Lauv on Finding Himself within the Process of Creating All 4 Nothing

Digitally published by Unpublished Magazine, August 2022. View original publication.

Launching into a press conference with not one but two unreleased tracks was an unusual and fantastic experience granted to the attendees of 1824’s conference with Lauv. Calling in under the screen name “lauvyyyyy," Ari wore a bright grin as he bounced his head to his new music and watched the Zoom call chat explode through the unexpected beat drop of “Summer Nights," a song that demands carefree dancing and laughter. Switching up the energy entirely with the self-love soft ballad of “First Grade," we watched as Ari lost himself to the song through closed eyes and reverent sways of the head. The production of “First Grade” is so vulnerably raw that it almost feels like a live and intimate show, and witnessing how important the track is to Lauv made the lyricism hit home even harder for me personally.

“I’m taking a risk and not hiding anymore, which is so hard but also the most gratifying part of it," says Lauv about the songs of All 4 Nothing. With such diversity between the two unreleased tracks played to start the conference and the previously released singles, Ari says he found a foothold in detaching himself from the obsession over creating a perfect pop record and instead focusing on finding healing through music. The album itself encapsulates Lauv’s experiences as a person in his mid to late-twenties who found success within his dreams of being an artist but feeling empty as he battles loss of self. “It’s basically me on a journey trying to find my own inner light again, and the ups and downs of that after feeling really out of touch with my true self. It is the positive side of that, and the not-so-positive side of that.”

Taking a more zoomed-out approach to the album’s design, Ari found himself opting towards more collaboration and experimentation, notably through tracks like “Bad Trip” and “I Don’t Have A Problem” which explore entirely new sounds for the singer. “Bad Trip” was also a special treat for the attendees of 1824’s conference who watched as Ari bared his soul through passionate lyricism and lip-synched reverie midway through the event. Lauv then discussed how “Bad Trip” is his favorite song off of the album, specifically noting his love of the upbeat energy against the melancholy lyricism.

At the beginning of the creation of All 4 Nothing, Lauv found his coping strategies to mainly consist of partying or sitting with his emotions, creating such a strong polarity that he wanted to explore within the album. At this point, it became very clear to me just how passionate Ari is about mental health. A deep discussion began as Ari discussed that he feels he had no understanding of mental health until he had his major low point and gathered that he has to do more than just speak to his therapist. “It shouldn’t take getting to such major lows to be able to break the stigma of mental health and get medication and support.” says the artist, as he then became obsessed with the new journey of health for himself and others. Ari’s mental health journey has certainly taken a variety of turns, but his vulnerability in discussing his usage of therapy, medication, meditation, and various other holistic methods displayed his clarity and growth throughout the last few years of his life. Ari specifically discussed his love of inner child meditations, which have certainly manifested throughout All 4 Nothing. While these meditations hold a personal chord for Leff, a memory that he goes back to often is his childhood friend’s backyard where they built a skate ramp. Lauv’s face visibly relaxed as he reminisced on his memories of skating, eating popsicles, and exploring. Connecting with and healing his inner child is work that takes time, but Ari has found immense personal growth within the experience thus far and translated it into songs such as “Kids Are Born Stars” and “First Grade.”

With so many changes in his outlook on life, All 4 Nothing is getting out of the woods and coming out of loneliness to find happiness again for Ari. Towards the end of the conference, he joked about his forward thinking as he told us he thinks the next album will be the best one yet now that he found himself on All 4 Nothing. While he cooks up more music to love, I find myself just listening to All 4 Nothing on a continuous loop and healing through tracks like “Hey Ari," “Bad Trip," and “I (Don’t) Have A Problem." With such passionate vulnerability and a newfound sense of self, Lauv has created a truly beautiful love letter to his growth for all to witness on All 4 Nothing.