Lauv

Electropop performer Lauv, was born Ari Staprans Leff on August 8, 1994 in San Francisco.

 

As a young child, his family relocated to Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. He became interested in music, learning to play guitar when he was 11. He began writing songs while in high school and even formed a band, Somersault Sunday, which would perform 'basement concerts' during those years.

 

After graduation, Lauv studied music technology at New York University's Steinhardt School and for a time was a studio intern at Jungle City Studios. He also began writing and producing for other artists during this time. 

 

His first release was song "The Other," which went viral on social media when he uploaded it to SoundCloud in 2015. The song was featured on his debut EP, Lost In The Light. He co-wrote and co-produced the 2017 Cheat Codes/Demi Lovato collaboration, "No Promises." That year he released the song "I Like Me Better," which went platinum in several countries, becoming a Top 30 Pop hit. Lauv has also collaborated on songs with Julia Michaels ("There's No Way"), Troye Sivan ("I'm So Tired") and Anne-Marie ("F**k I'm Lonely"). 

 

He toured with Ed Sheeran in 2017 and the following year, embarked on his first world tour, and performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago that August. 

 

His first album was "I Met You When I Was 18 (The Playlist), released in May 2018. In March 2020, Lauv released his second album, How I'm Feeling, featuring the current single, "Modern Loneliness," which was released a month prior.