Lauv Loves Coldplay Almost as Much as He Loves Drake

This is “Add to Queue,” our attempt to sort through the cacophony of music floating in the algorithmic atmosphere by consulting the experts themselves. Our favorite musicians tell us about their favorite music—the sad, the happy, the dinner party-y, the songs they want played at their funeral. Up this week is Troye Sivan‘s favorite collaborator, Lauv, who is spending quarantine writing up a storm after releasing his first studio album, How I’m Feeling, in March. Here, the breakout pop star talks the Myspace pages that inspired him, the love songs he’ll never get tired of, and why he doesn’t get the aux chord at parties.

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JADIE STILLWELL: What was the last song that you listened to?

LAUV: I fell asleep to an album. I don’t remember what the last song on the album is, but it’s called Something to Feel by Mac Ayres, one of my favorite albums of all time.

STILLWELL: Do you usually fall asleep to music?

LAUV:  Not all the time, but I went to bed super early last night. And I was like, “I’m just going to vibe out with a candle and some music.”

STILLWELL: Do you have a playlist of songs you’ve been listening to while stuck in your house?

LAUV:  I don’t have a playlist, but some I keep going back to, like “Motivation” by Normani. That song has such upbeat vibes. I love it so much. The Weeknd album I love, After Hours. “Hardest to Love” and “Scared to Live.” I’ve been listening to a little bit of “High Fashion” by Roddy Ricch. Good song.

STILLWELL: What about the earliest musicians to influence you? Did your parents listen to an artist or an album particularly often?

LAUV: I feel like the main stuff that inspired me while I was starting to write songs was a lot of stuff on Myspace. This dude Never Shout Never and this dude The Ready Set. I was into this band called The Devil Wears Prada, and a band called Chiodos. Then I got super into Coldplay and John Mayer. 

STILLWELL: What was your first experience with making music?

LAUV: Taking piano lessons as a little kid by trying to learn technique. My sisters played violin and cello, so I started playing viola when I was pretty young. Then I picked up a guitar, and it was game over once I picked up guitar.

STILLWELL: What was your first concert?

LAUV: My Chemical Romance.

STILLWELL: Who’s your favorite artist? 

LAUV: I think my favorite artists ever is Drake. Let’s go. 

STILLWELL: Would Drake be your dream collaborator?

LAUV: For the longest time, I would only say like Chris Martin, but I think I have to add Drake to that list.

STILLWELL: Are there any love songs that you’ll never be tired of?

LAUV: Definitely. I see what you’re doing. One of them is “Easy” by Mac Ayres. Probably some early Taylor Swift. What was the album called? It had “Fifteen” and “Love Story,” all that stuff.

STILLWELL: Was that Fearless? 

LAUV:  Yeah, I think Fearless. I’m trying to think of what else is just dope love song that I’ll never get over. Ellie Goulding has a few. “Still Falling for You.” Or “Army.” 

STILLWELL: What’s your guilty pleasure song?

LAUV: I think for the longest time I didn’t like “Roxanne,” but I heard it a couple of days ago after not hearing it for months, and I’m like, “You know what? This song’s kind of a bop. Fuck.”

STILLWELL: Do you ever do karaoke?

LAUV: I’m bad at karaoke. I don’t really like it. It’s just not my vibe.

STILLWELL: What songs or artists would you put on a road trip playlist if you were driving cross country?

LAUV: Definitely Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay. That album is super road trippy to me.  Maybe I’ll go back and do some Hellogoodbye. I could do some early Fall Out Boy, like “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down.” I think Views and More Life by Drake, those two albums. Starboy by The Weeknd. 

STILLWELL: What about a house party playlist?

LAUV: Definitely still Drake and The Weeknd. Maybe some select Meek Mill songs. There’s a song called “Amen” that I love. Toro y Moi, a few songs from the album Outer Peace. I love that album. What else is a vibe for a party?

STILLWELL: It’s your party, it’s up to you.

LAUV: I’m usually not in charge of the playlist.

STILLWELL: You don’t get the aux? 

LAUV: No, my friend Kevin does. 

STILLWELL: What about a breakup playlist?

LAUV: Oh, man. I hate those. I used to love listening to sad music during that kind of time, but now I don’t know. I definitely would put on some Coldplay and some old John Mayer for sure, vibe out to that. Continuum, that album for sure, and Ghost Stories, that album by Coldplay, too. There’s got to be other stuff. “Youth” by Daughter. 

STILLWELL: Daughter is perfect for a breakup playlist.

LAUV: Daughter used to be huge vibes for me. That shit is so sad.

STILLWELL: What about if you were going to create a playlist for your funeral? What would be the ideal song that encapsulates you?

LAUV: It’s the frog. It’s that frog song.

STILLWELL: The frog?

FAUV: It’s like, “Ring, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.” That really weird-ass song. It’s called “F.R.U.G.” by Anamanaguchi. That and then maybe “Marvins Room” by Drake.

STILLWELL: Why do you feel like those are perfect for your funeral?

LAUV: Because some of it’s super lighthearted and then some of it’s stuff I actually love.

STILLWELL: If your life was a TV show, what would be the theme song?

LAUV: It’s definitely going to be Drake. I’m just trying to think what song it’s going to be. Hold on. It’s got to be perfect. There’s no way. It can’t not be perfect. I’m going to say “Sacrifices.”  I love that song because of the way he keeps changing his vibe.

STILLWELL: What is a song that describes your life right now, if there is one?

LAUV:  It would be the songs I’m making, but I’m trying to think of a song that’s not a song I’m making.

STILLWELL: No, it could be a song that you’re making. 

LAUV: You know what? I actually just put it out. It’s a little demo called “Miss Me.” I just unofficially released it a couple of days ago.

STILLWELL: Are you getting a lot of work done during quarantine?

LAUV: I’m writing a ton, because I’m quarantined with a couple of my best friends and we write a lot of music together. 

STILLWELL: What is one song that you would play for the whole world if you could?

LAUV: “21” by Gracie Abrams. I tweet about it a lot and post it on my story a lot. It’s just something I love.

STILLWELL: What do you think that music will sound like in 50 years?

LAUV: Half of me wants to say it’s going to sound just weird and bleep-bloopy. But I think what’s going to happen is people are going to write really, really direct and honest songs. Eventually there’s going to be a technique where we’re going to have something connected to our brain, and it’s going to straight-up take our emotions and our feelings, and portray them as accurately and directly as possible.