Article by Musically United
“Change is all in the process.” Singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Lauv recently released the most unfiltered, transparent project of his career thus far with All 4 Nothing. The album is flooded with nostalgia and self-empowerment as Lauv reminisces about his journey of defining what happiness means for himself, and finding his inner light once again. His confidence-building mission involved getting to a place where he could wake up and be okay with every part of himself, despite the outside world and its burdens. At the start of the album process, Lauv felt very anxious and did not trust who he was in the slightest. He worked towards finding peace, gratitude, and calmness to recreate the spiritual side of himself he once had before “life became complicated.” This restoration has been a marathon not a sprint, and Lauv continues to work on these aspects on a daily basis.
Determining a good balance of light and dark was the key to grounding himself, which in turn is reflected in the album as a whole. “My life especially at this time was fully…50% healing and 50% party,”. During the healing process, Lauv utilized meditation and inner child work to build himself back up again. He often reflects on the past to continue healing his inner child. Lauv returns to memories of being in his best friend’s backyard, and spending the summer skateboarding, jumping on the trampoline, and eating popsicles. Ironically, his manager’s younger son, Joshua, tugged at Lauv’s heartstrings while mending them at the same time throughout the album creation process. Joshua was sweet, optimistic, and would provide encouragement by saying, “Don’t worry Ari! It is always going to work out.” Joshua made such an everlasting impact on Lauv to which he earned a big star moment in the bridge of ‘Kids Are Born Stars,’ the third track on All 4 Nothing.
Lauv’s spiritual healing journey greatly influenced the craftsmanship of the album, especially when embracing his imperfections. The north star he used as a guide and gave him purpose was “not getting lost in the judgment and ideas, and being fully here.” Having this free-spirited mindset impacted Lauv as a person along with the intricacies of his music. During songwriting sessions for the new project, Lauv used a free-styling approach by leaving the microphone on while chords were being played to see what would come of it all. A lot of the lyrics turned out to be more direct and “off the cuff” because he was saying whatever came to his mind at the time. Lauv was unafraid to release tracks such as ‘Molly in Mexico’ and ‘Bad Trip’ even though they are “on the darker side, and less polished and pretty lyrically.” The transparency of these songs provides listeners a glimpse into Lauv’s life, and the opportunity to relate on a deep, personal level. Aside from the songwriting aspect, Lauv also switched gears by taking a “zoomed out approach” for production. Several of his close friends handled their producer titles with such care, and added their own spins to tracks such as ‘I (Don’t) Have A Problem.’ This allowed Lauv to stay true to his original sound while diving into new things with his music.
The shift of a rigid to a more fluid creative process has allowed listeners to be a part of his mental health journey in real time. All 4 Nothing emphasizes Lauv’s passion for raising awareness, and reducing the stigma around mental health. Once obtaining the support to address his own mental health, Lauv was able to gain more context when conversing with other individuals who may carry their own mental health burdens. He is now “naturally driven to talk more about it [mental health],” and is certainly an ally many can count on. “It’s become deeper and deeper…my love for the exploration of the mind, for how I can better take care of myself, better respond to others,” stated Lauv wholeheartedly. Now that the album is out, Lauv has been connecting with fans through guided meditation on social media platforms. He also launched a hotline called Lauv’s Meditation Club where fans can call and receive daily guided meditations from Lauv himself. Lauv is currently bringing the tracks of All 4 Nothing to life while touring across North America. He is etching his storytelling and intriguing soundscapes into the minds of countless individuals to deliver summer nights filled with healing and celebration.