Born in London to a Sri Lankan father and Icelandic mother, LAY LOW’s musical abilities stretch as far as her geographical heritage. Starting out as a pianist and bass guitar player; she has jammed on keyboards and synthesizers with Benny Crespo’s Band, found her voice in blues folk and a little honky tonk bop collaborating with producers such as Liam Watson. Although her new material is taking on a new trip hop twist, LAY LOW’s distinct musical journey can still be felt at its roots, producing a honed yet experimental sound that is all her own.
Vocally LAY LOW combines a rich chocolate sound with a sweet cinnamon rasp and a sip of whisky to take the edge off. Her live shows have seen her reach round and hug a room of 200 people using only her voice in acapella. Seeing LAY LOW perform is unique, musically playful, she spins new yarns out of her songs, exudes warmth and radiates sincerity that amounts to a profoundly personal experience.
LAY LOW came about in 2006, after Lovísa was contacted by a local label that picked up on a raw demo that she had uploaded onto MySpace. Not one to waste an opportunity, LAY LOW’s debut album ‘Please Don’t Hate Me’ was released that same year. An intoxicating take on classic Americana sounds, the record topped the Icelandic charts and became the bestselling original album in the country, winning no less than 3 Icelandic Music Awards.
To prepare for her next album Lovísa drew inspiration from Icelandic nature, travelling to remote country villages. With such a vast range of influences this isolation allowed LAY LOW to come into her own. She found something special with producer Liam Watson [White Stripes, Pete Molinari & Holly Golightly] on her second album, “Farewell Good Night’s Sleep”. The album was soon picked up by the music team at iTunes in the US who tipped LAY LOW as one of the best discoveries of 2008.
LAY LOW could never have predicted where her travels would take her in 2009. She spent a large part of the year supporting Emilíana Torrini on tour and performing solo across the world. This included appearances at Glastonbury, Into The Great Wide Open, Slottsfjell, and End of the Road festivals.
On “Brostinn strengur” (Broken String), her 3rd LP album, LAY LOW explored her talent for collaboration, harnessing the energy of Icelandic female poetry over the last 150 years. Using the poems as her lyrics, she sings in Icelandic and creates an enchanting sound of soothing folk with experimental indie twists. Nominated for 5 Icelandic Music Awards, the album was commended as her most experimental record yet, showing a confident use of LAY LOW’s broad range of musical styles.
LAY LOW’s new single ‘The Backbone’ has a poetic resonance with Neil Young and P.J. Harvey; a lick of Nancy Sinatra’s husky attitude and a dose of Portishead’s dirty acid trip. ‘The Backbone’ stirs up a cocktail of something you’ve never had before. And with her upcoming LP, set for international release in the autumn of 2012, you’ll soon be back at the bar asking for more of LAY LOW.
Mojo Love
Lay Low Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hear the beat, pick up the heat, let´s get loose.
Sense the suave, get out of here, to a whole new groove.
Sweat is wet, but not just yet, we’ll get there soon.
It’s the new way
to cure a hurting heartache.
Don’t you worry,
Mojo love, mojo fun, swing your hips.
Forget the pain, it’s all in vain, use your wits.
Find yourself, get out of here, you’re all you’ve got.
The past is gone, but now you’ve got, this time on.
It’s the new way
to cure a hurting heartache.
Don’t you worry,
you’re going to a different side
In Lay Low's song "Mojo Love," the lyrics are about letting go of the past and finding a new rhythm to live by. The opening lines of the song invite the listener to close their eyes and feel the rhythm of the music. The lyrics then continue with a call to action, urging the listener to move their body and let the music take them to a new level of consciousness. "Mojo Love" is a song about learning to let go of the past and embracing a new way of living that is less focused on pain and more focused on self-discovery and acceptance.
The chorus of "Mojo Love" emphasizes this idea of transformation and healing, as the lyrics suggest that this new way of living can cure a hurting heartache. The song encourages listeners to embrace their inner power and explore new ways of experiencing life. In essence, the song is about finding and tapping into your mojo, that element of personal power and charisma that sets you apart from others.
Line by Line Meaning
Close your eyes, feel the vibe come over you.
Take a moment to immerse yourself in the vibe of the music by shutting your eyes and letting it flow through you.
Hear the beat, pick up the heat, let´s get loose.
Listen to the rhythm of the music, let it warm you up, and loosen up to let the music move you.
Sense the suave, get out of here, to a whole new groove.
Feel the smoothness of the groove and let this transport you to a new level of consciousness.
Sweat is wet, but not just yet, we’ll get there soon.
Although the music is heating up, it hasn't quite reached the point of causing sweaty exertion yet, but it will soon.
It’s the new way
to cure a hurting heartache.
Don’t you worry,
you’re going to a different side.
The song is offering a new way to help ease the pain of heartache. You should not worry and trust that you are moving towards a brighter and happier future.
Mojo love, mojo fun, swing your hips.
Let the power of mojo love and fun inspire you to move your hips and let loose.
Forget the pain, it’s all in vain, use your wits.
There is no point dwelling on the pain in life, instead, use your intelligence and mental strength to keep moving forward.
Find yourself, get out of here, you’re all you’ve got.
Take this opportunity to separate yourself from the past and focus on your personal journey. At the end of the day, you are the only one that can control your destiny.
The past is gone, but now you’ve got, this time on.
The past cannot be changed, but you have this moment to embrace and create your own future.
Writer(s): Bjorn Sigmundur Olafsson, Magnus Arni Oder Kristinsson, Lovisa Elisabet Sigrunardottir
Contributed by James O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.