LAURIE ILLINGWORTH
WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO?
Tough opening question. I like to make music that makes people feel something, whatever that feeling might be. I get a kick out of performing with other people in a live scenario, in particular my band. I love the way music is flexible and can be presented in different ways. Going forward, I’d like to think I’ll be making music to influence cultural opinion and to generate positive change where I can.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
I’m inspired mostly by people. I love knowing about other people. I love seeing how they react to difficulty and the success they earn once it has been tackled. My song writing so far stems from emotional occurrence over the past few years. I’m finding more and more that I’m stimulated by themes surrounding social justice and political context. I’m trying to allow those thoughts to enter my current song writing.
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR MUSIC IN 5 YEARS?
As soon as we’re all back in the big wide world, I’ll be straight back into the studio to continue working on my debut release. Once that’s out, I’d love to be in the position to enhance my musical maturity, develop my practical skill set and add to my repertoire of material. In five years, if I could wake up as the proud creator of several bodies of work that stand for something great and that allow me to perform in venues around the world in different contexts to people who really love them, I’ll be happy.
IF YOU COULD HAVE MADE ONE SONG BY ANOTHER ARTIST, WHICH WOULD IT BE?
You’re not making this easy bro! I’ll go with Heavenly Father by Bon Iver. Justin Vernon is the past, present and future of song writing. He encapsulates a wealth of emotion with such delicate simplicity but such audacious complexity. The effort he displays within live performance and his musical documentation of life is everything I seek to emulate. That song in particular has educated my knowledge of song writing flexibility, lyrical intelligence and knowing how to capture the essence of what a song should stand for. If you’ve listened to a Bon Iver record more than once, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
POT NOODLE OR SUPER NOODLE?
Super Noodles cared for me at uni when no one else did. Gotta be.