Check Out Laura Serafine’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Serafine.

Laura, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m originally from San Antonio, Texas, and I moved to Los Angeles in 2003 with this quiet but persistent belief that music was what I was meant to do. I’ve been professionally training as a singer and musician since I was four years old, so in many ways, music has always been the language I use to understand myself and the world around me.

By 2006, I was already performing live around LA, learning in real time what it meant to connect with people through sound, storytelling, and vulnerability. Those early years were about building resilience, finding my voice, and learning how to stay honest in an industry that doesn’t always reward honesty.

In 2016, I released my first full-length album, Porcelain, which felt like the first time I truly put my inner world out into the open. Since then, my work has continued to evolve, leading to my most recent album, WHO’S TO SAY IF I AM GETTING ANY BETTER?, released in 2024 and co-produced with Grammy-nominated producer Bruce “Automatic” Vanderveer. That project represents years of growth, experimentation, and emotional excavation. Porcelain was about accepting who I really am in so many ways. WHO’S TO SAY was about the deep, relentless grief I was dealing with through 4 years of nonstop loss and pain. The growth I see between the two of them is incredible and I can’t wait to see how my next album (which is in the works) is going to evolve.

At the core of everything I do is a desire to connect with people in a genuine, raw way. I want to create music that feels vulnerable, hypnotic, and melodic, while still being deeply real. I want listeners to feel seen, understood, and less alone. It literally keeps me up at night as lyrics and feelings swirl through my mind.

I’m constantly pushing myself to grow, both technically and creatively. Even after decades of training, I still approach my craft as a student. My sound is always evolving, and I love experimenting, whether that’s within my main work or through my electro-pop project, Sugar Relics, which gives me space to explore different textures and emotional landscapes.

Looking back, my journey hasn’t been about chasing trends or shortcuts. It’s been about staying committed to my voice, my growth, and my connection to people. I’m still learning, still expanding, and still finding new ways to tell my story through music and that’s what keeps me pushing forward even in a very difficult time in the industry and in the world. Music is still the language I use to understand myself and my world. All these years later, it’s where I go to find the truth.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My story definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. My journey has been shaped by a lot of quiet, but powerful storms. It’s scarred by unseen battles, and moments where I had to decide, over and over again, whether I was willing to keep going. Not just musically, but as a person.

In my twenties, I was learning how to fully accept myself as pansexual while trying to carve out space in an industry that doesn’t always leave much room for softness or nuance. Growing up catholic, this was a reckoning I felt so severely and deeply. It shook my entire foundation. I emerged a little lost in the world, but a truer version of myself. Around that same time, I experienced a traumatic assault in 2005. It’s something I carry with me quietly, not as a defining chapter, but as part of the landscape that taught me resilience and reclaiming my power. I still feel the effects of this everyday. As any survivor will tell you, the body keeps score, but I have learned to walk with it and not let it overcome who I am.

There were years when I was financially hanging by a thread, living in constant uncertainty, choosing belief in my art over fear, and music over safety. I’ve stood on the edge of collapse more times than I can count, and still refused to let go of what I know is my purpose. I look back at some of the times I was not performing or creating and those were the darkest times for me. Creation is what pulls me out of those spaces and brings me home.

When the pandemic arrived and live music disappeared, it felt like the ground fell out from under me. Performing has always been where I feel most alive, most connected, most myself. Losing that connection forced me into a season of deep depression and reinvention. Suddenly I was so angry at myself for not performing live every chance I got, and now the chances were taken away. I had no idea for how long. The uncertainty was a wake up call. I was going to double down on music.

Then came 2021 through 2023. A period marked by profound, unexpected loss. I lost my father, my grandmother, and other deeply loved family members all in 2021. Over the next years I lost my beloved dog of 17 years, jobs, stability, and familiar versions of my life. Grief became something I carried alongside my melodies. I learned how to write, sing, and breathe through heartbreak. There were nights when I cried so hard that my body ran out of tears. There were moments I would dive into coping mechanisms (both healthy and unhealthy) so hard that I didn’t recognize myself. This painful period ended up being a rebirth for me as an artist. But while I was in it, I wasn’t sure I’d ever make it out.

For a long time, I was chasing recognition, hoping the industry would one day look at me and say, “You’ve made it.” Somewhere along the way, perhaps in that dark, painful, lonely rebirth, I realized that kind of validation was never what I was truly searching for. What I’ve always wanted is connection. I wanted real, human, imperfect, beautiful connection. I wanted someone, even just one person, to hear my music and feel seen.

Now, my focus is on building something honest with the people who find themselves in my music. On creating spaces where vulnerability is allowed, where emotions are safe, where no one feels alone in what they’re feeling.

Every bump in the road has changed me, strengthened me, and clarified my purpose. I’m still here because I believe in this work. Because music is how I survive, how I heal, and how I love. And because every time someone tells me a song helped them through a hard moment, I’m reminded that this journey has been worth it, and this is my purpose.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At the core of my work is emotional storytelling through sound. I’m a singer, songwriter, and producer creating dark, vibrant, and lyric-driven music that lives between vulnerability and power. My albums, Porcelain and WHO’S TO SAY IF I AM GETTING ANY BETTER?, reflect different chapters of my life, but they’re both rooted in honesty, self-exploration, and connection. I tend to write concept albums, and I think some of that is due to my influences being concept-driven artists. I grew up on Tori Amos, Fiona Apple and other powerful female artists that had a lot to say, and they were going to say it no matter what. WHO’S TO SAY was meant to be a small E.P. but I had too much to say, and before I knew it, it was a full length album.

I specialize in creating music that feels cinematic and immersive. My songs unfold like small emotional worlds. I’m known for haunting melodies, layered production, and lyrics that aren’t afraid to linger in uncomfortable places. I want my music to feel like something you step inside, not just something you hear. I tend to write my albums and order the songs in a way that is meant to be listened to start to finish, but I want each song to be it’s own little ecosystem of emotion too. Some good examples are the track “Dolls” from Porcelain which is meant to take you to a very vulnerable place where you assume the identity of a porcelain doll who has no say in her world. In “I’m Fine” on WHO’S TO SAY, the whole song is basically a freeze frame moment in the climax of a panic attack. Stretched out and raw.

Live performance is also central to who I am. With years of professional vocal training, I approach every show with intention, precision, and emotional presence. I take pride in delivering performances that are both technically strong and deeply felt. I am creating experiences that feel intimate, powerful, and unforgettable. Right now I am building a show with visuals and custom lighting that will take this to the next level. I am really excited for that to be ready, hopefully in late 2026! I am doing it all on my own so it’s a bit of a process but I am loving the journey.

I’m most proud of my ability to evolve without losing my voice. From Porcelain to WHO’S TO SAY IF I AM GETTING ANY BETTER? and my experimental electro-pop project, Sugar Relics, I’ve allowed myself to grow, explore, and shift creatively while staying true to my emotional core. A lot of my songs sound very sonically different but you can feel me in them regardless. I have been referred to as a “vocal chameleon” by several producers and that is a really cool talent for video game songs, podcasts and session work, but I want my own work to never sound like anything but Laura Serafine. I am really proud of being able to find that balance through the years as an artist.

What sets me apart is my commitment to emotional truth both in the recordings and the live performance. I don’t create from trends or what I think will be the next big hit. I create from lived experience. My music is meant to be felt as much as it is heard. It is fragile and angry, dark and luminous, dramatic and honest. Every song is an invitation into my inner world, and a space for others to find themselves in it.

How do you think about happiness?
For someone who makes very dark emotional music, I actually am an incredibly happy, fun, funny person. At least that is what I have been told.

My dogs, good food, and music are my triangle of happiness.

My dogs keep me grounded and remind me what unconditional love looks like every day. I am not sure that they have more than 3 braincells between them, but they have more love in them than any tiny creature should be able to hold. I have two Shih Tzus, Punky and Jedi. They’re both special-needs, difficult rescues but I wouldn’t trade them and all their weird little quirks for anything.

Cooking and feeding people brings me so much joy. It’s one of my favorite ways to show someone I love them. I believe in good meals, shared plates, and taking snacks very seriously. I recently read that Tom Colicchio doesn’t like when people order “for the table”. Tom, we need to talk, I need to show you the power of pancakes for the table while everyone still gets their own breakfast plate. It’s magic. Call me, let’s go get pancakes.

And of course music is my north star. It’s how I understand myself, how I heal, how I celebrate, and how I stay connected to the world. No matter what’s happening around me, it always brings me back to who I am. I listen to music constantly. I am trying to read/listen to more audiobooks this year because I also love reading, but music just always calls me back to it. I am always on the look out for artists with fewer than 1000 listeners a month. I love the hidden gems.

I’m happiest when I’m creating, laughing, surrounded by dogs, cooking too much food, and sharing something real. That’s my version of peace.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lauraserafine.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/singingserafine
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauraserafineofficial
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LauraSerafine
• Other: https://linktr.ee/singingserafine

Image Credits
Bradford Rogne
Cori Kim