Laura Johnson: “The Sorrow Estate”

After seven years of writing and composing her own songs, Laura Johnson ’17 will release an album of original music entitled “The Sorrow Estate” on May 1st. The project was set in motion with help from her Houghton professors and peers, and will be financed in part from funding she hopes to receive from an Indiegogo campaign. Johnson, a writing major with minors in communication and music, wrote each of the ten tracks on the record, and will both sing and play guitar on the album.

“Her project has been in the making for a while,” said music industry professor Kevin Jackson, who has advised Johnson since she first came to him with the idea last semester. “Laura has been consistently writing. It hasn’t just transpired overnight. She has poured herself and her soul into her songs and music.” 

Music has always played a major role in Johnson’s life. Her parents met in a Christian singing group that toured the US and Europe, and have since acted as worship leaders in their church. Johnson grew up being active in the music elements of church as well, and started writing her own songs at age fourteen. This past October, she made the decision to take the next step and professionally record them with musicians. Instead of making a demo to send to record labels, Johnson decided to pursue her goal without the security or funds that a label provides.

“I decided to do this on my own because I want to do the work,” said Johnson. “I want to feel every struggle and every joy of pursuing music as an independent artist. I want the freedom to make choices and to collaborate with my friends and family and Houghton professors and alumni.”

This collaboration began with Johnson assembling studio musicians to record and perform the album with her. The group includes her brother James Johnson ‘18, bass; Marc LeGrand ‘17, lead guitar; Chelsea Lee ‘15, vocals and piano; and Shehan Rodrigo ‘19, drums.

“Laura has a brilliant writing style,” said Rodrigo. “Her lyrics speak to anyone whether you can sympathize with the situation or not. You feel something when you hear those lyrics.”

The ensemble and the upcoming album are both called “The Sorrow Estate.” When asked why she did not use her own name for the project, Johnson explained that she did not want the music to be about her as an individual.

“I do write a lot of autobiographical music, because I listen to a lot of it,” said Johnson. “But I also love story, and about a third of the album is just me imagining how someone might feel in some situation.”

The name itself originates from a song by one of Johnson’s favorite bands and influences: Bright Eyes. In the song “Laura Laurent,” the lead singer Conor Oberst sings, “Laura, are you still living there on your estate of sorrows?” Johnson believes that this line acts as a metaphor for the character’s state of being, and the structure from which she sees the rest of the world and tries to interact with it. This image resonated with Johnson, and stuck with her when it came time to title her project.

“That’s the message I want to convey with my art, and with this album especially,” said Johnson. “We’re battered and broken and used, but we keep connecting.”

Once the studio musicians were organized, Johnson approached Jackson and his fellow Music Industry professor Alan Dusel for guidance. At the end of the fall semester, she arranged to record part of the album at Starfields Productions, a production studio in Buffalo, NY. The band recorded three tracks at Starfields over a weekend shortly before Christmas break. They plan to record the rest of the album at Houghton’s recording studio, EMA Studios.

Today, Johnson is launching an Indiegogo fundraiser for the album where people can pre-order the album and help to finance its production. Money raised in the campaign will help her to pay for the rest of the recording, physical copies of the album, and professional mixing and mastering. Johnson has connected with Houghton alum in the industry through Jackson with whom she is in talks for producing the album. With Houghton students as musicians, Houghton professors as mentors, and even a Houghton student set to design her cover art, Johnson’s project is truly a collaborative one for the college’s community.