Meet Louise Lately | Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Louise Lately and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Louise, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I think I’ve always been a little bit obsessed with instinctive self expression. As a kid it was pretty clear that I marched to a unique beat, and the way I connected with other people was a little different, a little more raw. I’ve worked a lot of survival jobs over the years, some better than others, but all of them have felt, ultimately, like a job. Something I HAD to do, a chore I had to force myself to complete every day. Music has never been like that, for me. It’s the one thing in my life that doesn’t feel like a job. It’s like breathing, it’s self expression at its most natural. I translate what I see and think and feel into lyrics and chord progressions, and it helps me understand them better. Sometimes it helps other people understand me better too. And that’s really the crux of it, I think. I can stand on a stage big or small, and look out at people I have never met who know nothing about me, and see that, just for a few minutes, I have reached out and sewn us together in a moment of understanding, with nothing more than my voice and a guitar. And I could never give that feeling up, not for any stable, well-paying job the world has to throw my way.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been identifying myself as a musician for about 5 years now, a journey that didn’t happen as quickly or as naturally as I would have liked for it to. I’ve always been a singer, my whole life long, always had an instinctive knack and talent for it despite my lack of training, but it wasn’t until I’d put myself through university for something completely unrelated that I sat back and thought “Music makes me happy, happier than anything else. Why am I not focusing on it?”
In truth, I had never thought of myself as much of a songwriter. I took an Intro to Poetry Class my sophomore year and was completely miserable at it, and I guess I just assumed song writing would be similar. The process of realizing that you have things you want or need to say, and a voice to say them with, is not an easy thing. How do I do this, I thought, how do I transform the inner workings of my mind into something people can sing along to? I couldn’t tell you when or how it happened, but one day something just seemed to click in my mind, and suddenly I was writing like I had never written before. I had so MANY things to say, almost too many to put down on paper, but the pride I felt when I sat back and looked at what I had created and realized it had worth was unmatched. I’ve never shied away from discussing the more painful aspects of the human experience in my music, and I guess my hope is that through the songs I create, others can feel like they are stepping into a safe place with me, where every emotion, euphoric or devastating, has equal weight and value.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
So many spots in the city that are full of magic! Hi-Dive and the Gothic for the best local music, poetry slam at the Mercury Cafe to get a taste of old school Denver, and hit up Enigma Bazaar for an Opera Variety show. Grab the best vegan corndog in town at Sputnik, or a curry bun at Tokyo Premium Bakery, stroll the Farmer’s Market on South Pearl every Sunday to see all the cutest dogs, or make the drive to Evergreen to hike Three Sisters park and spy beautiful wildflowers and wildlife!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to to dedicate my shoutout to my grandfather. I grew up watching him play the piano, letting his fingers trace across the keys and produce beautiful jazz chord after beautiful jazz chord. Even now in his 90’s he still plays any chance he gets, his fingers still remember that love. I can only hope to hold on to my passion for music as long in life as he has.
Website: louiselately.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louiselately/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/louise_lately
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louiselatelymusic
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtJu-2CR3y99XTMAmMXzseA
Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7ahC4938Qi2U6mO62dagQb?si=uRijH8ZrTjSiy5NahztFrg&nd=1