GRAMMY®-winning Icelandic-Chinese artist, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Laufey announces her highly anticipated new album , ‘A Matter Of Time’, set for release on August 22 via Vingolf Recordings / AWAL. Accompanying the news, Laufey debuts the album’s new single, “Tough Luck”.
Laufey explains, “”Tough Luck” is a fiery song about love gone wrong. I wanted to reveal an angrier side of myself—a side that this unfortunate relationship brought out in me”.
Last month, Laufey teased the album release with a first sampling in the track “Silver Lining”, which she performed with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil at Coachella last month, as well as during her headline set at New Orleans Jazz Fest.
Now on ‘A Matter of Time’, Laufey further crystalizes her singular sound—one still rooted in her beloved influences, but which forgoes any strict standards or rules. “I’m constantly thinking about classical and jazz, how to properly preserve them and pay homage. For this album,” says Laufey. “I just wanted to let my heart wander”. To that end, she teamed with a pair of co-producers, one comforting and familiar—Spencer Stewart who worked with Laufey on her first two albums —and one new to her but deeply attuned to artists looking to open up: Aaron Dessner (Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran).
Feeling sonically unrestrained gave Laufey the space to share new sides of herself while exploring sometimes heavier themes. “People expect a pretty façade of girly clothes, fantastical stories, and romantic music,” she says. “This time, I was interested in seeing how I could draw out the most flawed parts of myself and look at them directly in the mirror”. ‘A Matter of Time’ finds Laufey at her most daring—and also playful—as she captures the experience of “real love” in its many forms and what it means to observe as it strips you down to your most vulnerable and anxious.
As Laufey began to craft ‘A Matter of Time’, she felt freer than ever. “Every new album for me is a blank book of stories to write,” she says, and it’s true. An artist who pours her life experiences into her work, she infused 2022’s ‘Everything I Know About Love’ with coming-of-age tales revolving around leaving home, and for 2023’s GRAMMY®-winning ‘Bewitched’ she dove headlong into young love. Brought to life with sweeping orchestral arrangements, interwoven strains of bossa nova and jazz, and Laufey’s honeyed alto, those albums cemented Laufey as a star who can make sounds from bygone eras feel timeless.
