Laney Tripp - Nothing 'Small' About Her
With mellow chords, soothing vocals and an ethereal sounds, the young Laney Tripp is able to place listeners in a calm meditative state with her music. Released on September 21st, her first EP “Small” is a collection of short personal anecdotes carried by nostalgic melodies.
Photos by Rachel Saunders
Isabel Padilla: First off, could you introduce yourself for our readers?
Laney Tripp: Hello! My name is Laney Tripp and I’m from Florida.
Congrats on your EP that recently came out in September! How did that come about?
Thanks so much! My EP kind of happened over the course of a year. I’ve been playing music nearly my entire life but it wasn’t until a couple years ago that I actually started writing and producing. It started with ‘Small’, my first song on the EP, and over the course of the next few months I wrote the rest. I was never super satisfied with what I had and wanted to do so much more with the songs, but eventually it all just came together and I decided which tracks I wanted on the EP, and here we are!
Photo by Tuck Tripp
So you play your own guitar which is super cool! Was that one of your major forces behind the album?
I’ve been playing the guitar for over ten years now and I feel like (as silly as it sounds), I’ve really tapped into a whole new level. It’s been one of the best things that’s happened to me. When writing a song or even just messing around, if I know what key or sound I want, I know how to find it right away, and that’s been always been something I’ve loved. Just being able to think up what sound I want and then bringing it to life, it’s magical!
What does your creative process look like?
I don’t really know how to describe my creative process. I am a terrible terrible procrastinator, but usually songwriting (I’ve noticed), has started with me just messing around on the guitar, then I’ll find a lil tune that I like, from there the melody for words comes, and just grows from that point. Sometimes I won’t have lyrics to fill those hums until way later on, but for other songs, I’ve written them in one sitting. So I guess it just depends on the situation.
The visuals for ‘Small’ and the EP cover perfectly match the mood of the entire EP in my opinion, so I just wanted to ask if your environment influenced the mellow/moody tone of the songs at all?
My environment and upbringing most definitely has influenced most of the EP. My brother is a director & videographer so we worked on the video together. We both grew up at the beach and spent most of our childhood outside. Our dad is a fishing guide so we’ve spent a lot of time out on the water/beach with our parents.
Photo by Tuck Tripp
Did you always see music as a career path or something you would pursue seriously?
I’ve always loved music and I’ve been playing since I was a wee youngin’. I’ve dreamt of being able to make music my career, but it wasn’t until this past year that I saw it being an actual possibility for me - when I finally put my EP together and started playing shows.
Photos by Rachel Saunders
Is there a funny or memorable story/moment from your time making the EP?
The day(s) we were shooting for the ‘Small’ music video, I originally imagined it being nice and sunny with a beautiful blue sky, but our days were limited... and we ended up only having this day that was cold and overcast and the ocean was so choppy, and on top of it I was sick! The water was freezing, so filming itself was pretty miserable, but we still had fun and It all ended up working out perfectly - because it set the tone for the song so much better than I could have imagined.
You have a lot of film photos on your Instagram which I absolutely love; is photography another creative outlet for you? What other things do you like to do for fun?
I do love shooting film, but I can’t say that I am the best photographer haha, I do it more to capture friends in happy moments for memory-making’s sake. Other than music, I love sketching & painting and being outside as much as I can.
Photo by Laney Tripp
Can we look forward to more Laney in the new year!?
Yes you most definitely can! I am releasing my first single next month, then another one after that! I also am planning a little tour for this summer, so I can finally play some shows outside of Florida!
Photo by Rachel Saunders
Anything you want to shoutout?
Shoutout to my pup named Fish, love that boy (black lab featured in the music video ;) )
One last question, would you rather never be able to pick up a guitar, or never be able to go to the ocean?
Oh mannn not fair! I honestly don’t know how to answer that one... but I mayyy have to give up guitar (and start playing the banjo?)
Photos by Summer Schantz
Huge thanks to Laney for taking the time to talk with us, make sure to check out her latest release, ‘Small”, on all major streaming platforms. Keep an eye out for her tour this summer!