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SFP Editor: For readers and people who are not familiar with you, tell us about how your music interest and career began?
Laura: My family has a bit of history with music, so performing and singing were things that I had seen, or heard about, other people who are close to me doing. So, when I started fooling around with a guitar in high school, I guess I thought I might have the aptitude for getting decent at it. I spent a lot time learning other people's songs - Indigo Girls, Joni Mitchell, Ani DiFranco, Tracy Chapman, pretty much anything else I heard that struck me. And I felt I had a talent for interpreting and making my own versions... but I think I always had the goal of trying to create my own songs, and I was frustrated by my inability to do that for a while. But, I kept at it and it's proven to be something that's a constant challenge for me and one I hope to pursue for a long time.

SFP Editor: You are from Pittsburgh originally but you are based here in DC now. Any plans to relocate to cities like NYC or L.A.?
Laura: I don't have any specific plans to relocate. I think it might be really neat to live out west at some point... maybe to a place that's a little more focused on the outdoors and where there's a little more support from the community to live environmentally consciously... but, no immediate plans to do that just yet. I like DC as a place to live and feel pretty comfortable here.

SFP Editor: Your latest album 'Proof' is one that I've been listening to a lot and there are many personal songs on it- are they all autobiographical or accounts of others’ experiences?
Laura: I think all of my songs stem from some personal experience I've had... whether I realize it at the time I'm writing or not... so, yes, I guess I would say that they are, in some way, autobiographical.

SPF Editor: "Halloween" and "Letters" are some of my favorite tracks on the album- which are some of yours and why?
Laura: I like them all, just because they're kind of like my children in a way - I heard Seal say that once and it really struck me as true... they sort of take on a life of their own after they leave you... but, if I had to pick favorites... I really like "Firefly" for its composition and chord changes... "I just can't share" for its imagery and structure... I like how "High Tide" turned out on the record, just as a really catchy rock song... and "Letters" is a really meaningful song to me as well. I don't know, I could say something about all of them really.

SFP Editor: Who are some of the musical artists that you like to listen to or pay attention to?
Laura: I like to see what Aimee Mann is up to - I think she is an amazing writer. Lucinda Williams, I think she's great. I love the album "Sweet Old World". I bought a couple of albums that had gotten lost at some point over the years and am enjoying those - The Police "Synchronicity", Depeche Mode "Music for the Masses". And I pretty much wore out my copies of recordings by Citizen Cope and Tim Bracken a couple of months back.

SFP Editor When you're not playing music or writing songs, what are some other things that you like to do?
Laura: I like to watch movies and exercise - ride my bike, play tennis, or anything outside. I like to travel and visit friends and I also really like to read. I love being into one of those books that you can't wait to get home and read.

SFP Editor I'm looking forward to your next album- can you give us a little glimpse of what we can expect?
Laura: I'm really not sure what to expect to come out of me next. I've been playing some piano, so, there might be some songs that stem from that. But, I really don't have a definite vision for anything yet.