With her debut album Garageband Superstar landing in the Top 40 and Rolling Stone labelling her as a ”new grunge hero”, life for the Isle of Wight’s Lauran Hibberd has recently got a whole lot more exhilarating. A month after the album’s release, she is hitting the road for her first headlining tour, bringing her 90’s influenced pop punk bangers to small venues across the UK. We caught up with Lauran before her gig in Birmingham to talk about collaborating with Wheatus, being obsessed by Weezer and why she has Mika to thank for her love of a good pop chorus.
You have just started out on your first headlining tour, playing Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool last night and due to play Birmingham tonight. How’s it going so far?
It’s been really really fun. Obviously releasing the album has been amazing. This is like my favourite part now. Letting people have the album for a month and then touring it and seeing people sing songs that weren’t singles, it’s super exciting.
On Twitter you described releasing Garageband Superstar as like “giving birth”. Was it a labour of love?
Yes it does feel like that because an album is a big body of work. I did just feel that I was waiting and waiting for that moment and it was building up. And it did feel like when it finally came out, it was how I imagined having a baby, created with lots of love and care. It was in a weird way, my first child.
What was the song-writing process behind the album? Was it a lockdown thing?
Kind of. I think the album came about because of lockdown. It was always on the cards but having that time to write, took all the excuses off the table. If I’m not going to write an album now, when am I? It was amazing to have all that space to hone in on the weird thoughts and feelings, it was a great experience. I don’t think I wrote a lockdown album. Even though mine was written during the time, I don’t think it reflects that at all. I think it has the opposite message of that, which I’m quite proud of, managing to create it out of such a negative space.
There are a few collaborations on the album: Limp Bizkit’s DJ Lethal on ‘Still Running’ and Wheatus’ Brendan B. Brown on the title track ‘Garageband Superstar’. How did they come about?
Lockdown was pretty much over once the album had been recorded. It was very much just slide into the DMs and hope for the best. I think people just like the charm of that kind of thing. Even though they are my heroes they are quite niche. They saw the charm in an Instagram message that said ”Hey I love you, would you sing on this?”.
You grew up on the Isle of Wight, what was that like?
I live in Cowes now and grew up in the West Wight next to the beach. It’s weird when you are touring because you are always looking for the sea. The Isle of Wight has always had a music scene. Bestival and the Isle of Wight festival on your doorstep growing up, it was quite normal to go to them. I used to go with my cousins when we were kids and would go on the fairground rides and collect cups. It sets a tone, you know what a festival is. To be able to see loads of amazing bands from the age of seven was inspiring. My first ever gig was at the Isle of Wight festival, in one of the local tents. It was such a weird experience but so cool. Basically it was just friends and family there. I was just excited I had a free ticket!
Wet Leg are another band from the Isle of Wight doing really well.
Yep, they are absolutely smashing it right now. It’s super exciting to see that there is a bit of a scene on the Isle of Wight now and it’s very exciting to feel a part of it.
Who was your biggest musical inspiration growing up?
Growing up I wasn’t very musically profound. I didn’t really get into the music I love now until I was about 18. From that point on I was just like obsessed with Weezer and Weezer! That was my bag. Growing up I wasn’t in touch with what was cool. Whatever was on the radio I liked, stuff like Mika, happy pop songs which has probably subliminally rubbed off on me as I love a chorus.
After this tour, you are back in November supporting Sea Girls. Are you writing anymore material?
Yes, that will be really fun, I’m looking forward to that. I’m actually off to America next month, which I’m really excited about. It’s my first time out there and I’m going to be doing some writing and recording, on the premise that hopefully next year I’ll start doing some light touring in the States. Because obviously a lot of what I do is very US influenced so it would be awesome to get to the core of that.
Besides being a musician, do you have any other hobbies or interests?
Just my dog really. I love my dog so much. Music and my dog takes up my whole brain. I feel like having music as your job eliminates room for a hobby. It takes up so much of my time. After the shows, before the shows, writing and recording, I can’t stop thinking about it when I go to bed at night. I don’t think I could fit anything else in. Sometimes I go for a run to be like is this what life should be like? But nothing crazy, I haven’t started crocheting yet!
Who is your musical hero?
I would be very excited if I could hang out with Avril Lavigne for the child in me. She was my world for about four or five years. 100% I would be buzzing to hang out with her.
That’s the DNA of the album isn’t it?
Yes, I wanted to make a record like the records I grew up on. It’s a homage.
If you could play any track that says this is me, Lauran Hibberd, what would it be?
Probably Limp Bizkit – ‘Dad Vibes’
So far in your music career what’s the best piece of advice you have been given and by whom?
Probably just work hard and be nice to people. That’s from Dave Pontin at Platform One this music college. He used to say it all the time and everybody would laugh at him and I’d get it because it’s funny but it is kind of true. You never know who you are going to meet on the way up or on the way back down. Ultimately it does come down to how hard you work. You have just always got to be a nice person.
What is your favourite fruit?
My favourite fruit is mango. I’m obsessed with mango. It’s so good. For me it’s just top tier fruit. And it rhymes with my dog’s name Django. Sometimes I call him mango as a cute little nickname, so maybe that’s why I like it as well.