Artist-to-watch Lauran Hibberd rises to thrilling new heights in her sophomore EP ‘Goober’, a radiant, raw, and wry record full of catchy upheavals, relatable reveries, moments of laughter, anger, and ecstasy.
for fans of Weezer, JJ Wilde, Blink-182
Stream: “How Am I Still Alive?” – Lauran Hibberd ft. Lydia Night
Quick-witted, explosive, intimate, and feverishly impassioned, Lauran Hibberd’s sophomore EP is here and gone in a flash, but it leaves a chilling burn. The longtime Atwood artist-to-watch rises to thrilling new heights in Goober, a radiant, raw, and wry record full of catchy upheavals, relatable reveries, moments of laughter, anger, and ecstasy. It’s 20 minutes of sheer indie rock euphoria, ready to soundtrack our most impromptu and necessary bedroom dance parties.
Ring-ring, hello
I’m not at your service since my answer phone
Hold on, bye-bye
There’s a thousand other ways I’d rather kill my time
I’ve never really liked doing anything
I barely sing out when they threw me in the rain
I’ve never really wanted anyone at all
Apart from Michael when he fainted during football
I kiss his face when he tells me to, yeah
He drops his trousers in my shampoo
Wait! I’m dreaming of the life I wanted
Pinch me, I’m happy that I never got it
Released July 30, 2021 via eOne Music, Goober is a visceral, emotionally charged sonic roller coaster – a fun, fiery collection ready for singalongs and innumerable repeat listens. The follow-up to Hibberd’s acclaimed debut EP Everything Is Dogs is an anthemic affair showcasing the artist’s penchant for big choruses and dry humor, with volatile eruptions like “Bleugh,” “How Am I Still Alive?” (featuring The Regrettes’ Lydia Night), and “Crush” – songs confronting both relationships, romance turbulence, and the self.
“Goober has been a long time in the making,” Hibberd tells Atwood Magazine. “It’s survived a global pandemic and many mood swings from me. These tracks all summarize what I’ve been thinking over the last twelve months. I hope for your sake, you can’t relate!” she laughs.
With a sound that falls somewhere in the “slacker pop” indie rock realm and a knack for rollicking, irresistible bangers, Lauran Hibberd has long been one of Atwood Magazine‘s artists to watch. While her work was already exceptional, the Isle of Wight rocker has honed her craft considerably over the past two years: Goober feels effortless in its blend of wit, verve, and charm. From the intensity and immediacy of EP opener “Bleugh” to the vulnerable, heartfelt introspection of closer “You Never Looked So Cool,” Hibberd spills her unadulterated self in song – singing honestly and vibrantly from an electric heart.
Atwood Magazine caught up with Hibberd in advance of her EP’s release. Dive into the exhilarating excitement of Goober below, and listen to Lauran Hibberd’s new EP out now!
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:: stream/purchase Goober here ::
Stream: ‘Goober’ – Lauran Hibberd
A CONVERSATION WITH LAURAN HIBBERD
Atwood Magazine: Lauran, what can i say other than I’m shocked by this EP (in a good way)?! Can you share a little about the story behind this record?
Lauran Hibberd: Glad you are shocked in a good way! Of course, this EP is really my last baby step before I plunge into my debut record, so I wanted to push myself creatively and step outside what I already knew. This involved changing producer, changing writing style, having an endless supply of time to write and overthink it all and even work with different instruments/sounds. It’s the end product of my first phase of musical brain expansion.
It’s been two years since Everything Is Dogs. How do you feel you’ve grown since releasing that EP?
Lauran Hibberd: I feel like I’ve grown massively. In the best way possible, Everything Is Dogs was a fluke. In terms of, I didn’t really think about how the tracks sat together, I didn’t consciously write that EP – it kind of just fell together. But I’m still super proud of it, and I will always love it. I just feel now that I really KNOW why I’m making every decision, and I know there’s a massive amount of confidence I have now that I didn’t then – which leads me to being braver musically.
Where does Everything is Dogs end and Goober begin?
Lauran Hibberd: I released a few singles between each EP, I would have to say Everything Is Dogs ends at “Sweat Patch,” and Goober begins at “Boy Bye.” I remember writing “Boy Bye” and feeling a definite shift.
What was your vision going into Goober? Did that change over the course of recording this?
Lauran Hibberd: Going into the EP, I knew I wanted to pack a bigger punch and keep one-upping myself and EXPERIMENT. Working with Suzy Shinn really opened my eyes to a new production world and it was really exciting to watch it all evolve. Over time I think it just got bolder and bolder and we both kept pushing and pushing the tracks – which at times was tough, but so definitely worth it. I feel like it solidly states where I am right now.
Why the title “Goober”?
Lauran Hibberd: I like the word “Goober,” it’s a cool term of endearment. It means you’re a fool, but kinda a lovable one. I guess the running theme amongst this EP is based on a super weird relationship (but it wasn’t even that, haha). Using that word was a way of expressing some kind of like/love without actually saying it. I was kind of into that.
How do you feel Goober reintroduces you and captures your artistry?
Lauran Hibberd: I think it’s a really good indication of what’s to come, it kind of makes one scratch on the surface. I think it solidifies what makes a song of mine a song of mine, with distinguishable humorous lyrics and song titles, ’90s guitar influences, ironic story telling and it feels undeniably me.
I love the sheer energy of “Bleugh”! Why open the EP with this song?
Lauran Hibberd: Thanks! I wanted to open the EP with a BANG. I’m going to open with it live as well. I just think it’s a really great way to scare people straight off the bat. I want the shock factor for sure.
What do you look for in a song?
Lauran Hibberd: I look for some lyric that’s going to make me go ‘ahhhhhh, wish I wrote that,’ a fat chorus and a funny story.
On a related note, why do you think you’re drawn to making high energy music?
Lauran Hibberd: It just makes me feel good, and it’s so fun to play. I’m Weezer obsessed, so that may have something to do with it. It’s all I really listen to genre wise as well, so it rubs off on me when I go to write. It also makes the slower/sadder stuff feel more impactful as well, it makes a track like “You Never Looked So Cool” a real moment.
How did “How Am I Still Alive” come to life? This song feels particularly pop/punk to me… it’s such a massive overhaul of feeling.
Lauran Hibberd: This one was a lockdown birth. I was playing around with the verses for ages, and loved the talky parts. It took a while to land on the big chorus I was reaching for, and it was only after that that I checked my lyric book and saw how am I still alive written down. So I featured that middle section around that lyric because I felt like it summed the track up so well and took it to a slightly darker place (which I loved in contrast to the bright chorus). ALSO LYDIA NIGHT FEATURED AHHHH!!
“Crush” is really fun on the outside, and it feels very intense on the inside. How did this song come about; is it based on a true story?
Lauran Hibberd: Yes this one is definitely based on a true story, and is kind of an older song as well. I guess it looks at the other side of a one sided relationship. It’s weird being the one to string someone else along just because you don’t want to be by yourself. I guess it kinda explores the power of selfishness and how that will eat away at you. The verses came about pre lockdown, but I revisited and decided there was a full song in there.
To that end, are most of your songs based on lived experience and real moments?
Lauran Hibberd: Definitely, though I do have a tendency to exaggerate every inch of my life so that is predominantly a factor. Sometimes I can make something up and believe it’s true or believe it happened to me – even though it hasn’t. I get easily immersed in situations whether it’s mine or not; I think that’s a good songwriting tool.
As a lyrically forward artist, do you have any favorite lyrics in these songs?
Lauran Hibberd: Basically the whole of “You Never Looked So Cool”!!! I am so proud of this song lyrically, and I really did have a vivid dream of being at my own funeral. ‘I had a dream that I died in the seventies, I wasn’t alive then but I still couldn’t breathe.’ ‘I woke up slowly to you grabbing at my shoulders, saying I shouldn’t dream so much now that I am older.’
In “Bleugh,” my favourite lyric is, ‘I know what you look like because I’ve been studying you for a lifetime.’
Do you have any definitive favorites or personal highlights off this record?
Lauran Hibberd: “Bleugh” and “How Am I Still Alive” are my babies. I’m so proud of these tracks, I loved writing them and really felt like I’d found my thing. If I had to play an alien two songs of mine that’s what I’d chose.
What do you hope listeners take away from Goober? What have you taken away from creating it and now putting it out?
Lauran Hibberd: I hope they can relate, I hope they can laugh, I hope they can dance to it, run to it, drive to it, and then get home and cry about it afterwards. Because that’s the whirlwind of emotions I have been through creating it. I’m super proud of it, and I feel relieved people are finally getting to hear it.
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:: stream/purchase Goober here ::
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