Laura Jansen
Mar 21, 2011
Dutch-American artist Laura Jansen is based in Los Angeles and is breaking out of the hot Hotel Café scene there. But that is not her first foray into music as a career. After playing in bands across Europe and Asia in her teens, Jansen earned a scholarship to The Berklee College of Music in Boston. After Berklee, Jansen moved to Nashville where she honed her songwriting craft with some of the best writers in town. When change called again, she packed up and moved to California.
Though "Bells" is her first "official" album, her songs have been used in various television shows on MTV, ABC and Canadian Idol. In 2008, Jansen took to the road. She performed in the summer as both a member of Joshua Radin's band and as an opener on his sold-out headlining U.S. tour. Being half American-half Dutch, she was then invited to The Netherlands for a series of appearances. Jansen ultimately signed to Universal Music in The Netherlands, where her full length debut was met with overwhelming success; in a short amount of time she had two sold-out national club tours and a certified-gold record under her belt there.
It is now America's turn to catch on. In addition, to recent performances at Sunset Sessions and SXSW, as well as a several station visits, she is preparing to go back out on the road soon. Things are getting started with the intimate song "Single Girls" but several other tracks from "Bells" deserve a listen including "Wicked World," "Elijah," "Soljah," "Use Somebody" and the title track.
Jansen said this of her music in a recent interview with Spinner: "I think the easiest way to describe my own sound is to say that it's piano-driven alt pop. I like to arrange songs from a 'retro' perspective and really relish the challenge of combining electronic elements with the richness of acoustic live recording."
Jansen has just wrapped up dates at SXSW and will be doing shows in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles around her album release:
- 3/22 Joe's Pub, New York
- 3/29 Beat Kitchen, Chicago
- 3/30 Hotel Café, Los Angeles
Jansen has an extensive tour planned four Europe beginning in mid-April.
For more information, visit www.laurajansen.com
