Lauren Campbell
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Lauren Campbell

Toronto, Ontario, Canada | SELF

Toronto, Ontario, Canada | SELF
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"Lauren & Tokyo"

Lauren Campbell and David ‘Tokyo’ Speirs are an Ontario duo that are going places, it’s written in the stars. So before they get too big for their boots we decided to put some questions to them.



Hugger: Can you give us the L&T backstory in one snappy sentence?

Lauren & Tokyo: We met in our first year of college while studying music and ended up bonding over our love of slushies and pizza pockets.

H: What well known act would you say you sound most like?

L: No idea…

T: Metallica…

H: When did you both learn to play music?

L: I started playing the flute when I was 13 in the school band. Then about 2 years after that, I taught myself how to play the bassoon, guitar, and saxophone.

T: I started on drums and built drumkits by filling tupperware containers with lego pieces to make them sound like snares! Then years later started mucking around with Fruity Loops and ended up dropping out of Mechanical Engineering and starting anew in Music Industry Arts at Fanshawe College.

H: What did it feel like when you played together for the first time, was there instant chemistry?

L: I remember Tokyo was working on “Some Kind of Happy” when I first sang with him. He asked for my input and so I sang some harmonies with him and everything sort of just, fit. It wasn’t like we thought to ourselves “wow, we sound awesome together, let’s make music” … it was more like “hey, we’re friends, we like making music so let’s make some music!” and one song led to another.

T: I instantly recognized her melodic abilities. As the weaker singer of the two, I was also drawn to the idea that any song I wrote or co-wrote would instantly sound better with her on it!



H: Your music tends to cross the indie/mainstream divide so what sort of audience do your shows pull?

L: Believe it or not, we have never, ever played a live show. Sad isn’t it?! We’ve been asked to play shows, but for whatever reason we’ve never attempted it. That being said, I have no clue what sort of audience we’d pull!

H: ‘Lighthouse’ is really gorgeous and quite a layered piece of music. Did it take long to put together?

L: We wrote ‘Lighthouse’ in the nautical themed attic of my house. The guitar part came first, then the counter melody with the “Ba-da-ba-dums”, and then the rest of the words. It took us just over an hour to write and then we brought it into the studio and just tried to have fun with it.

T: We tracked it in studio a few times, without deleting anything. Just adding to it every day after class until it became pretty enough to release :). A bit of fun trivia: in the time that Lauren had gone to the bathroom and back I had written the countermelodies and harmonies to her guitar parts! Most likely the easiest song we’d ever written.

H: Do you record at home or rent out fancy studios?

L: Part of our schooling was in audio engineering so we had 24/7 access to the recording studios and great gear that belonged to our program. They were fancy, but now, having since graduated, we are back to recording on our laptops at home.

T: I intern/ work at Mushroom Studios downtown Toronto, which is much fancier than I deserve. But that said, I’m too poor to even record there for my own projects! For now, the laptop and small indie project studio will suffice. At least, until millions pour in from SOCAN…


H: As an unsigned duo in 2012 what are your aspirations?

L: After we graduated, L&T sort of went on a hiatus. We’ve got songs in the works but haven’t had a chance to really sit down and work them out. We love that ‘Lighthouse’ has continued to perk ears and hope that you like ‘The Damper’ just as much. As for what lies ahead for us, it’s a mystery! It’s very unpredictable, but you’ll be the first to hear if we’ve got new tracks to share!

T: Definitely! We have a new song we’ve been jamming out in Allen Gardens in Toronto every so often. I really hope to start working on it soon.


H: What do you think it will take to achieve those aspirations??

L: Arranging ourselves to be in the same place, at the same time, long enough for inspiration to strike.

T: We just gotta be physically in the same spot. It’s always worked in the past, and I’m sure It’d work again.


H: Given the power of the internet to break bands like yourselves we found it a bit odd that don’t have an official website or use bandcamp to any great extent. Any reason for this?

L: When we first started making music together, Myspace was the place to hear new music! But, L&T was always just a side project for the both of us. We had fun writing and singing together but we never thought our tunes would have made it to the ears of even half the people that have heard them. It’s incredible when people on the other side of the world send us messages and say they love our sound! I can’t believe it. I guess it just proves that if the music is worth listening to, people will find it one way or another.

T: If I write a song and some Australian finds it, I have none other than the Interwebs to thank. It takes a good bit of promotion and shameless self-advertisement, but in the end if the music is no good, nothing will stick. Even one good hook will get people hankering for more, all you have to do is get it played on every obscure music blog and fansite out there.

- MP3 Hugger


"Dusting Off Canadiana Folk Tradition"

From Orillia comes Lauren Campbell.

The singer-songwriter has been hard at work on her debut EP, which gets a release party at Call the Office on Saturday night. She’ll be joined by her backup band, known as the Dusty Figurines.

This collaboration has resulted in songs that are undoubtedly Canadian. Aware of our fair country’s folk traditions, Campbell has taken her acoustic-based songs through coffeehouses and arts festivals, and her latest recordings are a well-rounded amalgamation of rustic folk and melodious pop-rock. - London Free Press


"Mariposa Folk Festival Rounds Out 2011 Line-Up"

It’s a rainy Saturday afternoon in May, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend it other than by joining approximately 200 of my fellow "folkies" at the Highwaymann Inn in Orillia to enjoy some music and choose three artists to fill out the 2011 Mariposa Folk Festival Line-Up...this is that story.

...


The final act of the afternoon was Lauren Campbell & The Dusty Figurines. Lauren is a true local originally hailing from Orillia, so I think we were all hoping they would make the cut just to have that Orillia blood mixed in with all of the other great artists on the bill this summer. This young and very tight four piece held my attention throughout their whole set, and that’s a very hard thing to do, also I don’t normally like to compare artists to other artists but Lauren’s voice conjures up images of Neko Case, it tells a story as it harmonizes throughout the room. I proclaim here that Lauren Campbell is a name that you will here on a much larger scale in the years to come, sadly just not this year at Mariposa.

- Self Serve Gas Station


"New Sounds"

If you’ve had even half an eye on the website of late, you’ll have noticed an absolute ton of reviews. It’s that time of year when the releases come thick and fast ahead of the summer and we’re doing our best just to keep up.

But that doesn’t mean we’ve not also had our heads turned by some things that remain a ways down the road. So just because we can’t wait, here are a few things off the forthcoming pile we had to share.

...

Last, but not least, before we wrap this one up, readers of the New Bands Panel should remember the excellent Lauren & Tokyo. Well, Lauren has been in touch to tell us about her new project, Lauren Campbell & The Dusty Figurines. Their easy-going breezy pop can’t mask an underlying sophistication, and we can only recommend giving ‘Goodbye Daisy’ a listen. - For Folk's Sake


"New Sounds: Other Lives, Michael Kiwanuka, Pearl and The Beard, Lauren Campbell & The Dusty Figurines"

If you’ve had even half an eye on the website of late, you’ll have noticed an absolute ton of reviews. It’s that time of year when the releases come thick and fast ahead of the summer and we’re doing our best just to keep up.

But that doesn’t mean we’ve not also had our heads turned by some things that remain a ways down the road. So just because we can’t wait, here are a few things off the forthcoming pile we had to share.

Stillwater, Oklahoma sounds, just on name alone, like a place where the dust bowl era never ended. But the well is not dry, for the town has sprung Other Lives, whose eerie atmospherics easily transport you off to a different era. The five-piece are preparing to unleash their second album Tamer Animals in August and it should be the one to launch them to global success. Even Thom Yorke says so. But don’t take either his or our word for it. You can listen to ‘For 12' below, and grab and download of it here as well as ‘Dustbowl III’ here.

Other Lives – For 12 by Stayloose

If Other Lives have the sound to take you off to another time, Michael Kiwanuka just plain sounds like he comes from one. I’ve recently been listening to the new Soul Jazz collection Delta Swamp Rock: Sounds From The South and Kiwanuka’s soulful sound would not be out of place on that compilation. The only mystery is how this sound emerged not from the Deep South but from North London.

Check out the video for the title track to his Tell Me A Tale EP, out in June on Communion, here.



Heading back across the Atlantic, we stumbed across another of the apparently endless list of Brooklyn bands making beautiful music. Pearl and the Beard earned a following with their breakthrough track ‘Oh Death‘ from their debt album God Bless Your Weary Soul. Now they’re back with album number two and sounding better than ever if ‘Sweetness‘ is anything to go by.

Last, but not least, before we wrap this one up, readers of the New Bands Panel should remember the excellent Lauren & Tokyo. Well, Lauren has been in touch to tell us about her new project, Lauren Campbell & The Dusty Figurines. Their easy-going breezy pop can’t mask an underlying sophistication, and we can only recommend giving ‘Goodbye Daisy’ a listen below. - For Folk's Sake


"Lauren Campbell Interview- Interrobang"

The lovely Lauren Campbell


by: Jaymin Proulx

Published: Monday, April 11, 2011

"I don't want to be another journal entry/
I'm looking for something just a little bit more/
Maybe for this you'll think I'm crazy..."


~ Lauren Campbell, Goodbye Daisy


When Lauren Campbell writes, she writes honestly and without reservations. Her music glides effortlessly and as her lyrics to Goodbye Daisy suggest, she doesn't plan on staying still for very long.

How many times have you performed in London?

Since moving to London in September of 2008 for school (to take Music Industry Arts at Fanshawe) I've probably played about 20 shows, alone and accompanying others. During my first year, I didn't really play many shows. I was still working on writing songs and getting comfortable playing in front of an audience. I sang alongside a friend, singersongwriter Mark Kulmala, at venues like the London Music Club and the Black Shire Pub and that helped ease my way into the London music scene.

Within the past year, I've been playing a lot more around the city at places like APK Live, Elite and Gigs. It's been a constant growing period and you're probably thinking that in two years, 20 shows is next to nothing, but thinking back to my first show in London and comparing it to the most recent show I've played, I feel like I've come a long, long way. It's been super great lately too because I've been playing with the band, we go by Lauren Campbell & The Dusty Figurines, and it takes performing to a whole new level. Being in a group with three of the coolest cats I know (Adam Cannon on drums, Pete Moss on bass and James Fox on lead guitar) is unreal.

What do you like about performing here in the city?

Performing in London has been great so far! The audience is always really receptive and respectful and it's obviously really cool when people show up and sing along to the songs. A lot of the venues in London are really nice to play at too.

How can you describe your newly released EP, and could you tell me about the album?


The EP we're releasing as Lauren Campbell & The Dusty Figurines is a three-song EP. We recorded it at a local studio, EMAC Recording studios in January 2011. It was produced by Moe Berg (from Canadian band The Pursuit of Happiness and AUX TV's Master Tracks). The music is comparable to that of Sarah Harmer, Joel Plaskett and Fleetwood Mac. It's a little bit of rock, folk, pop and country all intertwined to hopefully create something refreshing to listen to. We had a lot of fun making the recording and we really hope it comes across to the listener. All of the songs on the EP were written during our time in the Music Industry Arts program.

Visit Campbell's Facebook page at facebook.com/LaurenCampbellMusic for a free song and other fun things. Check her out on Myspace at myspace.com/laurencampbellmusic. You can also follow her on Twitter @LaurenCampbellM or @DustyFigurines.
- Interrobang


"Lauren & Tokyo"

Lauren & Tokyo say they’ve been described as either “soul/pop/folk/rock” or “indie pop,” but they’re probably all or none of the above. In the band’s earlier cuts, you can hear sparse arrangements that fit the “folk” label, and there’s definitely some pop in everything they do. But the two tracks below demonstrate some quantum leap into a more elaborate, layered and interesting sound. Both also do more than just entertain; they spin out stories of life and love and pain, all embodied in a pair of impressive voices. Lighthouse is more upbeat, while The Ladder & The Key is a full-throated revival, minus the church choir. Each improves with every listen.

Hiding out in Ontario, Canada, it’s no surprise that Lauren & Tokyo haven’t found the spotlight. But they deserve a wider audience to watch their evolution play out.

- Lend Us Your Ears


"FFS New Bands Panel: Lauren & Tokyo"

All the way from Canada come Lauren & Tokyo, a meeting of Lauren Campbell’s folk melodies and Tokyo Speirs creative production that creates a special kind of him and her combo. The panel went in to investigate.

Kate Hinksman: Every once in a while it is nice to listen to some unashamedly commercial indie-pop that isn’t Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol. The build-ups to emotionally charged (and at times almost anthemic) choruses are present as are the layered instrumental arrangements, but there is also a lot of originality here. The contrast between Lauren & David’s vocals is really striking, and the harmonies, especially on Lighthouse (the introduction of which sounds a lot like The Coral at their eeriest) are perfect. Lauren and Tokyo have a surprisingly full sound for a two piece and the production has the strange feeling of sounding raw and DIY but at the same time clean and flawless. The attention to detail and the complexity of the songwriting means you will notice something different with every listen -here’s hoping they stay this interesting and avoid becoming the soundtrack to the ‘emotional’ bits in the X Factor.

Tom Moyser: Lauren & Tokyo are the musical equivalent of your favourite woolly hat: snug, warm, familiar and well stitched together. This doesn’t make them at all uninteresting. They give a whole new drive to the boy-girl vocal dynamic and are one of the few bands I’ve heard that can get away with that first person call, third person echo thing that The Feeling do so badly. You can hear this on the exceptional Lighthouse where a storm builds up in sound effects, melancholy lyrics and gushes of “ba da da da” before the whole arrangement lifts right out of the water into a more abstract string of associations to do with loss, searching and written communication. Warm and familiar, yes, but Lauren & Tokyo can also be sophisticated and surprising – highly recommended.

James Rutherford: Canadian Folk/Pop duo, Lauren & Tokyo have created a six track EP with slick production and craft but ultimately short term appeal. There are some nice touches throughout but the lyrics can tend to be overly sentimental, bordering on slushy and at times I found my attention wondering to other places. The soul and rock elements that are alluded to on their MySpace page aren’t really in evidence here which is a disappointment as they could be of benefit. - For Folk's Sake


"Lauren and Tokyo - unsigned act - Free Downloads"

Lauren Campbell is a musician from Orillia Ontario and Tokyo is a musician from Aylmer Quebec. They met in September 09 at Fanshawe College in the Music Industry Arts program, and began jamming. Lauren's hippy folk melodies and easy flowing vocals mixed with Tokyo's calculated lyrics and eclectic production created a surprisingly fitting entity of its own. Lauren and Tokyo now have enough tunes to release an EP (any record companies reading this??)

In Lauren's own words "Some would say we are an eclectic blend of soul/pop/folk/rock while others might simply call us "indie pop" but either way, you're in for a pleasant surprise when you bend your ears and give our songs a listen!". We couldn't have put it better ourselves so bend your ears here . What's more you are invited to 'steal' their music and download the 6 tracks for free!

Listing

Lighthouse
Ladder & The Key
Peter's Shadow
Some Kind of Happy
Violet Skies
Goodbye Daisy - My Dad Rocks


"Lauren & Tokyo - Dreamy Folk/Pop for the Complacent Listener"

Lauren & Tokyo? What is this, another dynamic duo with tattoos and a backup band? Certainly not, Lauren & Tokyo (actually Lauren Campbell and David Tokyo) are the product of a very successful musical synergy. The team have a short, self-titled EP with plenty of originality and a wealth of lyrical and melodic beauty.

Kicking off L&T’s EP is a roundhouse kick of a pop song, entitled “Lighthouse.” These two may be the epitome of independent, having only just started this project with likely very little money, but still have managed to leave me wide-eyed by the end of this first track. The production on the EP is actually very good, and is evident in the thuddy, almost R&B drum and bass jaun backing up the track’s arguably perfect melody.

While the remainder of the EP is sadly less ethereal, it still boasts a consistent quality, especially considering the infancy of the project. In the future, the duo may want to fine tune their direction a bit, as each of the EP’s tracks will likely appeal to a very different audience. Still, I appreciate the diversity and it does say a lot about the band’s songwriting skill.

As for the songwriting on the EP, it’s clearly advanced. There are plenty of intricacies on the record that would likely pass right over any casual listener but offer the more “demanding” among you the progressive nuance you crave: meter changes, distinct and gliding melodies that are no doubt the labor of love, and very narrative lyrics that keep you listening to figure out what on Earth Lauren is trying to say. On the surface, however, the album is a very friendly and beautiful collection of 5 tracks that anyone could easily warm up to.

I hope we see more of them in the future. If you do too, support them - head to their myspace and download this EP for free. For me, this is a nice change of pace. Besides, admit it. You’re bored with all your music. Dive in. - Praise For Wallflower


"She Said, He Said: Meet Lauren & Tokyo"

We always love hearing what our readers have to say, but who knew we could be in the happy position of hearing you guys sing as well! A few weeks ago, 20-year-old Ontario ModCloth fan Lauren Campbell sent some of the music she’s recorded for her indie pop duo, Lauren & Tokyo, and we thought it was so lovely that we just had to share!

Lauren & Tokyo started from an act of goodwill; one of her fellow music program classmates, David, was working on a song, and Lauren just happened to be there when he needed help with the chords and timing. The two Fanshawe College students started writing songs together, David adopted the inside-joke-turned-stage-name Tokyo, and within months the two recorded an EP (in their school’s music labs!).

“Primarily, Tokyo is more the lyric writer and I’m more the melody maker,” Lauren says. Many of their songs revolve around love, but “they’re open to interpretation. We want people to take away their own meanings and messages from the songs.”

As for their hopes for their eponymous EP, Lauren says they “just really want our songs to be heard and for people to get them stuck in their heads and hum them when they’re out and about. It would be amazing to one day be able to hop in a vintage VW minibus and tour the continent playing shows to eager ears. That’s what I want to do at least. Fingers crossed!”

- Mod Cloth


Discography

Lauren Campbell and the Dusty Figurines- S/T EP (April 2nd, 2011)

Photos

Bio

“When Lauren Campbell writes, she writes honestly and without reservation.”- Jaymin Proulx, 2011

Born and raised in Orillia, Ontario, home to the famed Mariposa Folk Festival, Lauren Campbell was raised to the songs of Canadian folk legends. Lauren began to play and write her own music at a young age, drawing inspiration from artists such as Joel Plaskett, Sarah Harmer, Neil Young and Fleetwood Mac. In pursuit of collaborators and developing her craft of songwriting Lauren left Orillia in 2009 to attend the prestigious Music Industry Arts Program in London, Ontario. It was here that Lauren began to collaborate with another young songwriter, David “Tokyo” Speirs, forming “Lauren & Tokyo” shortly thereafter.

During this time Lauren developed an interest in taking her songs from the studio to the stage. Lauren began to sing alongside other acts to build her comfort with the challenges of live performance. With a growing comfort on stage, Lauren looked to more collaborators to bring her own unique sound to public ears. She began to work with James Fox, Pete Moss, and Adam Cannon (now known as the Dusty Figurines) writing new songs for a then, undefined project.

In the winter of 2010, Lauren entered the studio with producer Moe Berg (Pursuit of Happiness, The Cliks) to begin work on a few songs Lauren had written. Under the influence of Moe’s punk sensibilities the band stepped outside of their humble folk past and into the exciting world of folk-rock. Inspired by this direction, Lauren took a collection of old and new songs into the studio and, supported by the Dusty Figurines, recorded her debut S/T EP. The EP is a beautiful, blended representation of Lauren’s growth in her abilities to write memorable and endearing songs. Lauren’s unique vocal delivery and pop sensibility is a refreshing addition to the indie folk rock world and the “Lauren Campbell and the Dusty Figurines” EP is a delightful glimpse into the future of a talented, ambitious and inspired folk songstress.

Update:
Lauren Campbell & The Dusty Figurines' music video for "Southbound" can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE0BMPA4I8w

Lauren Campbell & David Speirs' song "Goodbye Daisy" was featured in Modcloth's latest online Style Book. The video can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6WzanxfUmA

Lauren's song "Southbound" was featured in CBC's television show "Heartland". Airing October 2, 2011, the song made it's national T.V debut! (Episode 3, Season 5 - "What's In A Name")