Crunchy, riffy rock n roll written and performed by a badass who has built a huge online audience entirely by herself?
I’m interested!
Let me introduce you to Laura Cox, the Anglo-French rocker who didn’t wait for the world to come to her. Cox was an early-era YouTube star, posting covers of classic rock tunes and amassing over 100 million views (and counting) as she did so.
Now with the release of her 4th solo album - Trouble Coming - Cox has long since proven that she has the staying power, talent and charisma to make a long go of it. I recently connected with Laura via email to get the lowdown on the new record and more!
Laura Cox Interview
Guitarguitar: Your new album Trouble Coming is released soon! Do you tend to write songs in ‘album phases’ or are you constantly writing sounds and stashing them away for later release?
Laura Cox: I used to write in phases whenever I wanted to release a new album, so it felt a bit forced to me. For Trouble Coming, the whole writing/recording process felt really natural, and I still keep on writing for future releases. This time, I didn’t go in the studio with my musicians, I did it at my own pace, and we even kept some demo takes I recorded at home. I worked with No Money Kids (a French band who arranged and produced Trouble Coming), and went to their studio near Paris, whenever I felt I was ready to record a song. They guided me through the whole process, especially with the gear used, tones and effects.
(Photo: Li Roda-Gil)
gg: When writing, do you begin with a riff? How far into the process do you get before you bring in vocals and lyrics?
LC: It depends on the songs. I used to begin with the riffs and guitar parts all the time. Now it’s not always the case anymore. Sometimes I come up with a melody for the vocals and a chord progression that leads to the chorus, then I work around it. Keeping the vocals and lyrics for the end of the process makes it harder and I often ended up stuck. With Trouble Coming, everything kind of came together naturally. It’s like everything was aligned and working out from the start.
gg: In terms of lyric-writing, do you find that there are certain messages or themes that you return to again and again?
LC: When I think about it, I think there’s a connection with some themes on my previous album Head Above Water too: letting go and being yourself are some of them. Even though I feel like I’m in a really good place in my life right now, this new album is a bit dark. I like exploring the dark sides of the mind. Especially when it comes to artists; mental health. For example, musicians on tour are often struggling with a lot of bad stuff, like addiction, loneliness, depression. These themes kind of were the starting point of the album.
gg: Your new single No Need to Try Harder features some awesome slide playing! Do you use a separate guitar for slide?
LC: Thank you! I love playing slide and you can hear it on several songs on the album. When I recorded No Need to Try Harder, I didn’t even play on my guitar! I used a Jerry Jones Danelectro (lipstick pickups) that No Money Kids had in their studio. Tuned in open G flat, with a heavier string gauge.
When I’m playing this song on stage, I use my Gibson Les Paul Junior, with a higher action and 11-48 D’Addario strings. It still allows me to use it without a bottleneck and is a good in-between setup.
gg: In the No Need To Try Harder video, you play a rather unusual Gibson Les Paul Junior guitar. What is that particular model?
LC: In this video, I’m playing a Gibson Les Paul Junior Billie Joe Armstrong 2018 Signature. I love that it’s a base of Junior, but with a humbucker for heavier tones, and a fun red finish. It’s also one of my main guitars on stage. It’s reliable, easy to play with its 60s neck, and not as heavy as standard Les Pauls.
gg: You seem to favour Gibson guitars. Would that be a correct assumption? What is it about them that you love?
LC: It is correct! Growing up, I was a big fan of Guns ‘n’ Roses and AC/DC, and I dreamt about these Gibsons. When I got my first paycheck, I bought myself a Gibson Les Paul Classic Plus in Honey Burst that I used a lot these past years. Gibson is a legend, their looks and tones made history, and I feel so proud to be part of this family now.
(Photo: Li Roda-Gil)
gg: You always get great guitar tones! What amps and pedals do you like to use?
LC: Thanks a lot, it’s a never-ending quest! I’ve been using Marshall Studio Vintage 20 stacks for a few years now, and they work great for me. They are compact but powerful and give me this organic crunch tone I need for my base tone. Then I add a SoloDallas Storm to boost this, and another SoloDallas SVDS when I need extra bite for the solos. If I need different tones, depending on the songs, I like thickening my tone with a SoloDallas Orbiter Fuzz or an Earthquaker Devices Bit Commander.
"If you focus more on the stats of your videos than the actual content, that’s when you start losing sight of what’s initially important"
gg: You have over 500k followers on your YouTube channel. Congratulations! What tips might you have for our readers for building an online audience?
LC: That’s a tricky question, because when I started uploading videos on YouTube, I didn’t have any plan or strategy in mind. I just wanted to share my guitar covers and get some feedback to get better or even motivate other people to pick up the guitar. Then it got bigger little by little, and my videos quickly gathered several million views, and everything started this way.
I don’t feel like I could give good advice on how to build an online audience, because for me the key was not trying to do anything except sharing my experience. If you focus more on the stats of your videos than the actual content, that’s when you start losing sight of what’s initially important.
gg: Would you say that an online presence is more important than playing lots of live gigs nowadays?
LC: I’d say you have to find a balance between these two sides of the musician’s life. Some people will focus on the internet and stay “YouTubers”, and that’s ok if that’s what they want; but I know I couldn’t just settle for an online presence. For me, playing music is more than this, it’s sharing your passion in sweaty rock venues, meeting people after the shows. I want the whole experience!
gg: Your YouTube channel has been active for nearly 20 years. In your experience, how has streaming culture for musicians changed since you started back in 2006?
LC: The streaming culture evolved a lot in 20 years, but I didn’t really follow this. I’m glad YouTube still exists and hasn’t been replaced! I kind of detached from streaming platforms and I feel really old when I’m thinking about it. I should be more proactive when it comes to social media, but I tend to give more importance to touring life and recording albums.
One of the things I really want to work on in the future, is the way I communicate on social media because I know it’s important to keep a tight connection with my community.
gg: I notice you have some shows booked in France soon. Will we be seeing you in the UK any time soon?
LC: That’s a good question, and I really hope we will be able to come back to the UK in 2026. Last time we toured there was in 2019, and it was really challenging. My bookers are currently working on next year’s tour and I’m sure we’ll be able to figure something out.
Hopefully we’ll see Laura over this way before too long, but in the meantime, keep an eye out on Oct 31st for her new album, Trouble Coming. Head over to the official Laura Cox website for news, releases & merch, and find her on all of the usual social channels.
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