After taking what she thought would be a short break from music, Laura Musgrave returned to her artistic journey ten years later with a renewed determination to find her place in an industry that had changed considerably. Rather than allowing the challenges of starting over to hold her back, she embraced the opportunity to rediscover her sound, develop her songwriting and reconnect with her passion for releasing music.

That journey has led to The Longest Time, her debut EP, a collection of relationship-inspired songs exploring the uncertainty of new connections, heartbreak, confidence and resilience. Moving between the empowering energy of “Crumbs” and the emotional vulnerability of “Inevitably,” the project reveals different sides of Laura’s personality and songwriting. Working alongside longtime producer and mixing engineer Becky Willard, she has shaped a sound that brings her ideas and influences to life while maintaining a distinct artistic identity.

Taking the release beyond streaming platforms, Laura has also created an interactive virtual theme park, complete with a digital passport, inviting fans to explore the stories, themes and creative world behind the EP. With support from music platforms, radio and international industry recognition, she continues to build a connection with listeners through honest songwriting and imaginative ways of sharing her music.

In this interview, Laura reflects on her return to music, the personal experiences behind The Longest Time, her creative partnership with Becky Willard, and the inspiration behind turning an EP release into an interactive experience for fans.

To begin, could you tell us about your journey into music and the experiences that helped shape you into the songwriter and artist you are today?

Sure! This is my second time as an artist. I took what I thought would be a short break the first time around… and ended up coming back ten years later! So much had changed in the music industry in that time, I had to learn almost everything again from scratch. But it made me pretty determined to figure it all out, and coming back to releasing music has been one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Your debut EP, The Longest Time, explores the complexities of relationships and love in the modern age. What inspired you to bring these different experiences together under one project?

I tend to write a lot of relationship-themed songs naturally, so it made sense to pull some of those different ideas together into one collection. I did want to make sure that we were pushing into new territory though. I spent quite a bit of time planning out new themes or sonic influences to bring into the EP. As a result, I think the EP has a few different flavours to it – there’s the uncertainty of something new (“The Longest Time”), all the way through to heartbreak and resilience (“Blood On My Tongue”, “We Can’t Lose”).

“Crumbs” has a confident feel, while “Inevitably” takes a more emotional direction and draws inspiration from Mayday Parade. How do these two songs show different sides of your personality and approach to songwriting?

In recent years, I’ve especially loved writing empowering tunes, like “Crumbs”. It felt like it was really important to represent that on the EP, whilst also touching on other emotional themes. The EP needed a big emotionally-charged song that was a bit more vulnerable, and ‘Inevitably’ fit that bill perfectly.

Your lyrics are described as catchy and confessional, which can be a difficult balance to strike. How do you decide which personal experiences to turn into songs, and how much of yourself are you comfortable sharing with listeners?

For me, when I’m writing, I hope that someone out there will connect with the song. So I try to think about what links my experience with what other people might have experienced… What’s the common thread? If we can write about that, the song will be meaningful for me to write and perform, and hopefully it connects with someone listening too.

You worked with producer and mixing engineer Becky Willard on the EP. How did the two of you approach the sound of the project, and what did her contribution bring to the songs?

I’ve been lucky to work with Becky for many years, and it helps that she knows my sound as an artist. For each of the songs, I had an idea of how I wanted them to sound, as we were writing them. Becky was then able to translate that into the production and really bring the songs to life.

The Longest Time will be introduced through a virtual theme park, complete with a digital passport for fans to explore throughout the week. Where did this idea come from, and what do you hope listeners will discover as they move through your musical world?
I’d spent a whole year working on the EP, and I didn’t want to just put it out on streaming. It felt like the world of the EP and the songs needed a little bit more of an introduction. I wanted fans to be able to step into that world and get to know the themes – and me – in more depth. A theme park concept seemed like a really fun way to bring them all together!

Your music has received support from outlets such as Rotate, CLOUT, and FLEX, as well as BBC Radio’s Dean Jackson. How has this recognition influenced your confidence and your understanding of the audience connecting with your music?
As an artist, you spend a lot of time focused on growing your skills and developing your work. Once your music goes out into the world, it’s lovely to see it pick up support like that. And especially so, when you get to see your fans’ reactions to that support too.

You have also received international recognition, including the Gold Award for International Female Single of the Year at the 2023 ISSA Awards and consideration for Grammy categories. How do you take in milestones like these while staying focused on your own creative direction?
It’s an honour when you get that kind of global industry recognition. Your own creative direction is, quite rightly, the focus most of the time, but something like that gives you a moment to pause and appreciate how far you’ve come.

Your songs explore connection, heartbreak, and resilience. Has writing about relationships changed the way you understand love or the way you handle difficult experiences in your own life?

Songwriting naturally prompts you to reflect on your emotions or experiences. Part of the joy of writing with other songwriters is that you get to talk those through together, and try to make sense of that. You’re searching for the words and melodies to describe that particular feeling, and along the way it helps you understand yourself a bit better.

As you release your debut EP and introduce it to fans through this interactive experience, what would you like people to take away from The Longest Time, and what direction are you hoping to explore next in your music?

I’d hope you get to know me through the EP songs and the interactive theme park experience. And I hope that you find something in the EP that you connect with. I’d love to keep building on what we’ve created with this collection of songs, and continue to explore new angles and sounds that sound both fresh and recognisably mine.

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