The music you hear here (and more) is available to purchase on itunes, Christian book stores nationwide or my website- Laralandon.net
This is basically how I can sum up where this music is coming from:
My tests in life have made me who I am.
I poured that into songs.
Now these songs are my testimony.
I hope you enjoy them.
Love and Peace
Lara
"I AM HIS BELOVED AND HIS DESIRE IS FOR ME"
What People Are Saying About BELOVED
"The infusion of sounds old and new create something spectacular.
Intrinsically, Beloved is beautiful, Lara Landon shows a song-writing ability beyond almost other debuts. The wisdom, the insight, the depth is all there
The title track, ‘Beloved’ has been haunting me for a while now, and I do believe that Lara Landon has the gift of musicianship and a ministry to serve."
-Lydia Akinola, The Christian Manifesto
"The real star of this album is Landon's voice, part soft-spoken songstress, part soulful, soaring passion. She draws from a wide range of influences, sometimes channeling the darker-edged piano pop of Sarah McLachlan, other times bringing to mind the stirring vocals of artists like Leona Lewis.
Coming to appreciate Beloved is like getting to know a new, quiet friend in some ways"
-Jen Rose, Jesusfreakhideout.com
"beautiful and inspiring. It’s almost as though you walked into
Lara’s heart and found an art gallery there. The emotions in these songs range from cheerful to lonely to heartfelt.
Beloved is one album that will certainly live up to its name. Given Lara’s powerful vocals, beautiful, honest lyrics, and melodies which range from breathtaking to haunting, there is absolutely no way she will fly under the radar."
-Laura Chambers, Christian Music Review
"With a wide array of genres melding into one, this songwriter features a vulnerable, honest lyrical approach to go along with her folkish sensibilities."
-Matt Conner, Soul-Audio
"Much in the vein of Sarah McLachlan and Tracy Chapman, Lara writes from the darker shades of her personality. "I believe that its better to feel something strong than nothing at all. And in those places where I doubt, I am most reminded to reach out to God. When I work through my thoughts in my songs, it helps me to sort through the feeling and come back to the truth.''
Between her voice and her piano, she perfectly executes the music that she hopes will reach into other peoples lives. Pulling from the dark and pushing into the light, arms outstretched in both directions, Lara establishes that balance again the juxtaposition that makes her music feel moody and hopeful, joyful and broken, all at once. And it is a beautiful, perfect tension."
~ Tara Leigh Cobble
"Weaving a tapestry of rich lyrics and soaring tones, Lara Landon tells the story of her journey to Nashville in songs rooted in faith and soul. Lara's music blends Middle Eastern and European music in to a harmony of Folk, Rock and Spiritual genres."
~ City Sessions Nashville
LARA LANDON Biography
In the world of artistry and entertainment, it’s often easier to put on a fake face of the perfect persona than it is to let down one's guard and become vulnerable. Though singer/songwriter/piano player Lara Landon realizes she’d probably come across like more of a star if she’d act like every angle of her life was in order, the tunesmith refuses to veil fragile emotions or lie about her heart’s condition on the debut disc Beloved.
Chalk up that integrity to unbreakable family bonds, influenced by her father’s roots in Jordan and mother’s Sicilian bloodline, both of which always stood for honesty, humility and a hard working essence in all aspects of life.
No wonder why the youthful but wiser beyond her years Landon has always stood for creative excellence, even in the days before realizing a path as a performer. Whether it was scoring the lead role of “Annie” in a college production at a mere nine years old, talking vocal lessons shortly thereafter or soliciting a demo around to record executives at fourteen, the hopeful’s always had an unbreakable spirit. But that’s not to say she hasn’t had stumbling blocks along the way, most notably a bout with depression and anxiety throughout adolescence, plus complete dismay with the massive music industry a few years later when studying at the arts oriented Belmont University.
“I’ve always been a big fan of reading biographies of other artists and seeing how they went from rags to riches or from nothing to singing in stadiums,” says Landon, citing an astute influence pool who thrived amidst their personal hardships, including Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman, Billie Holiday and Johnny Cash. “I’ve always rooted for the underdog and feel like my music can really encourage people who might have felt passed over at some point.”
“I remember being at Belmont interning at an online radio show while trying to pursue my music career and there was a band called MIKESCHAIR that was getting really big around campus,” Landon recalls. “I asked the guys who their manager was and they told me about Jeremy Lee, who manages and is married to Plumb. I called him out of the blue and asked if I could come to his office to pick his brain. I was really nervous and scared meeting a big time manager, but I had the courage to tell him I had a show coming up downtown and asked him to come see me.”
And sure enough on a date night with his wife, Lee and a pregnant Plumb caught Landon perform at an intimate writer’s night and walked away as instant fans. In fact, a few weeks later in that same type of setting, they brought back longtime pal Beeson, who not only found a similar type of magnetic musical attraction, but quickly became a mentor to the burgeoning troubadour.
“He started listening to my songs and giving them little tweaks, like saying ‘this one’s just okay so spice it up’ or ‘this one’s missing tension so add some drama,’” confirms Landon.
No sooner had the ink dried than Landon found herself in the studio with A-list producer Michael Omartian (Amy Grant, Chicago, Rod Stewart, The Jackson’s, Whitney Houston), who began the Beloved recording process. “Michael’s cool because he is a legend, but really humble and down to earth,” she explains. “He puts you at ease immediately and felt more like a dad than a producer, often comparing me to his daughter, which made the sessions feel really special since the beginning. Recording with him was different than most producers these days because he also had renowned engineer Terry Christian, which allowed him to focus completely on the creative side, rather than having to worry about technical aspects as well.”
Outside of his Grammy-Award winning talents behind the boards, the collection also features the occasional co-write with Omartian, plus Sonicflood hit-maker and solo star Jason Ingram. At first the concept of teaming up with others for her deeply expository lyrics seemed like a foreign concept, but in the end, Landon realized it was a valuable part of the refining process.
“I was a little reluctant because my songs are so precious and personal to me, but I realized teaming up with someone else on occasion could provide a fresh view,” she suggests of the switch between several individual and a handful of combined credits. “And now when I listen back to Beloved, it sounds like my journals set to music, which means the subject matter won’t be all perfect, happy or wonderful. I’m dealing with stuff that’s harder to accept and I get pretty deep and sometimes a little dark.”
As a result, the tunes contained therein fall somewhere along the stylistic plane of Plumb, electronic innovator Imogen Heap, plus piano siren Tori Amos
With the project poised to hit streets in September 2009, Landon is gearing up for greater visibility on the road where she’s thus far been an approachable interacter who faithfully follows up with her fans throughout an extensive online community. And she’s quick to point out that her fervent series of MySpace messages and emails isn’t some sort of gimmick or means of casual chit-chat, but an actual investment into the lives of her listeners.
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