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 faith-based 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 God-ordained
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. It’s a
platform I want to take because God can take you right where you are, call you
Beloved and lift you up.”
Indeed, Beloved is more than just an album title, but the mark of a personal
journey that led Landon to music executive and Essential Records founder
Robert Beeson and a record deal with his new Nashville-based label Bema
Media – home to such artists as The Rubyz, Mission Six and Manic Drive.
However, long before signing the dotted line, the relative newcomer could see
God’s flawless plan working through her less than stellar circumstances.
“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,
wrapped around the epic and cinematic appeal of musical theatre. The swelling
title track is a stirring example of an epiphany moment in Landon’s life where she
chronicles the Lord’s unconditional guidance over her life, which simultaneously
serves to directly combat insecurities and inferior feelings on any plane. The
ingeniously programmed “Lift Me Up” adds a gloriously chilling effect across a
tender prayer of perseverance, while the gorgeous vocal radiance and pearly
chord progressions throughout “Closer” indicate an imperfect believer in route to
greater holiness. Yet the lead single “Presence of Love” is perhaps the textbook
tune to display Landon’s many musical gifts, coupled with a remarkably relatable
message.
“It sounds the most poppy and lighthearted, but discusses the deeper topic of
how hard it is to be filled and think in the presence of God’s love,” she suggests.
“I often times think ‘how can I grasp and realize that?’ and I want people to be
encouraged by that song and long for what God's presence feels like without
being afraid or intimidated.”
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.
“I’m the kind of person you can talk to who’s actually reachable and responsive,”
she sums up. “I’m here to tell people that nothing can separate them from God's
love, He likes you, He's fond of you and you are worth everything to Him. God
likes your personality and your individuality, even if you might not fit into the
crowd, and you don’t have to change that to be a Christian because He likes the
variety!”
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LARA LANDON
Beloved Album Credits
Produced by: Michael Omartian*
*"Heart Of My Heart", Produced by Jeremy Bose and Michael Omartian
*"Lift Me Up" and "Beloved", produced by Jason Ingram and Michael Omartian
*"Better", "I Believe" and "For The First Time", produced by Zod Lounge and
Michael Omartian
Engineered and Mixed by: Terry Christian
Mastered by: Bob Boyd at Ambient Digital
Recorded and mixed at: Sound House, Franklin, TN.
Additional recording at: Zod Lounge, Nashville, TN.
Executive producer: Robert Beeson
Production Coordinator: Sue Martinez
Musician Credits:
"For The First Time" Written by L. Landon/Zod Lounge
Beats- Brett Vargason
Guitars- Brett Vargason, Todd Shay
Keyboards and Bass-Michael Omartian
"Closer" Written by L. Landon/Jeff Pardo
Drums-Brett Vargason
Bass-Tom Michael
Guitars- Todd Shay, Tom Hemby
Piano, Synthesizers, Percussion and string arrangement-Michael Omartian
Strings: Annie, Alex and Ben Wolaver
"Presence Of Love" Written by L. Landon/Brian Hitt
Drums-Brett Vargason
Guitars-George Marinelli
Piano, Synthesizers, Bass Percussion-Michael Omartian
"Better" Written by L. Landon/Zod Lounge
Drums-Brett Vargason
Bass-Tom Michael
Guitars-Todd Shay
Keyboards, Percussion-Michael Omartian
"Lift Me Up" Written by L. Landon/Jason Ingram
Programming-Rusty Varenkamp, Jason Ingram
Guitars-Adam Lester, George Marinelli
B3, percussion-Michael Omartian
"Let It Go" Written by L. Landon/Tiffany Lee/Sean Shenkel
Guitars-George Marinelli
Keyboards, drum programs-Michael Omartian
"For You Lord" Written by L. Landon
Keyboards, Shofar, drum programs, chant-Michael Omartian
"Come To Me" Written by L. Landon/Michael Omartian
Drums: Brett Vargason
Bass:Tom Michael
Guitars, Tom Hemby, George Marinelli
Piano, Keyboards, percussion, string arrangement-Michael Omartian
Strings-Annie, Alex and Ben Wolaver
"I Believe" Written by L. Landon
Drums-Brett Vargason
Bass-Tom Michael
Guitars-Todd Shay
Keyboards-Michael Omartian
"Heart Of My Heart" Written by L. Landon
Programming, Fender Rhodes-Jeremy Bose
Guitars-Chris Grasagnino
Synthesizers, string programs, drums-Michael Omartian
"Beloved" Written by L. Landon/Jason Ingram
Programming-Rusty Varenkamp, Jason Ingram, Matt Stanfield
Piano, percussion-Michael Omartian
"Innocence" Written by L. Landon
Piano-Michael Omartian
"Starting Again" Written by L. Landon
Mandolin-George Marinelli
Piano, string arrangement-Michael Omartian
Strings: Annie, Alex and ben Wolaver