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interview
FRAWLEY on her newest single Figure You Out
WORDS by Tessa Swantek TALENT Frawley
PR °1824 PHOTOGRAPHYAshley Osborn
When I picture FRAWLEY [Lauren Frawley], I see sparkles shimmering off platform boots [camera pans up] and her eyes traced in rhinestones glinting up toward New York City’s silver skyline, each window winking at her. [Cue “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield] She stretches her arms out as the night’s rain sprinkles down like glitter. Feel the rain on your skin/ No one else can feel it for you/ Only you can let it in / No one else, no one else / Can speak the words on your lips / Drench yourself in words unspoken / Live your life with arms wide open / Today is where your book begins / The rest is still unwritten.”
…well, that’s the glam cinematic version, the one she deserves.
Despite being in the music industry for several years, and having gained popularity with singles like “Hard Boy,” “Easy,” and “If I Don’t Laugh I’ll Cry,” FRAWLEY sees her life right now as an open book, waiting to be written. She’s embracing all the awkward ‘figuring out’ of your early 20s. She tells us she wears her heart on her sleeve, and so anything affecting her heart easily pours into her pen in bold red ink. This is the reason so many people connect with her music - she doesn’t hold back, even when she thinks she ‘should.’ Her newest single “Figure You Out” is about a guy who she literally couldn’t figure out; It’s a song that she questioned even creating, but after pouring her anger, frustration, and pain into it, she knew it needed to be heard, maybe even especially by him. But she created it for herself, certainly not for him.
Despite the many evolutions she will face in her 20s, FRAWLEY will always be the same person who, at 15 years old, created a fake Instagram account to send managers her music, promoting herself as an undiscovered talent that a manager would be lucky enough to uncover. Even if she admittedly forgets her worth from time to time, it’s never lost.
Figure You Out is out now! Read our full interview with FRAWLEY below.
I always like to start an interview with past memories. I read in another interview that you have a lot of memories of visiting family in Ireland. What is one vivid memory that comes to mind that felt almost cinematic?
Growing up, I spent most of my summers in Ireland visiting family, so the memories are ENDLESS. We're from a small town in the middle of nowhere called Ballymahon in Co. Longford. My grandparents live a few houses down from the grand canal and I remember spending so many days and nights sitting by the water with my cousins talking, climbing on the old abandoned boat that was there since before I was born, just talking about life.Truly one of the most peaceful places on earth.
There was one summer where my three cousins, my sister, and I were sleeping over at my grandparent’s house, and my grandma had a thing for wanting to turn off the wifi before she went to bed. So one night all of the girls were hanging out in our bedroom and we noticed our phones weren't working and we couldn't get any service! My youngest cousin, Ella and I decided to sneak downstairs without waking up my grandparents to break our way into the room where the wifi router was. We must've been not so quiet because 2 minutes later, we heard our grandma coming down the stairs and into the room. We hid in plain sight and she somehow didn't notice us. It was the funniest thing ever. On her way out, she turned off the light, closed the door, and locked it from the outside. There was no way for us to get out and my grandma had taken the key back to bed with her. We ended up having to pick the lock on one of the windows and climb outside to sneak back into the house… not before turning the wifi back on of course though. It’s forever one of my favorite memories to date!
On that same note of traveling, your performance debut was in South Korea on Inkigayo, right? What was that day like? How did you feel?
Performing on Inkigayo was unreal. The show is absolutely iconic and I knew that going into it. The energy was super high that day, it was my first TV show performance ever, and I didn't fully know what to expect, but I was so excited to be there. I remember I had two quick rehearsals and then it was showtime! The fans were so engaging and everyone was so sweet. I remember watching myself back on the monitor when I got to my dressing room after the performance and I felt like I was watching somebody else… like I JUST DID THAT?!
Your upcoming single “Figure You Out” is so good! What’s the song about?
The song is written about a guy that I quite literally couldn’t figure out. He told me he likes me, but then doesn’t text back. He would tell me he wants to be with me and would call me every day, but then would suddenly disappear or I would find him talking to his ex again. It's about the frustration of not knowing what the other person’s intentions actually are and the want for them to stop messing with your heart.
I have to admit, I was an absolute fool over this boy! Looking back, I wish I knew how to not let somebody treat me like that, but lots of tears, anger, and many songs later, now I know better.
I’ve thought about whether or not this boy even deserves a song, especially after he asked me, “are you going to write a song about me?” But I kind of hope he hears it. I never fully got to tell him how bad he made me and my heart feel. And he should know.
I kind of hope he hears it.
FIGURE YOU OUT by FRAWLEY
How different does the final version sound as compared to how it originally started?
The demo and the final master (the version you guys get to hear) are actually very similar which is funny because I’m used to songs starting out one way and then by the time it's out, it sounds completely different. But in this case, there was magic in the initial demo… so why change that? We definitely added additional production and a few cool vocal effects to amplify the record, but other than that…it's very similar!
Is there any song from another artist that you feel like transports you when you listen to it even if it’s not an experience you relate to?
Right now, I can't stop listening to ‘Unwritten’ by Natasha Bedingfield. It transports me back into New York City, walking on the lower west side. I’ve claimed the song as the soundtrack to my life right now. “Live your life with arms wide open, today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten.” UGH. And that is exactly what I’m doing and reminding myself of, every time I listen to it… my “book” is open and the pages are new… the world is mine!
I read that you have been journaling since you were young. Do you ever take a look through your old journals? If so, what are some things you notice about how young FRAWLEY expressed herself?
It's actually so sweet to go back and read the things I used to journal about when I was little. I was home recently, and went through one of my books. There was one journal about wanting to leave school (I was 9) because kids were not being nice and all I wanted to do was sing and they couldn't teach me that in school lol!
It's nice to look back and read…little Lauren would be so proud of where she is now and how much she has overcome and done so far. I bet I’ll be saying the same thing about 2023 Lauren in 10 years from now!
I saw in one of your Youtube videos that you created a fake Instagram account at 15 years old to reach out to managers and send them your own music which I think is hysterical! Do you think the person you are now would still be that bold?
YES. 100%. I think that's just who I am. I’ve been a very persistent, determined to get what I want kind of girl ever since I was little. To be fair, I had no connections to the music industry at all. I had no clue how to even start, but I knew I could sing and write songs… I had to take matters into my own hands and get things started for myself haha - it worked in my favor though, it eventually landed me a publishing deal!
You’ve co-written and collaborated with several artists. What is one of your more memorable sessions?
Writing in New York City with Tate McRae was one of my favorite sessions. We’ve written a few times together, but the day we wrote ‘stupid’ felt extra special. We were in New York City, it was snowing and we bonded over the fact that boys were messing with our heads… the song came together so effortlessly.
I love your glittery and starry aesthetic. How do you think your personal style reflects who you are?
Aw thank you so much! I love anything that has a bit of sparkle and pops. I definitely found myself drawn to the glittery starry aesthetic with some dark undertones over the last year…. I even have a few rhinestone microphone covers I bring with me whenever I perform.
I’m super into fashion and having a big glam moment… I’m leaning into that more (especially with the new music coming out), but honestly I also love a cozy set for a chill day at the studio… you can't beat comfort!
The world is mine!
Signature Questions
How do you view yourself? Is it different from the way others tend to view you?
I view myself as someone who is determined to succeed no matter what crazy obstacles life throws at me. Sometimes navigating through life, love, and being in your early 20’s is really hard…but I always pick myself back up and find a way to bounce back even stronger and better for it! I wear my heart on my sleeve, I think that's why people connect with my music so deeply.
What are the best words you’ve been told? It could be advice or just something that struck you.
I feel like I'm constantly being fed great advice and words of affirmation from my friends and family, which I'm so grateful for and just the other day my sister said to me “you don't check on the trash once it's taken out…right? So why would you check on him?” It's a funny one, but she was dead serious. In this moment I was definitely in my feels over the guy my next song, ‘Figure You Out’ is about and she snapped me right out of it!
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