In Laura Groves’ world, verdant fields bite back and harsh red lights fuzz out into loving glows. Intensity, love, and (mis)communication are frequent ponderings for the UK-based songwriter and producer who—from her early days performing in West Yorkshire under the name Blue Roses—has now spent over a decade slowly building a solo practice in London, releasing a series of EPs leading up to 2020’s A Private Road, her first for Bella Union. Now, Groves returns with her first LP under her own name, Radio Red, the culmination of years spent curating a cogent aesthetic defined by soulful balladry, delicate synths, and glowing production. It’s a far cry from the avant folk of her earliest releases, but Groves’ ’80s-inspired dream pop ballads represent a unique niche.
Groves has a fascination with communication that comes through immediately on opener “Sky at Night” as she asks: “Did you get the message? / Sent it straight up to the sky.” The tension and release is immediately memorable, with echoing keys ascending and dropping in dynamic, the texture invoking the foggy glow of a London evening. The plaintive keys alongside Groves’ crystal-clear voice on “Sarah” are hypnotic, and the layers of oscillating rhythms that appear throughout “Synchronicity” make it hard—but fun—to follow. There’s a hint of whimsy hidden in these songs, moments of gentle surprise where Groves’ delicate synth production elicits a cool shiver. Elsewhere, Sampha, an artist among Groves’ tight circle of trusted collaborators, lends his voice to “D 4 N” and “Good Intention.”
Above all else, Radio Red is the long sought-out thesis statement for Groves’ evolving project, one which displays her versatile production chops and distinct curiosities. To celebrate Radio Red, Groves shares those curiosities with us in her track-by-track breakdown of the LP, illuminating the intricate networks of communication and introspection that inspired each of the album’s 10 tracks.
1. “Sky at Night”
This started from the modulated piano sound—I built the song around that part. I had in mind that I wanted to write a pop song. Lyrically it encapsulates what the album is about: signals and messages, late night radio, tuning into something, the radio towers I always seem to end up living/working next to. I spent some time in the studio adding synthesized sounds and radio signals and subtler things that take it to that sort of place for me. I was imagining people listening to the radio in the car at night.
2. “Good Intention”
Again this all centered around the keyboard. I wrote the whole thing on an electric piano and I think I had the chords for a long time before figuring out the full arrangement. I remember it being a really carefully thought-out composition in terms of the chord sequence and it grew from there. I’m really drawn to electric piano sounds—soft, hazy sounds that I then like to further modulate somehow. The structure of the song seems to reflect the feeling of this labyrinth of memory and things we hang onto, how it can change and transform over time—bits of conversation, anxiety, regrets—and then being able to break through that a bit and let go, to imagine and accept something new.
3. “Synchronicity”
When I first started releasing music I used a lot of fingerpicked guitar. Sometimes I’ll start figuring out chords and get really drawn in with experimenting with the shapes and voicings, and that’s how this song grew. It’s about reaching out over this kind of wide distance and trying to get something across, learning to open up. I feel the choruses are a bit of a breath of fresh air, and how being honest about something can have that kind of effect.
4. “D 4 N”
This song is about travel. I was touring a lot when I first wrote the words, and it centered around this feeling of strangeness, self-doubt, traveling across the city on the night bus, flying, kind of never stopping and how that can get a bit out of control and extreme—a distraction from actually looking at myself. The song then became a bit of an antidote to that, and now the choruses are a reminder to ease the pressure of self-criticism and find the pleasure in things. It was amazing to have Sampha come over and record with me in my studio—his vocals are so beautiful and I feel so grateful. As with a lot of this music, I added extra synths to the existing production with TJ Allen in Bristol, who really helped me finish the music and also mixed the record beautifully.
5. “I’m Not Crying”
This song came to me so clearly, like it had just always been there—I wrote it quickly in one go, which doesn’t happen often. It taught me a lot about myself: the push and pull in relationships, finding peace within oneself, working through all of the noise and figuring out what’s important. It’s really a deep love song. I love ballads, but to me this is more like laughing through the tears. There’s a lot of hope to it!
6. “Any Day Now”
This is really about the frustration of feeling like I couldn’t express myself—feeling confused when trying to communicate something, breakdowns in communication. Layered up guitars and the drum machine just playing the repetitive beat…I love playing this one live.
7. “Time”
This was all built around that synth part at the start—I found a sound I really loved and it started the whole thing. This is another one that’s really linked to the radio in my head. I had this collection of images and memories surrounding it: drives in Bradford at night, going past all the windows with glowing lights and seeing the whole city lit up from the moors, wondering what’s going on out there.
8. “Sarah”
I did the piano for this at The Crypt studio in North London, near to where I lived when I first moved here. It was a beautiful grand piano and I remember it feeling great to record in another location after working on the songs in my own studio for a long time. The song is about magical connections you can have with certain people and having faith in that love, something deeper that makes itself known even when it feels like things are falling apart.
9. “Make a Start”
This is probably one of the oldest songs on the record; it’s been with me a long time. When I first started recording music I immediately started layering up vocal harmonies and loved turning them into this big, lush sound that almost becomes an instrument in its own right. This is a really hopeful song to me, and it’s full of optimism. When I listen back it has a warmth to it—it’s about the need for understanding and exchange, trying to find a balance with someone when you really believe in and love and respect a lot.
10. “Silver Lining”
I can remember walking down the street coming home from a night out as the sun was coming up. It was hazy and misty and the words [to this song] just came into my head. This whole process—writing, recording, producing this music—has been about me going somewhere really deep in order to try and really see myself and know who I am in a new way. So much has guided and helped me; there have definitely been times when I’ve nearly given up, but something or someone always seemed to come along and help when I needed it most. So this song is a celebration of that hope and a letting go of all of this work and dedication. I’m really excited to be able to share it all with people!
