Los Angeles-based indie artist Lucy & La Mer is out with a new single “Honey, Put Your Weapons Down,” a pop ballad filled with folk inspirations. ETV spoke with Lucy LaForge about the new song’s meaning, collaborating with a Grammy-award winning producer, and working with women’s rights organizations.
https://soundcloud.com/lucyandlamer/honey-put-your-weapons-down
Lucy is a singer and activist who has crafted a signature indie folk style through her calming voice and baritone ukulele. Growing up, she said her dad always had a guitar around and her family encouraged her to try new instruments.
“I would sit at the piano after school to decompress and escape from homework for a while,” Lucy said. “I wasn’t comfortable singing in front of people until a few years ago, though.”
Lucy’s strongest musical influences are Feist, Kate Nash, Beirut, Spice Girls, and Lesley Gore. With a varied mix of artists to incorporate elements into her own original sound, she went out and created Lucy & La Mer as a solo project. The project would grow to include a few other key members.
“I met bassist Jon Keenan at a music media event in L.A.,” Lucy said. “He said he played upright bass and I thought that was the coolest. We just recently added drummer Sheldon Reed after meeting him through a mutual friend and we’re really excited to have him on board.”
Lucy & La Mer released the “Little Spoon” EP in 2015, which went on to receive acclaim from various outlets. Transitioning into her recent single “Honey, Put Your Weapons Down,” Lucy’s trademark pop melodies, folk instrumentation, and honest lyrics make a return in full force. The single is commentary about a relationship that is stuck in a rut. Lucy revealed that most of her songwriting occurs during a period of change in her life, and this song shows how she can take an event in her life and turn it into a piece of art.
“We naturally fall into patterns and routine, which can be comfortable, but not the best for personal growth,” Lucy said. “I’d left an unhealthy relationship when I wrote this, after realizing how exhausted I was trying to maintain it. Sometimes you just have to let go and see the bigger picture.”
The new single was created through experimentation and breaking down barriers to discover a new sound to best tell the narrative. The track was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Jared Lee Gosselin (India Arie, Eminem, Corinne Bailey Rae) and with his help, the song soared to the next level.
“Jared really brought the song to life,” Lucy said. “We started with just my voice and my baritone ukulele and layered live acoustic instruments from there. He created an electronic percussion section that added a very modern edge to the track.”
Lucy & La Mer recently performed in a tour that ventured through The Hit Hat, The Echo, and Art Share LA among other venues in Los Angeles and Santa Ana. She is finishing up a radio tour that included a stop at KX 93.5 and concludes with a visit at 88.5 KCSN and a free show at Westfield Topanga.
“The radio tour has been a lot of fun,” Lucy said. “We’ve been driving up and down the coast playing live on radio shows and enjoying the California beaches. I always enjoy meeting new people from different towns and hearing their stories. We’re looking forward to playing new songs on the next tour.”
Aside from creating new music, Lucy also spends her time working with the female community and women’s rights organizations including the educational group More Than No and the bi-social community amBi.
“The music industry is male-dominated and challenging, so having a supportive female community is paramount,” Lucy said. “I was relieved to find so many women’s groups in Los Angeles when I moved here. It gives me a lot more freedom in my music and creates an encouraging environment as opposed to a competitive one. Girls rock.”
ETV looks forward to what lies ahead for Lucy & La Mer and awaits for the next time she enters the venture. To stay up to date with all things Lucy & La Mer, check her out on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and her official site.
Enter The Venture 