Winnebago County Buyers' Guide, Article by Angie Luebke
Live music abounds in Oshkosh, and I recently had ...
Live music abounds in Oshkosh, and I recently had the opportunity to interview Laura Clapp. Laura took turns with Victoria Vox on stage Friday night at New Moon Cafe. Originally from Connecticut, Laura moved to Nashville four years ago. She explained that after college she either wanted to move to New York, Los Angeles, or Nashville, and she picked the one that had the most potential. You're probably thinking country music, as was I, but she proved me wrong. With a self-described "chick rock" style, she impressed me with her guitar skills and her strong voice, and there was nothing country about her lyrics.
Her new CD "Simply" is about emotion, soft rock, and if you want someone to compare her to, combine Tori Amos with Sara McLachlan and you've got the idea.
Growing up in a musically-influenced family, Laura started on the piano when she was just seven years old. She started playing guitar at the age of 19, when she was a student at Berklee. She decided to take up guitar "because it was too hard to write music for piano when you're laying in bed," Laura explained. Laura graduated from Berklee with a degree in professional music.
Her mother decided to try her hand at jazz rock, her sister sings, and she couldn't remember specifics but it was either her great-grandfather or her great-uncle that wrote a song with Helen Keller called "Voices in the Dark." She also remembers her grandfather having several recorders, one being a bass recorder. Along with piano and guitar, Laura also plays the flute, and of course the recorder.
During her show she split her talent between guitar and keyboard. This is one musician that makes it obvious that she enjoys what she is doing. I don't think I saw her stop smiling the whole night, and even her body language described her emotions.
I asked Laura about her role model, and she said it would be every musician out there that's just doing what they say they're going to do 100% of the time.
I also discovered that she and I share similar tastes in musicians. I asked Laura who she would have coffee with if she had the opportunity, and without even thinking about it she answered, "I'd love to sit down with Bono. His lyrics are amazing and I'd love to just talk to him about everything."
Some of her musical inspirations include Peter Gabriel, Sara McLachlan, Tori Amos, and she also grew up listening to classical jazz musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald and similar legends.
A few CD's Laura could not live without (at the moment) include U2 – Achtung Baby; Pearl Jam – Ten; Tori Amos – Little Earthquakes; Nick Drake – Pink Moon; and Jeff Buckley. Of course, depending on her moods, her choices change.
To test her memory, I asked Laura if she could remember her first CD and first concert. Her first CD she bought was Guns 'n Roses Appetite for Destruction, and her first concert she went to at the age of (by choice) was Tori Amos.
Laura is enjoying her time in Wisconsin. She mentioned all the stuff to do like biking, hiking, and lots of outdoor activities.
If you'd like to hear her music for yourself, you can find her at cdbaby.com, myspace.lauraclapp.com, and of course at her website www.lauraclapp.com. It was a pleasure meeting her, and I would definitely recommend purchasing her CD.
Angie Luebke - Winnebago County Buyers' Guide