Lara D is formidable. Carving through Australia’s RnB scene at just 17, the Sydney-based singer is releasing songs that perfectly balance meaning and explosive sonic.
Following the release of her latest single I’m Not, the RnB darling has shared a bit about where music began for her as a young artist at the start of a vibrant career.
Amidst studying for the HSC, Lara D took some time out to chat us through her biggest RnB influences behind her new video for I’m Not.
HAPPY: Hey Lara, how’s it going? What are you up to at the moment?
LARA D: Yo yo, I have been studying for my HSC trials that start in a few days, so anxious about it but got to push through.
HAPPY: You’re obviously an incredibly young artist but where did music originally start for you?
LARA D: Music has been a part of me growing up. My mum would always play old school RnB around the house, and growing up I was obsessed with High School Musical and Camp Rock which made me want to pursue music as a career because. I saw that it brought people together and made them happy and knew then that I wanted to be part of that same culture.
HAPPY: We can’t get enough of the new single I’m Not! How does it feel having out there in the world?
LARA D: Thank you so much! It’s mind-blowing knowing that people around the world are listening to my music and I appreciate the love and support.
HAPPY: Could you tell us a bit about the song?
LARA D: When I first created this song, it was such a vibe, definitely different from the first few releases. I wanted to create a song that represented how I felt about this whole music thing. I’m Not is about how people started entering my life or coming back into my life just because they saw how successful I was becoming with my music career.
HAPPY: The video for I’m Not is a beautifully curated throwback to some retro RnB, where did you draw inspiration from?
LARA D: Growing up in urban culture and watching old school RnB music videos. I thought it would be such a vibe to embrace the RnB genre more and appreciate the cultural aspects of throwback RnB.
HAPPY: You’ve released a few singles over the past year… did you approach the writing/recording of this new differently at all to past material?
LARA D: Yes definitely, my writing has changed throughout this journey with just growing up and experiencing different and new things as a teenager and having a deeper understanding about life and this world, which inspires me to create new music. My genre hasn’t necessarily changed, it was just me finding who I was as an artist.
HAPPY: Are these singles a taste of something bigger to come? An album perhaps?
LARA D: I’m Not is leading up to an EP of some unreleased music I have, which all share a similar vibe and different emotions in each song.
HAPPY: Are there any particular artists that you’re really enjoying at the moment?
LARA D: If I’m honest, I have been so stuck on old school RnB for a while that I haven’t been up-to-date with new music, but at the moment I’ve been listening to Pop Smoke new album Shoot for the Stars and for the Moon. I vibe to Jhenè Aiko, Summer Walker, H.E.R, RUSS, Daniel Caesar, Brent Faiyaz, 6LACK, and Teyana Taylor.
HAPPY: Are there any other artists that you’re really enjoying at the moment?
LARA D: Hopefully just continuing to make more music an album, an EP, and go full steam ahead with whatever challenges life throws at me!
HAPPY: Cheers for the chat, Lara!
With over 3.6 million streams and whispers of a major record deal, if you’re not yet familiar with her catalogue, do yourself a favour and dive on in:
