Hello everyone, today we’re here with Laura Cox. How are you?
I’m doing great, thank you.

We’re here to talk about your new album, Trouble Coming, which will be released on October 31st. First of all, why choose a title that suggests a sense of unease, while the melodies feel soft, light, almost liberating?
It’s true that it’s pretty contradictory with how I feel now, because I’m doing really well, I’m not depressed at all. But I’ve always been more inspired by sad or chaotic themes rather than by times when everything is fine—when it’s like that, you don’t really know what to say. For me, it reflects the chaos we feel on so many levels right now. I wanted to talk about mental health, especially among touring artists: the loneliness even when you’re surrounded by people, substance issues, depression… things I’ve read about, seen around me, or experienced myself. Each song touches on one of these topics. And Trouble Coming, in a more global sense, also echoes how I feel about the world: politically, environmentally… the planet isn’t doing great. So the “trouble” is there at every scale.

These themes are introspective and linked to mental health. Do you write from your own experiences?
I like starting from something very personal, inspired by a situation I’ve lived, then building around it so that it can speak to more people. I try to broaden the topic so everyone can relate in some way.

You introduced this new era with “No Need to Try Harder,” also the first track on the album. Why choose that one?
Musically, it’s more punchy. I wanted to open the album with something energetic, something that makes you want to keep listening. Even though this album explores more modern sounds than the previous one, this track felt like it could appeal to both my long-time fanbase and new listeners. Thematically, it really reflects the mood I was in when writing: that feeling when everything flows naturally, when everything works without effort. It’s probably the happiest song on the record.

You express emotion through your lyrics, but also through your riffs. Is it easier for you to express yourself with words or with the guitar?
I would’ve always said: the guitar. Before, I always started composing with the instrumental. But for this new album, I built the guitar parts around the songs instead of the opposite. I’m thinking differently now. I used to express myself more easily through the guitar, but today I feel like I’m finally managing to create something coherent between the voice, the lyrics, and the guitar. Before, it was a bit less balanced.

For this album, you worked with No Money Kids. How did that collaboration begin, and what did it bring you?
I wanted to try something new and explore sounds I couldn’t access with my usual live band. I talked about it with my manager, telling her what kind of atmosphere I imagined. I listen to the radio a lot - especially OUI.fm - and I kept hearing No Money Kids. What I loved was that if you don’t know they’re French, you can’t guess it. They have that anglo-saxon vibe I was looking for. I thought: why not contact them? See if there’s a human connection, then ask if they’d want to produce the album. They were enthusiastic, and we started working together. I composed the guitar and vocal parts, brought them demos, and they handled production and arrangements.

Glad the studio energy worked! Is there a featuring you dream of?
After years in the industry, I don’t idolize artists the way I used to. I mostly want to collaborate with artists from my generation, those giving rock a new breath of fresh air. Bands like Larkin Poe, Rival Sons, Halestorm… That would be awesome. And who knows - maybe one day it’ll happen.

Your sound mixes soft-rock riffs that define your identity with gentler, lighter melodies on this album. How did you find that balance?
Honestly, I didn’t think about balance at all. I just composed and laid things out as they came, without stressing about labels or coherence. Some songs are clearly different from what I’ve done before, but I thought: it came out of my head, so I’ll record it. And I knew No Money Kids’ production would bring coherence through their overall color and atmosphere.

What message do you want listeners to take away from this album?
I’m not trying to teach a lesson. I just want people to feel like the album belongs to them too. If they can recognize themselves in some of the songs, that’s enough for me.

Are there female figures who inspire you?
Not specifically for this album, but in my musical life: Lizzy Hale from Halestorm—I admire her voice and the way she runs her band. I also love Larkin Poe, and the singer from Blues Pills, a real frontwoman. It’s great to see more and more women taking on these roles.

If your album were the soundtrack of a movie, what kind of film would it be?
Funny, I’ve never thought about that! I’d say a Tarantino movie, because people have mentioned a western-like vibe, especially on Trouble Coming. I was also a big fan of Rob Zombie’s films back in the day—they always had amazing soundtracks, with Lynyrd Skynyrd and lots of rock tracks. I don’t know if my songs fit horror movies… even though the album comes out on October 31st!

Can we expect tour dates soon?
Yes! In the next few weeks—maybe even this week—I’ll announce the first dates. We’re heading back to Germany for three weeks, which we do about once a year. The audience there is super loyal. There will be dates in France too, including a big Paris show, and probably more coming next summer.

Last question: do you have a message for the people who listen to you?
Keep listening to rock, and keep coming to shows. That’s what keeps us alive. Recording an album is one thing, but sharing it with people, meeting them, hearing how they felt about it… that’s the most important part for me. So keep going out, come party with us!

Thank you for your time.
Thank you!