Laura | Sunset Balcony | May 5, 2023

Release: May 5, 2023

Created in her mind on balmy evenings on a sunny balcony in Paris, German vocalist LAURA is proud to present her sophomore album, ‘Sunset Balcony’, set to release on May 5th on GLM Records

Well known within the jazz scene of Stuttgart which she calls home, Laura has already gathered a reputation for herself by attracting the attention of the likes of Quincy Jones, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Jacob Collier. Taken aback by her musicality, her voice, and her charisma, Michael Jackson’s revered producer felt moved to say, “This young woman doesn’t need to worry about her career, she is amazing and I’m sure we will be hearing more from her in the future”.

Inspired by her fourth floor Parisian apartment, Laura views her balcony as a nexus of safety and freedom, as for her it provides the feeling of being at home whilst being exposed to the outside world. With strong undercurrents of Norah Jones-esque contentment and positivity, the record embraces a number of varied styles and textures with confidence and joy.

From the country/pop-tinged title track, to the hip-hopinfluenced ‘Poke Bowl’, blues/funk energy of ‘Johnny the Fly’ and folky mood of ‘Bartender’, the 14 tracks are united by Laura’s universally relatable storytelling and captivating melodies. 

Whilst the core ensemble is a quartet of close friends and long term collaborators (the same team responsible for Laura’s 2021 release ‘Quiet Land’), the album sees welcome additions from some of Germany’s leading instrumentalists including guitar, percussion, horns and strings. Lush orchestral arrangements, comforting soul guitar parts, and passages of playful improvisationsfrom trumpeter Jakob Bänsch and baritone saxophonist Eric Séva open up new textural contexts to showcase the diverse array of styles up Laura’s sleeve.

‘Sunset Balcony’ is an album whose music moves toward the future, but along the way nostalgically glances back over its shoulder, into the real and emotional contradictions between melancholy and optimism that we all have to live with now more than ever.

Line up

Laura | Vocals
Jens Loh | Bass
William Lecompte | Piano, fender rhodes
Eckhard Stromer | Drums

Track Listing

Sunset Balcony
Johnny, the Fly
Narcís
Oh, I Could Write A Book
Poke Bowl
Forever In A Blink
Bénodet
Happy Birthday
Grain of Salt
Dance Into The Light
Bartender
Hey, You
Prayer
Promise Me

Listen Here

Cuttings