. The Australian songwriter, now Berlin-based, self-released his debut EP “Goodbye” in early 2016. The release expressed an important milestone for the young artist, as he left behind his small-town life in Australia for the German capital on the other side of the world.
Lucas is an incredibly dedicated and hardworking artist, since touching down in Europe, he toured extensively across the continent. Building a loyal audience playing over 300 shows, including a Live At Heart, and supporting acts in the likes of Hollow Coves, Julia Jacklin, Paul Dempsey, and Billie Marten.
In 2018, Lucas travelled to New Zealand to record his debut album “I Know Where Silence Lives” with producer Ben Edwards (Marlon Williams, Julia Jacklin, Aldous Harding). Shortly after completing the album, Lucas signed with Berlin label Embassy of Music (Björk, Ásgeir, Passenger) for the release of the debut record in December 2019. The album received widespread radio and editorial support in France and Australia, alongside German radio support from Flux FM, Radio Eins, Deutschlandfunk and HR2, as well as landing three Deezer editorial playlist spots and a TIDAL rising cover artist feature.
Like many, the COVID 19 pandemic put a stop to Lucas’s extensive touring. However, the songwriter redirected his focus to the studio, collaborating with Grammy award-winning producer Antonio Pulli to produce his second studio album “Weathering”. The album is a breathtaking statement of artistry for Lucas, combining Neoclassical and Folk influences. Lucas will once more be teaming up with Embassy of Music for the release of the body of work over 2021 and 2022, accompanied by another fresh swathe of shows across Europe and beyond.