Today's Song: Lorana Shares Her Journey of Self-Discovery on "Countless First Times"

Having left her hometown to chase her dreams in the big city, Lorana shares her experience in latest single “Countless First Times”

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Stream: “Countless First Times” – Lorana

It is not unusual to hear stories of musicians leaving their small hometowns to chase their dreams in the big city. In fact, it is so common that it has even been romanticised to a certain level. The struggles of adjusting to a new lifestyle, the consequences of naivety and unsettling tales about greedy music industry moguls are all part of a journey shared by many.

On “Countless First Times”, Lorana offers a fresh perspective on this adventure, bringing in her own experience of leaving everything behind to take a chance at music in London. Alken, her Belgium hometown, is the main character of the story: “I started to see the little town in a different light after leaving it behind to move to London. Now, whenever I go back to visit friends and family, I get overwhelmed by nostalgia and love for small details and big memories”, Lorana explains.

Watch: “Countless First Times” – Lorana

“’Countless First Times’ is all about this idea of time and how it shapes us. The song isn’t only about my hometown and the impact it’s had on me as a person, but also about the effect time has on you once you leave one place and start again someplace else. Somehow I ended up in this space ‘in between’. I’ll never be able to return to my old life, cause it can’t ever be the same when I’m not that same person anymore. But on the other hand, I wouldn’t be where I am now without it either. It’s a strange duality”, she continues.

Cracks in the pavements, of this wasteland
I know I’m made of floods in the deep end
Flickering street lights in sinking night skies
Hiding the white lies and countless first times
Countless first times

The initially bare production, with just a piano and layered vocals, allows for the artist’s voice to showcase its subtleties, giving the lyrics an extra dimension. The delicate atmosphere grows and evolves throughout the song, until it culminates in an explosion of sonic textures and a powerful vocal delivery.

I’m counting the seconds
From my house to my homeland
And you think I am reckless
Chasing dreams that just won’t end
I think we both know, mmm
I’ve only got one way to go

Lorana’s lyrical narrative intertwines with the singer’s very particular sonic identity; produced by herself, “Countless First Times” contains an array of home cooked sounds, recorded both at her home in Belgium and in London. Sounds from her parents’ kitchen and bamboo recorded on trip to Rhodes are disguised throughout the song, adding an extra layer.

“Countless First Times” is the second single from Lorana’s five track EP Here In Between, to be released in the coming months. A chapter of a bigger story about self-discovery and change, “Countless Times” offers comfort for those who are searching for themselves.

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