Laura Lee Bishop

Skope: How long have you been making music and what do you love about having music in your life?
I’ve been making music since my days of pretending I was The Little Mermaid, running around the house singing every line to every song. Even back then, I liked to put my own spin on it. I would try to change it up, sing it a little different than Ariel. As funny and seemingly insignificant as that seems, looking back, I think it started to put the idea in my mind that I could take something and make it mine, maybe even create something all my own. I started writing songs in high school, and I just kept progressing from there.

Skope: When are you most inspired to create music?
Unfortunately for me, creativity often strikes really late at night. When it gets quiet, and everyone is sleeping, I actually have time to think about things. Sometimes that’s a bad thing when you’re actually trying to get some sleep, but I’ve also written some of my best stuff at 2am. Also, like most artists, things really get going when I’m feeling intense emotions. I always write good music right after I’ve had fight with someone or while I’m in the middle of crying my eyes out. Those are the moments when we are the most honest with ourselves because we have no other choice. You can’t pretend you aren’t mad while you slam doors and stomp around. You can’t pretend you aren’t sad while you cry into your pillow. There it is, and there’s no way around it, so, I just give in and let it lead the way. A lot of the time it just kind of flows out, I step away, and then there’s a song. So basically, I run around picking fights with people all the time!

Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
I released two singles with Tommy Boy this year: “Real Man” in February and “Within Me” in June. The video for “Real Man” is available on VEVO and YouTube, and the video for “Within Me” will premiere on those sites sometime this fall. I worked really hard on it, and I’m so excited to share it with everyone. Also, I’m playing a big show on November 7th at The Bitter End in NYC. I usually play my New York shows by myself on acoustic guitar, but I will have a full band for this one, so I can’t wait for my NYC fans to see it!

Skope: Where do you turn to hear and discover music, social media, Pandora, FM radio, etc?
I use Rdio a lot. They are support artists by encouraging us to network within the platform. They offer incentives to help you build your audience, and in turn, you help build their audience. Basically every music streaming platform has New Music Tuesday with features from various artists, so I usually browse through and try to find stuff I like. I also force myself to listen to the radio every week. It’s not always stuff I would choose to listen to, but I think it’s important to keep my ears open to the big hits. Regardless of the “radio is shit” attitude most artists have, there is a reason people are drawn to certain songs. Granted, some songs are forced down our throats, fifty times a day on every station, but a lot of them have an intangible quality that makes people love them, even if it’s in secret. I like to listen and try to figure out what that quality is exactly and how I can find a way to make people feel that way about my music.

Skope: Do you have any new Youtube videos or Soundcloud singles posted online we should hear?
YES. My “Real Man” music video is online, all my music is available on iTunes and Amazon, and you can stream my new single, “Within Me,” for free on Soundcloud. The links are below!

Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
I really like releasing singles because I can be creative with each song without forcing it to sound a certain way in order for it to match the other songs that would be on an album. I’m writing and recording a lot and have so many songs I want to share. It’s a long process because I usually have a very specific vision for the song, so I spend a lot of time making sure it’s right. I hope to have some new music out this winter. Maybe I will write a Christmas song!
I keep all my fans updated on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and all my music is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon. My videos are posted on my VEVO/YouTube channel. Stay tuned for my new video this fall! And I hope everyone can make it out to my show on November 7th at The Bitter End in New York City! Visit the links below for more info!

LauraLeeBishop.com
facebook.com/LauraLeeBishopMusic
YouTube.com/LauraLeeBishopVEVO
twitter.com/TheLauraLeeB
instagram.com/TheLauraLeeB
soundcloud.com/LauraLeeBishop - Skope Mag

Laura Lee Bishop is one of those artists who just commands your attention. She is fearless and confident with just the right splash of coyness to entice your curiosity. Her eyes are magnetic, they beckon you closer, but somewhere deeper they challenge: can you handle this? Laura is an open book, but her story is an intriguing mystery. “Real Man” is Bishop’s TommY BoY Entertainment debut and it carries all of those same compelling qualities and more. It is a rousing pop gem with country roots, a confession as much as it is an anthem that declares: take me as I am or get lost.Laura’s just released video is already approaching 100,000 views. This rapidly rising talent graciously agreed to offer Songwriter’s Monthly some insight into exactly who she is!

Some Background, Please?
I currently live in Nashville, but I spend a lot of time in New York City. I attended college at NYU, so those years you spend finding yourself that shape who you become, who you are, I spent in New York. I lived in Austin for several years after college, playing a lot of live music. I am a Texas girl, so I had a blast there, but after a while, I realized I needed to make a change, and that’s when I moved to Nashville. I don’t know if Nashville represents who I am as an artist — New York City will always have my heart — but I am glad I moved there because it has sparked a chain of events that led me to where I am now.

What About Your Songwriting?
Everything I write is extremely personal. “Real Man” is an interesting song because while I sing, “I need a real man,” it’s not exactly about finding a real man, it’s about being a “real woman.” The song is about saying, “I’m all of these things, and I don’t have to change. I can do me, and if you can’t take the heat, get out of the oven.”

I’ll Show You A “Real Man!”
Honestly, I’m not looking for a real man. I think what everyone is looking for is just someone who gets them. For example, when I sing the song, I think a lot about my place in the music industry, where I am, and where I want to be. Will someone hear me? Will they want me? Do they see who and what I am? I know I am all these things that I sing about in “Real Man,” but will someone else see the good in that?

What’s The Laura Lee Live Experience Like?
I’m an intense person, especially when I sing. Sometimes, it’s actually physically painful the way a song can take over my body during a performance — even if it’s a song I didn’t write, I make it a part of me while I’m singing it. Every song is trying to tell something to someone — a lover, a friend, an enemy — so when I sing, I need that person to really hear it, not just the words but that thing that is deep down at the core.I want people to see me live. Recordings are great, and I love “Real Man,” but I want people to see what I do in the moment, that I exist as a performer first and a recording artist second. For a lot of artists today, it’s the reverse: they sing in the studio, but they are a mess on stage. It’s all smoke a mirrors. I pride myself on being a real singer, a real performer. When you see me perform, there is no disparity between what you hear in the recording and what you hear live on stage.

Awesome Hair!
The magenta hair was an impulsive, last minute thing. I was watching Netflix in bed with my mom, and I said, “I think I will dye my hair tomorrow.” And I did. It was blonde, and blonde just isn’t me. I’m a theatrical person in general, so I just went BAM! and now I have crazy magenta hair!

In Closing:
I’m excited for what is to come. “Real Man” is my first real release. I recorded an EP in college, but this is the first thing I’ve released that has said, “HERE I AM!” So, I’m excited to hear what people think of it. Video • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram - Songwriter's Monthly

Gilmer native brings original sound to Nashville

By Reese Gordon rgordon@news-journal.com | Posted: Thursday, March 6, 2014 4:00 am

Karen Bishop told her daughter, Laura, she would buy her a guitar if she promised to play it.

That was in 1998.

Now 26 years old, Laura Lee Bishop has written more songs than her mother can count and released her first pop single, “Real Man,” Feb. 11 through Tommy Boy Entertainment in New York City.

A 2005 Gilmer High School graduate, Bishop went on to graduate from Clive Davis School of Recorded Music at New York University in 2009.

She produced her first album, “Fire,” which is available on iTunes.

“I’ve been in Nashville for the last year writing and recording,” she said. “I’m definitely on the track to where I want to be. Everything I’ve done before now was on my own.”

While “Real Man” may be considered more pop than her previous “rock-country” songs, Bishop said she focuses less on genre and more on having an original sound.

“When people ask me what genre I am, I tell them I have really had no clear genre. I have always loved to rock out, play live music and sing. But what I pride myself on is being a real singer.”

Karen said she recognized her daughter’s talent from a very young age.

“She would sing all the time and I always thought she had an extremely mature voice. So I got her voice lessons with a teacher here in Gilmer. Laura went to state competition as a freshman and received a one on vocal performance. That was a big deal. I don’t think that had ever been done by a freshman from Gilmer.”

Before 1998, Bishop said she did a lot of singing and dabbled with the piano.

However, it was the passing of her father that kick-started her song-writing and guitar skills, her mother said.

“I think with the anguish of going through her father’s death, she needed an outlet to express herself and music helped,” Karen said. “ She started to really write her thoughts down and put it to music.”

Laura said she was “dealing with a lot of heavy, emotional stuff” at that time.

“My first song I wrote was for church and then it just kind of grew from there,” she said. “I didn’t really think of myself of as an artist until I got to college and that’s when I really realized this is who I am and what I have to do. There’s nothing I’ve written that hasn’t been organic or natural to me.”

She’s going to play one set during Austin’s SXSW music festival Saturday and will be shooting her next music video in Austin.

Her second single, “Within Me,” is still being tweaked.

“I will be re-recording parts of it just to make it perfect.”

As for musical influences, Bishop said she has always been a fan of Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac and “glam” metal. - Longview News Journal

The 2014 East Texas CASA Blue Jeans and Ball Gowns fund raiser was a magnet for such local worthies as judges Alphonso Charles,
Becky Simpson and Tom Womack; KLTV morning anchor and producer Dia Wall, Fire Marshall Johnny Zachary, Longview Chamber of
Commerce President Kelly Hall and a host of others. Miss Texas International Michelle Berendt even showed up to host the live and silent
auction.
And singer and song writer Laura Bishop, was in attendance.
Everything from Texas seems to be bigger and better than from elsewhere. This includes entertainers, but for some reason it is the fairer sex
that usually steals the show.Following in the glittering footsteps of such Deep East Texas standouts as Farrah Fawcett, Sissy Spacek, Sandy Duncan and Miranda
Lambert comes Laura Lee Bishop, whose endless talents gives her yet another reason to walk tall and proud. Her beautiful voice radiates
ability, sensitivity and confidence.
Hailing from Gilmer, her music reminds of the old Roberta Flack song Killing me Softly’s line about singing “as if you knew me in all my
dark despair.” Her searching tunes and croons strike a chord in everyone who has experienced emotional hardship–and we all have. She
even manages to be uncommonly versatile as she bridges the gaps separating high-voltage pop/rock and country. Education was the route to
her present exalted and novel status.
Singing has long been her aspiration. She has been singing and writing songs since high school, where she participated in UIL competitions.
Learning guitar was a natural progression in her quest to stardom. After graduating from Gilmer High School, she traveled north to enroll in
the University of New York at New York City, where she took her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Recorded Music. Helping others is also part of
her resume`.
Bishop’s mother, Karen DeBiasse Bishop works as a lawyer in Gilmer, and closely collaborates with the CASA child welfare organization. Mom danced with the flash mob at the recent CASA fund-raising event, and Laura attended.
“CASA is near and dear to my heart,” said Bishop. “They do a wonderful job. I would not miss it for anything.
Laura released her first album Fire in 2009.
In February, she came out with the single Real Men on the Tommy-Boy label. She has also recorded the single Within Me to be released this
summer. Her albums feature accompanying videos and can be seen at MUSIC Youtube.com/LauraLeeBishopVEVO. Her career updates are
available at her fan face book page Facebook.com/LauraLeeBishopMusic. Fans can send her a Tweet at Twitter.com/TheLauraLeeB or an
instagram at Instagram.com/The LauraLeeB, or even visit her website at LauraLeeBishop.com. - InfinitiePlus Magazine

Laura Lee Bishop releases debut single
by PHILLIP WILLIAMS
02.13.14 - 11:11 am
Singer/songwriter Laura Lee Bishop, a Gilmer native now living in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday released her debut single, "Real Man."

Her first release with Tommy Boy Entertainment, a New York City record label, "Real Man" can be downloaded on iTunes. The accompanying music video of the song will soon premiere online at www.YouTube.com/LauraLeeBishopVEVO.

She encourages her fans to subscribe to her YouTube channel for updates on the video.

For more information, visit two Internet sites: www.LauraLeeBishop.com; and her Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/lauraleebishopmusic.

Miss Bishop, the daughter of Gilmer attorney Karen Bishop and the late David Bishop, is a graduate of Gilmer High School. She has performed at the annual East Texas Yamboree luncheon and also performed a free concert in Gilmer last year.
© gilmermirror.com 2014 - Gilmer Mirror

LAURA LEE BISHOP - "Real Man"
"I need a soft touch / I need a firm hand / A real man..." There's a lot to learn about Ms. Laura Lee Bishop -- she's an up and comer signed to indie label Tommy Boy and "Real Man" is her debut single. It's a bouncy, buoyant, relatable pop jam about being strong enough to be her man and she's got the vocal chops to back up her claims on a time-tested lyrical topic such as this. She really caught my attention in the bridge where she really lets loose and sinks her teeth into the runs. I'm definitely interested to see what's next for her...
Like what you hear? Follow Laura on Twitter via @TheLauraLeeB - Melismatic

Well, we can’t forget another female-fronted band that’s at the next big booth. Laura Lee Bishop, a southern rocker from Austin, Texas, is here with her backup band. Cody Brown and Neal Davis are the guitar shredders and fingerstylists in her band. Alex Ferreiro plays bass and John Michael Taylor takes on the drums.
Laura Lee herself plays acoustic guitar and sings lead. She belts, she croons, she wails. She sometimes sounds like Allison Krouse, sometimes like Stevie Nicks, but most of all like Laura Lee. Her lyrics speak of love, strong women, and an indictment to the hollow songwriters of the music industry. Laura Lee is a songwriting force that will not be stopped and she’s one whose career I’ll especially want to follow. She’s destined for great things. Check out her new album, Fire, that came out a few months ago. Welcome, Laura Lee. I’m glad you could join us. - SkopeMag.com

Singer/Songwriter Laura Lee Bishop is going to blow music fans away with her angelic Southern rock vocals that weave beautiful notes. Bishop's storytelling abilities are also a major plus with lyrics that are enriching, soulful, and meaningful. In this exclusive interview with this artist, Laura Lee Bishop speaks candidly about her love and passion for music, her inspirations and influences, and why fans will love her music.

Isaac: We'd love to know about your inspirations growing up. I hear so many influences in your music. How old were you when you first discovered music? Is there any kind of musical history in your family?

Laura Lee Bishop: I can't really remember a time in my childhood when music wasn't important to me. I was always fascinated by it. I would listen to cassette tapes on a tiny karaoke machine my mom bought for me. It had a little microphone attached, and you could record while you sang as well, so I would sit for hours and just sing and sing. I was very intrigued by the whole performance aspect of music, of really becoming a character and placing myself within a song and just letting everything else disappear. I was constantly putting on shows for my family or even for myself in the mirror. I really haven't changed.

As I got older and began to song-write, I became heavily influenced by the power of nature and the forces of the earth. I see so many parallels between the human spirit and the natural world. You can hear these influences literally in my lyrics, as well as the melodies and instrumentation of my songs.

Isaac: What drew you to pick up an instrument in the first place?

Laura Lee Bishop: Right before I entered junior high, my father passed away. Obviously it was a very traumatic event for me, and I found myself needing an outlet for expression. I was never a write-in-a-diary kind of girl, and I was quite to myself when it came to how I was feeling, so one day my mom and sister and I were at a music store buying sheet music for our piano lessons, and I saw a guitar. I mentioned it to my mom and she just bought it for me... no questions asked. I think she could sense that I was searching for something, which I needed to focus some of my grief and anger and confusion, so she just bought it. And I've been playing ever since. I played piano and took voice lessons since third grade, so I knew I already had a musical ear. Teaching myself guitar came somewhat easily. I'm no Stevie Ray Vaughn, but the guitar facilitated my ability to write songs. I'm so grateful that my mother bought that guitar that day. Who knows how different things might be if she didn't...

Isaac: As you hit your teenage years, did you know that this was what you would be doing for the rest of your life?

Laura Lee Bishop: Well, I didn't know for sure that I would be playing music as a career, but I knew that I would be unhappy if I didn't. And that has always been a very scary feeling for me. I do know that it is what I am meant to do, that if I have a destiny, this is it, but simultaneously, I have always been very grounded in the harsh reality of the music industry. I know that there are so many amazing, beautiful, interesting, talented people out there that don't "make it" or that for some reason or another have to give up on their dreams. That is something that is always at the back of my mind. But if you are in this industry you have to push that doubt away and just look ahead and keep fighting. I have to tell myself that I will be doing this for the rest of my life and not accept anything else.

Isaac: Is there a performer in any genre of pop culture that you would like to work with?

Laura Lee Bishop: The Boss!!! I would love to write music with Bruce Springsteen. He seems like he would be a great mentor and teacher, and I truly admire his large body of work. Go Bruce!

Isaac: Who are some musicians that you really like, present or past?

Laura Lee Bishop: I know I'm going to forget someone that I love and feel terrible about it, but here goes nothing... My favorite vocalists, and the voice IS an instrument, are Gladys Knight, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Barbra Striesand and Meatloaf. I know that Meatloaf seems out of left field, but that guy sings with so much conviction and feeling. When you listen to his music, whether you like it or not, he forces you to feel it, and you have to respect that. What I look for in a singer is, above all, emotion.

My favorite singer/songwriter of all time is Tracy Chapman. I think she is really underrated, but I do like it that I can feel like she's my secret. I also love Carole King, Alanis Morrisette, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Tom Petty...

As far as bands go, I'm very into Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana, The Beatles (obviously), Heart, Jefferson Airplane (Grace Slick is the best)...

This question has caused me great anxiety!!

Isaac: What is your ultimate goal with your music career?

Laura Lee Bishop: World Domination! And I'm NOT kidding. LOL. I want to reach as many people as possible. I want to perform on a giant stage at a sold out show where the audience knows the words to my songs and can sing along. I want to collaborate with creative people and grow and mature as an artist. But I want to be able to do all of these things and still stay true to myself and write meaningful music.


Laura Lee Bishop
photo by Kaleb Rollins

Isaac: What has been some of the obstacles it has taken to get this far in your career?

Laura Lee Bishop: I don't like to think of anything as an "obstacle" because then that just gives you an easy way to make excuses. It's just life, and nothing is perfect. Yeah, I've had some rough times, but without those times, I wouldn't be the person I am. I might not be able to write the kind of songs I write. As cliché as it sounds, the things I have gone through have made me strong, and I think you can hear that strength and fearlessness in my music. To be frank, I think we need to hear more of that on the radio today!

Isaac: Would you recommend this "field" to others who are aspiring to be musicians like you?

Laura Lee Bishop: I am all for following your dreams. I don't think you should heed the warnings of anyone regarding something you are passionate about. Yes, the music industry isn't easy, but if you have what it takes, go for it. Who am I to give advice? Hell, these days you don't even have to have talent to make it, so it's really anybody's game!

Isaac: Describe one piece of advice you've have been given to by others in the music industry.

Laura Lee Bishop: I was lucky enough to go to an amazing school (The Clive Davis School of Recorded Music) where I learned from some of the most talented musicians, producers, and entrepreneurs in the world. I think the most important thing they taught me was to be myself, be comfortable with myself, and to exude that confidence no matter what. Not everyone is going to like me, not everyone is going to like my music, but I think it is imperative that I KNOW my music is important and meaningful and that it will change the world. Because if you don't know that what you are doing is worth it, then what's the point? The best piece of advice you can follow in this industry is to be your biggest fan.

Isaac: What genre of music do you consider most of your music?

Laura Lee Bishop: It's hard to answer this because I'm young and my music is constantly changing and evolving. When I ask people what genre they consider my music to be, they either don't know, or they name a lot of different genres. If I had to categorize it I'd day it's a fusion of rock, pop, alt-country, and soul, but I don't think that any one genre is the most predominant. It really depends on the song, and whether you hear that song recorded or live, and even what mood I'm in when I perform it.

Isaac: What has been your favorite piece of work?

Laura Lee Bishop: To be completely honest, I hate hearing my songs recorded. I know that isn't the best thing to say when you want people to buy your music, but it's the truth! To me, my best work is on stage with my band. That energy and performance is just impossible to translate. You have to be there. That is one of the first things that people tell me when they come see a show. They will say, "I really like the CD, but I didn't expect THAT." And that is the best compliment I could get. I would say I'm more of a performer than a recording artist.

Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?

Laura Lee Bishop: My myspace (myspace.com/LauraLeeBishop) always has music streaming, and I always check my messages there as well, so get in contact people! I also have music for sale on CDBaby.com, Digstation.com, and it will be on most online retailers soon.

Isaac: Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?

Laura Lee Bishop: My mother is my biggest fan. I'm very lucky because not everyone in my position has the support of their parents, but she really is behind me. I think she wants me to be successful more than I do sometimes. Maybe because she's sick of giving me money.

Isaac: Any last words?

Laura Lee Bishop: I just want to thank you and Junior's Cave for taking an interest in my music and getting to know me. I'm grateful for the opportunity to reach more people, and I'm excited for what the future holds! - Junior's Cave

Laura Lee Bishop "Tidal Wave" - Women of Substance Radio

What is social media for? It’s to get information into the world. What’s the human race about? Hopefully to help each other when possible.

This is a post about Laura Lee Bishop. One of the most talented individuals I know. She studied music at NYU, and is now in Nashville making her way in the music business. Some say it’s luck, some say talent. I say it’s both. Laura Lee writes her own awesome stuff, and has a melting, soulful voice. Her new song, Real Man is a hit that should be playing in every media outlet.

Here’s where you come in: For a $1.29 iTunes Download, you can join the campaign and “Help a Girl Out”. For the next few days, her record label is watching the sales of her new single, Real Man. Please check it out, download it, rate it, and share this info with friends. You really have the power to “Help a Girl Out” and create a star in the music world.

Oh, did I mention we grew up in the same hometown. Her dad was like a protective big brother who taught me to drive, and made algebra not so scary, and I remember when she was born.

Now, GO…type Laura Lee Bishop, Real Man into your iTunes search bar, because you have the power to “Help a Girl Out”…then pass it on!

Here’s something to look forward to: Her Real Man music video will be released after February 18 on Vevo through YouTube. - I Am the Mouse