Following his melancholic lockdown song, ‘Cabin Fever’, Lucas Laufen now releases its heartwarming successor ‘Time Took Tolls’. As the title already reveals, the song is a reflection of time and the hope of spending it properly.
About the song, Lucas said: “I started writing this song on a train to South Tyrol last February amidst a really big touring schedule. I’d played 30 shows over the past two months and was pretty exhausted. Watching the mountains and valleys pass by the window instead of checking emails, I kind of got lulled into this state of meditation. It made me think of other times I’d felt this way over the past year. I scribbled out a timeline, and the words and melody started to roll around in my head.
I’m lucky enough to travel all the time and see a lot of beauty in the world. Sometimes I need a reminder to slow down and breathe everything in. It’s the way I can hold time properly instead of feeling like it’s slipping through my fingers. The modern world has rolled us into this unnatural state of anxiety when we’re constantly searching for the next big thing instead of prioritising important things like being present, listening and treading lightly.”
‘Time Took Tolls’ is accompanied by a heart-warming video following an elderly couple being confronted with time. The video will be released shortly after the single, on the 9th of December.
Although neither planned and nor wanted, “Cabin Fever” is the Australian singer-songwriter’s lockdown-song. Having written the track in the middle of 2020, the beautiful song is an observation of his own feelings while watching the world through his window. “I lost perspective and generally felt really weird,” he says. “It was a really rainy May and I’d just sit in my room watching people with umbrellas and wonder about the broadest topics.”
Acknowledging his privilege of good health and a roof above his head, he still felt disconnected and strange, which he blames on not leaving his flat and only seeing the same faces for such a long time. “I finished the song on a bike ride out to some fields in Brandenburg when lockdown eased. This was the point I realised that I needed to get out, to get fresh air, nature and fields. City life has always been a compromise for me, I’ve always needed to counter it with nature. This experience cemented this idea further and made me realise how happy I am by myself in a paddock.”
“Cabin Fever” is a song that feels as optimistic as it does melancholic. Laufen’s smooth vocals are accompanied by his guitar and an upbeat, yet uncomfortable piano melody, which give the track a hint of urgency. “I bought an old spinnet piano in Brandenburg before I started recording the track and had it shipped to my studio in Berlin. It barely worked at the time, with the midrange being the only keys that would make any sort of sound,” Laufen says. The song is deliberately repetitive, tense and uncomfortable and mirrors the emotions we had throughout the last year.
There’s subtle instrumentation hiding behind the track in the form of clarinet, bass and guitar. You have to listen really hard to hear some of these parts, especially the clarinet, as it’s only moving the tiniest amount of air. With everything played softly, you can hear a lot of room sounds and acoustic ambience. 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.
Musically, the single features Lucas’ signature folk sounds and smooth voice. ‘Time Took Tolls’ was recorded in the Australian singer’s adopted home Berlin with an old nylon guitar with a broken headstock and old strings. The French horn on the track is played by Lucas’ sister, which makes the song even more special for the Berlin-based singer.
‘Time Took Tolls’ was released on 26th November via Embassy of Music as part of his upcoming album released next year.
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.