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Whether veiled inside of us, or a full-on proxy, a small part of our lizard brain has a hedonistic quality: that primal, live-to-live urge that more often than not corrupts the life we currently have. Gemma, an artist who has already surprised us before with her deliberate, introspective, stripped down songwriting, embodies a different raw energy on this single ahead of her upcoming album. Wanting to hear more about growing up in Maine, excess in life & love and more, we bugged her via the letter sending machine here: 

OnesToWatch: Who is Gemma Laurence?  

Gemma Laurence: Wow what a question! I’m an indie artist, I’m queer, I’m from the coast of Maine, kind of the UK too. I live in Brooklyn, I’m a big feeler, I write songs about bisexual heartache and yearning and memory.  

Are you eating caviar on a water bed right now? Where are you? 

I WISH! I’m actually gearing up for my summer tour right now! Getting all my ducks in a row to head out for the West Coast this July. Really stoked to hit the road again. If anyone wants to provide a water bed and caviar for me on the road, I’d happily accept. As a solo touring artist, it’s usually more of a beef jerky for lunch / couch for a bed type situation. 

More seriously, what is "Hedonist" all about? 

“Hedonist” is a song about falling in love with myself again and channeling all the attention and energy I usually pour into other people back into myself. It’s about being a little self-indulgent and celebrating that. I wrote it after a breakup but I gotta say, I’m trying to live a little more hedonistically just generally these days. You know that Kim Cattrall quote where she’s like “I don’t want to be in a situation for even an hour where I’m not enjoying myself'? Yeah. That’s what “Hedonist” is about. Self-love baby.

This feels like a bit of a pivot for you, what brought that about?  

I honestly wanted to write something that felt fun! I’m such a deep feeler and so many songs are about yearning or heartache or grief or nostalgia for some time past. Honestly the whole album (We Were Bodies Underwater, my third studio album, which is out July 18) is about me reckoning with the past and learning how to love someone who’s tackling some demons. I wanted to have one song on there that was truly just fun and for me - something that’d be fun to perform live, something a little tongue-in-cheek. It kind of started out as an inside joke (especially the therapist line), and then it became its own beast.

Any collaborators? Who produced the track? 

Charlie Dahlke, who produced this whole album (and my last album, Lavender) also produced this track. Honestly the whole arrangement really did come together in a collaborative way, with my band in the room – Joanna Quinn on drums, Lotus James Rogers on bass, Francesca Pastore on guitar, Aída O’Brien ripping that guitar solo at the end. And the music video – that was a huge collaborative effort. I worked with Sophia Alaniz (a good friend and director) and we created this wild music video that’s sexy and edgy and gay as hell. It’s got a line dancing sequence that I helped choreograph with Julia Wortman (plot twist: I’m really into queer line dancing now) and a Twin Peaks One Eyed Jacks kind of aesthetic. Rose Sutton produced and edited it, Irina Lazouski was DP, and I got four of my best friends from the queer line dancing scene to star in it (Emma Brodsky, Rose Miles, Taylor Thayer, Olive Wexler). It was so fun to make, and it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever made. 

Can we expect more of this style in the future? Are you having fun experimenting? 

Yes absolutely! I loved your first reaction to this song and music video I sent you “Wow. This is a bit different.” I wanted that reaction from people – I want people to know that I’m not just this cottagecore long flowy-dress-wearing folk singer/songwriter or whatever. I can rock out too. And anyone who knows me knows I have a super dark / dry sense of humor. Looks can be deceiving. So yeah, this is all to say – I’m having a lot of fun experimenting with different sounds and aesthetics with this new album. Sonically, I’m definitely leaning into more of an alternative/rock sound these days. You can hear it on Bloodlines and you’ll hear it across the rest of the album too. I love writing songs you can headbang to or dance to. 

Besides this excellent single, what else should we be on the lookout for? 

My album, We Were Bodies Underwater, is out July 18th and I just announced an NYC album release show at Sultan Room and a US tour following it! All my tour dates you can find here. I’ll have a couple more singles leading up to the release too. Very exciting stuff in store!

What’s inspiring you right now outside of music? 

I’ve been reconnecting with my dance roots lately! I grew up dancing for fun and in the past year I’ve gotten really into queer line dancing and I go line dancing / two-stepping / swing dancing every week. I think partner dancing in particular is so much fun – there’s few things more delightful than being spun in circles around the dancefloor to some really good live music. I’ve also been reading some really good books lately – I’ve got Ocean Vuong’s new book on my shelf, also some Joan Didion, Ada Limón, Barbara Kingsolver, Maggie Nelson, Sally Rooney. I love laying out in the park with a good book. That always gets the creative wheels turning. 

Give us your last meal / most hedonist activity before you die? 

Excellent question. I think if today were my last day on earth and I wanted to go full hedonist, I’d probably spend the day eating and dancing with friends. If we’re talking specifics – I’d go for a full roast dinner (I’m talking roast beef and yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes etc – the Brit really coming out of me now, I know), I’d get the red wine flowing, I’d get my girls to the honky tonk for a night of dancing into the wee hours. Maybe a midnight dip in the ocean. I’d probably smooch a homie or two – sue me!

Musically, who is new but making all the right moves? Who are your current OnesToWatch? 

I’ve been watching Susannah Joffe make her moves in the sapphic indie music space and she’s crushing it. I love her tracks “Call Me Pretty” and “Sofia Coppola.” The two artists who are playing at my album release show Dolly and Taylor Pearlstein are favorites of mine too - Dolly’s arrangements go so hard, Taylor’s got the voice of an angel and a knack for writing the catchiest indie pop melodies of all time. If you’re in NYC, catch all three of us at The Sultan Room 7/18 celebrating my album release! Tickets here.