Superdry : In Love With Lauren Aquilina

We caught up with the eclectic and honest popstar about life on the road and touring with Miss Taylor Swift…

Introduce yourself in poem form, please!

My name is Lauren

I write songs but not poems

This is a haiku

Your IG bio references a 'wannabe washed up pop star' - who would be on your dream shipwrecked-squad?

My boyfriend, my group of best friends, and my family. We'd turn it into a huge party. Oh and probably Bear Grylls just to keep us all alive.

What makes your music stand out from other pop alumni?

My immediate reaction is to say 'it doesn't' haha, but I guess a lot of it is really personal to me and stories I've taken directly from my life, which makes it different. My latest single 'Tobacco in My Sheets'is especially personal and about my mum, so I guess I'm the only person who could have written that one.

Highlight of your career to date?

Selling 100,000 EPs as an independent artist is always something I'll be really proud of, and opening for Taylor Swift at the London date of her 1989 tour!

We read your 2018 retrospect on the 'gram, and it says you moved into your first apartment - talk us through Lauren Aquilina's dream décor!

I like quite a minimal but still homely feel. I don't really have a lot of bright colours in my apartment, it's mostly blues/whites/greys but with some gold touches too. My favourite thing in my home is a neon light in the shape of a crescent moon that I have on ALL the time, I'm obsessed with it.

What 2019 resolutions have you succeeded and fabulously failed in so far?

I had one 'stop saying yes just to be polite' which is really hard for me to keep up but I've actually been doing it and feel much better for it! I definitely haven't been flossing every day though, that's a complete fail on my part.

Is it daunting to perform live, and how do you psych yourself up?

I get quite psychically nervous before a show but only about 5 minutes before I go on stage. Before my last headline show I genuinely looked in the dressing room mirror as the intro started, pointed at myself in the mirror and said 'you are a popstar' like 10 times to mentally prepare myself haha.

What's it like to see Lauren Aquilina live?

A rollercoaster of emotions! It's a real half and half between sad songs with just me and piano, and full band bops you can dance too. Oh, and I talk between songs waaaay too much.

If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would this stage be and why?

I'm desperate to perform at Red Rocks in Colorado, it just looks like the most beautiful setting for a concert ever.

Best and worst aspects to being on tour?

Best aspect is meeting people after the shows, worst aspect is sitting in a car for 10-hour drive days…!

A recent single of yours is entitled 'If Looks Could Kill' - what's the story here?

I actually wrote this song for Little Mix - I don't think I would have ever written something so self-assured if I knew I was writing for myself. But now that I've decided to keep it for myself it's become one of my favourites to perform.

What's your interpretation of 'beauty'?

Happiness, and being whoever the hell you want to be!

We loved having you at our London Regent Street flagship - what did you make of the brand, and what clothes did you pick out?

I loved being there! I was really surprised actually, I felt like I had a bit of a pre-conception of what Superdry was, but I really loved the Dark Romance collection and how different it was to what I expected. I basically took home that whole collection!

FOLLOW LAUREN AQUILINA ON INSTAGRAM HERE!
LISTEN TO TOBACCO IN MY SHEETSHERE!