Description
Laura Jansen, a Dutch-born, Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and musician, chronicles those little things, like cutting her hair, buying pink floral sheets, and venturing out for a drink with the guy down the hall, on 'Single Girls the deceptively simple, but emotionally devastating first single from Bells, Jansen's upcoming debut album for Universal's Decca Records. A dreamy collection of piano-driven alt-pop songs, Bells has already gone platinum in Jansen's native Holland, propelled by 'Single Girls' and a stunning cover of Kings of Leon's 'Use Somebody,' which has spent more than a year lodged in the Top 10 on the Dutch singles chart. In the U. S., Jansen is a fixture in the constellation of artists associated with Los Angeles nightclub the Hotel Café a musical haven, creative incubator, and ultimately, national launching pad for such confessional-minded artists as Sara Bareilles, Priscilla Ahn, and Joshua Radin, whom Jansen toured with in 2008 and will hit the road with again in 2011 Jansen connects by using the sweet clarity of her pristine voice to tell deeply relatable stories. The playful, ragtirne-esque 'Wicked World urges listeners to uncurl from the fetal position, grab some friends, and go have some fun. 'That song is about how it's time to go out and meet some men. It's time to do some drinking, because being depressed is getting old,' Jansen says. 'It came out of the realization that little girls are raised on fairy tales. We are expected to be married and have babies. Those rules do not apply where I live. L. A. is it's own little circus. On 'The End Jansen comes to terms with a relationship's conclusion by realizing that there's no blame to be placed. 'It's when you finally say. 'We can't fix this. We're just going around in circles and I need peace, she says. 'I sing that song with a smile, because the turmoil is over. Jansen spent two years at a music conservatory in Holland, and earned valuable performing experience as a wedding singer, before transferring to Boston's renowned Berklee College of Music with a scholarship. After graduating, she made good on a long-held fantasy of moving to Nashville to become a songwriter, but froze from intimidation once she got there. 'I ended up working in retail and waiting on women like Emmylou Hams and Patty Griffin and wishing I could say something to them, she says. 'I couldn't find my voice. Meanwhile, Jansen had been considering a move to the West Coast. 'I was looking for a second chance to become a songwriter, and so many incredible artists were coming out of Los Angeles, she says. After moving to L. A. in 2003, Jansen's first call was to the Hotel Café. 'I said, 'What's up? I've got five songs. Can I come play? she says with a laugh. 'And the owner was like, 'Absolutely, not. You need to be able to bring in this many people and play for this long and prove that you can draw a crowd in Los Angeles. ' Undeterred, Jansen hung out at the club most nights, enjoying the social support network of her fellow artists. She played open mic-nights at other venues and began to attract a following to her high-spirited live shows, after which she finally landed her first Hotel Café gig. 'I think 15 people came, she says. 'It was kind of horrifying, but the owner said, 'Great, so you're playing again next month. ' Jansen began to perform monthly, as well as sit in with other artists. Jansen recorded 'Use Somebody after performing it on a popular radio show that she describes as the Dutch equivalent to Howard Stern's program. They ask you to play a cover from the charts as well as one of your own songs, so I decided to learn 'Use Somebody' because it's so beautiful, she says. 'I just did it my way, with a piano and voice, and the response was so overwhelming that the label asked me to record it. Jansen recorded the track with Bill Lefler, who also produced Bells, and watched it take on a life of it's own. 'The Kings of Leon guys can buy more cars because of the amount of airplay it got, she says with a laugh. It's like, 'Here's your car. You're welcome. 'Now Jan.
