Exclusive Interview: Laura Marano Chats About Her Debut Album, I May Be An Actress, but I Can’t Fake How I Feel, Her Growth as an Artist, and More

Laura Marano is a multifaceted talent who is best known for her transformative and dynamic performances in projects like Austin & Ally, The Perfect Date, and The Royal Treatment. As an actress, she’s brought depth and life to each of her characters and quickly established herself as one of Hollywood’s most versatile leading ladies.

But that’s not all. Laura is also an accomplished singer-songwriter who is empowering her fans and listeners through her music, showing a different side to her artistry and bringing a new level of vulnerability.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to catch up with Laura to talk about the release of her debut album I May Be An Actress, but I Can’t Fake How I Feel, her growth as an artist, and more.

PC: You’ve always been so intentional with each body of work that you’ve released. What do you hope to say with your debut album, I May Be An Actress, but I Can’t Fake How I Feel?
Laura: Thank you! I truly just wanted to put my entire heart on the line with my debut. My goal with this album was to fully process feelings that I kept buried for a long time and put it all out there. I know the title is fairly long, but I genuinely think it quite literally says it all. With this album, I wanted to be brutally honest.

PC: Leading up to the release of your debut album, you dropped a few singles. Each of them celebrates and features an iconic actress. Who were the women in your own life who have impacted the songwriter and artist that you are today?
Laura: There are so many incredible women who have impacted me my whole life. Personally, I truly admire my mom and sister so much, and I am constantly in awe of them. Both my grandmothers were also and continue to be two women I have always been inspired by. I think from a music perspective, I have always really admired Joni Mitchell and Carole King—I think their songwriting is just beyond incredible, and it’s hard not to be inspired by them as a musician in general.

PC: There’s so much growth that you can hear when you’re listening to your debut album. What’s played the biggest role in your development as a songwriter these past few years? Has that process changed since you started releasing music?
Laura: I think at the beginning of my music career, I wasn’t sure who I was as an artist yet. I tried so many different types of sounds and subgenres within the pop genre. Even though I felt more confident with my songwriting than my singing, I also felt a little lost at times with that. I’ve done so many cowrites over the years, which, don’t get me wrong, I still do love, but I think in the last few years, I started getting more comfortable writing by myself, which I used to do all the time when I was younger. All twenty-three songs on this album are written by me, with ten of the twenty-three songs being written only by me. I never would have done that seven years ago, so I’m thankful for the confidence I have now.

PC: Your sound has always been so timeless yet refreshing. How challenging has it been toe that line? How have you done that so seamlessly?
Laura: Oh, thank you! That is very kind! To be honest, I think when I’m writing and thinking about the production of a song, I’m just focusing on what I resonate with. I just want to make music I want to listen to, and though that type of music has changed slightly over the years, I feel like my taste has stayed fairly consistent.

PC: Speaking of that timelessness, many of the songs on the album were written this year and last, but there is one written back in 2015. How rewarding has it been for you as a songwriter to know a song like “Brand New Heart” resonates with you more now than it did when you initially wrote it?
Laura: It’s honestly a little crazy! Resonating with a song years after I’ve written it has happened a couple of times, and every time it happens, it feels a little magical. Did I somehow know when I was writing it I would need this song years later? When I first started thinking about releasing this album, I wasn’t thinking of “Brand New Heart” at all. It wasn’t until someone else ended up reminding me of that song that I listened to it again and realized how much more it made sense to me now. I knew it had to be on the album.

PC: If you had to pick one song off your debut album that best encompasses who you are as an artist, which would it be and why?
Laura: That is such a hard question! I think “Someday” is a song I am incredibly proud of in every aspect. I co-wrote it, I helped produce it, and I think it really represents the album very well. I also think “Can’t Keep Waiting” is a good representation of who I am as an artist. That’s one of the songs I wrote completely by myself, and in a lot of ways, it’s the song that jumpstarted this album. It even has the title in the pre-choruses!

PC: Often when artists release a new project, they head on the road to support it. Are there plans for a potential tour in 2023/2024?
Laura: I am definitely antsy to get back on the road, but I also am feeling very called to take a bit of a break. I am so proud of this album, but it also took a lot out of me. I think I might need a moment to fully decompress everything.

To keep up with Laura, follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music. Stream and listen to I May Be An Actress, but I Can’t Fake How I Feel today!