By: Staff
Laughing Cats release "GYB" – a high-energy, catchy pop-rock anthem with powerful vocals and a meaningful message from Tony Fredianelli and Lauren Schiff.
We’re really excited about this one! This collaboration has brought us a terrific, radio-ready, upbeat pop-rock fusion, featuring none other than the world-renowned Tony Fredianelli, former guitarist of Third Eye Blind, and the electrifying lyricist Lauren Schiff. This song is packed with catchy hooks, fun melodies, and relatability, all wrapped around a really solid message. The vocals are something you’re definitely going to fall in love with. Be sure to check this one out, and read the review below to learn more about the incredible connection between these two fantastic artists.
You can find this release on any major platform, see below for links to take you straight to some of the profiles. Make sure to playlist, stream, and share "GYB" by Laughing Cats!
Now get ready to catch up with Laughing Cats for an exclusive interview in "The Cage" Music Blog.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview
We were stoked to chat with Tony Fredianelli, former guitarist of Third Eye Blind, and Lauren Schiff, an electrifying lyricist with a background in NY stage plays. Together, they’ve crafted a standout track as the band Laughing Cats that's sure to get noticed. It’s a killer collaboration that hits all the right notes.
Hello Lauren and Tony, we’re thrilled to have you for this interview! We've thoroughly enjoyed diving into your music and exploring your work, and now we’re even more eager to discover more about you, both personally and professionally.
We’ve heard a lot about how this collaboration came together. So many artists are working this way now because it tends to bring out more creativity, with talents finding each other naturally rather than being “placed.” It really sparks something special, and that’s exactly what we see here. Can you tell us how your partnership came to be?
LS: First of all, it’s great to be interviewed by The Cage. Thank you, Marina. Tony and I met after he reached out to my husband who is an asset manager. My husband and I were fanning out about the fact that the 13 year long guitarist of Third Eye Blind had contacted my husband, and so I back-pocketed Tony's email, since by that time I had written a substantial number of songs. Later, I finally worked up the courage to write him and ask him, straight-up, if he wanted to form a music duo with me. He had been ghost writing on projects, which he was content in doing, then here comes this blunt, strange woman asking him to form a duo with her. The logical step was to collaborate on a few works. Two songs became five songs, and pretty soon we had so much exciting material that he realized what most men eventually realize: the woman is always right (insert wink emoji face)… and now here we are. He is a dear friend and a fantastic creative partner.
What’s the story behind how you chose your collaboration or band name, Laughing Cats?
LS: Laughing Cats… should I give it away? It’s quite silly, really. Maybe someday I’ll explain it. We hope it evokes an idea of fun, imagination and curiosity.
With so many influences like The Beatles, Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground, The Troggs, The Zombies, The Kinks, and even the 80’s era, we’ve got one big question. Where do you feel your talents would have the most impact? If you could be invited to “join” any band based on your writing and guitar skills, which band would you want to be a part of?
LS: I would want to write and sing with New Order. I was always intrigued by Peter Hook being such a prominent sonic figure as lead on bass. They have Gillian Gilbert on guitar/keys, and I bet she would be a joy to collaborate with. What a legend she is.
TF-I always loved the Kinks because of their driving guitar riff song hooks. My guitar talents work best in that type of environment. Where a part or riff drives the hook.
Tony, what was the creative process like for you in crafting the beautiful work we hear in this latest release? Do you start writing your riffs alongside the lyrics, or do they come after a rough mix is laid down? Where does the magic begin for you?
TF: Well each song is a different scenario. Some start with a musical piece already started from a ways back that Lauren picked up on. Others are written directly for her to sing and write to, then builds from there. There are times she starts with lyrics and melody, like with our next release, “Jerk”.
LS- I’d like to chime in here and say that Tony is such a prolific composer that I have a beautiful pipeline of material to work with at all times. Every once in a while, a song like “The End” happens, where a piece he had written a while back falls perfectly with lyrics I had already written and was searching for their home. Along came his piece and it was perfect.
Tony, how did your childhood and your father's talents influence your desire to dive into the music industry? Were there specific moments or experiences that shaped your passion for making music?
TF: Growing up, our family was connected to famous folks of the era, so being around musicians and comedians, you just kinda found the life of a creative person fall right on top of you. But once established, and during my 3EB career as a founding member, I had too many amazing once-in-a-lifetime experiences to count. I mean, I got to meet so many legends it’s hard to isolate. Playing a show where Stevie Wonder is jamming on harmonica right at me was a pretty cool memory.
How does a project like this feel for both of you in terms of expressing yourselves to an audience that feels almost limitless with so many platforms? With the instant worldwide reach and the ability for fans to connect back so easily, how does that impact how you approach your music?
TF: It’s interesting how algorithms seem to help locate fans with like preferences. I am from the old school where labels were everything, but those days are gone. AI and music platforms are king!
LS: I could not say it better. It’s absolutely true and quite a beautiful time to be alive as a music artist.
Lauren, we found the lyrics to be fun and relatable, clearly coming from a place of rich experience, especially considering all your accomplishments and accolades. How would you describe the lyrics, and what message do you hope the audience takes away from them?
LS: Observation is an important part of the craft of acting. Sometimes my lyrics come from someone else’s story close to me, with my past and present interwoven in parts. I like lyrics to be relatable, even if sometimes on an abstract level. But as for GYB: I think one of the greatest lessons every individual must learn in life is to speak up for oneself, and do so from a place of inner happiness. Hopefully that is what our listeners feel: self-empowerment from a place of fun.
We saw that you recorded the album in Las Vegas at the Tone Factory with Vinnie Castaldo as your engineer. After looking it up, we were blown away by how incredible the studio is! Could you tell us more about that experience and what it was like working in such a creative space?
TF- Vinnie is an old friend and bandmate of mine from my early days in Vegas. It’s great working in his studio because of the vintage gear he has, the Neuman mics, the Pultec 1187’s. He also has a good understanding of the rock element. We’ve got 2 songs off our debut album “Funny Money”: “Providence” and “The End”, both which require the type of drum room that can get acoustic drums to sound right. He was very involved serving as engineer.
LS: Not to mention on those two tracks it’s Vinnie himself on drums. I met Vinnie through Tony and, right away the work was very honest and real. Vinnie’s space is gorgeous. His ear is so pure.
Lauren, when we read this, it made us feel even more connected to the song, especially after listening again: “That’s why the vocal tone is soft. It’s meant to show a level of vulnerable strength against a very persuasive energy.” This is such a unique approach to songwriting and performance, seamlessly brought to life by you as the artist. What inspired you to choose this method? We haven’t heard this kind of explanation from other singers, and we’ve been doing this for a long time, so it’s really intriguing and exciting for us!
LS: That’s great to know. I spent my life in acting. I was trained at NYU’s Grad Acting Program with vocal coaches like Deb Lapidus, Deborah Hecht, and later the late, great Steven Sweetland, who has recently, sadly left this earth. Those 3 were integral to my voice. I think as you enjoy our waterfall style album release, you will see that I approach each song with it’s own vocal spirit. Paul McCartney is known as ‘the man of a thousand voices”, and he’s my greatest inspiration of all time.
We’ve read about the song, but we’d love to hear more from you. Was the person who you “got back” someone from either of your lives, or was this a fusion of different experiences? What emotions were you hoping to evoke in listeners with this release, and how do you hope it resonates with them?
LS: I love this question, and I would love to answer it directly, but for the sake of my muses, I’ll keep them secret. That said, yes, he did get her back and I was indeed rooting for him! However, the song’s outcome is up for interpretation. It depends on each relationship, doesn’t it? I bet you can look at your life and find a person whom you had to close the door on for good. I’ve been there. It’s a big moment of self-actualization, whether it’s the person telling the other one to pack up their stuff, or for the partner who wants back in- either way, an evolution of the self must take place for both. And if the one who wants back in can’t self-reflect, send ‘em packing.
Can you describe the theme for the artwork of "GYB" and what inspired it? What was your intention for the observer to take away from it?
LS: You mean the coin? It’s true that a lot of artists these days have artwork for each single, which is cool, but we want to distinguish our album songs from any future singles we may release on their own. The coin is the album cover of “Funny Money”, and all songs off that album will retain that icon. I feel quite shy suddenly when asked to talk about the coin visual. It’s a very intentional graphic, but I’m nervous to tell! But here I go: It has many meanings: one of them comes from the line in GYB: “I’m making money faster than the Fed can print it”. Without getting super nerdy about this, it’s a spin on that line. It also has personal meaning when I look at it like: “hey, you only live once, spend your life the way you dream it.” Another meaning is that music has it’s own intangible value. I could say a lot more, but let’s leave it there for now. There are lots of little details on the coin to discover, too. And yes, there is a tails side of the coin!
Were there any challenging parts of bringing "GYB" to life, from the initial idea to the final recording?
LS: This is a very quick answer: no. It was such a fluid, fun creation. It felt right from the beginning.
As accomplished individuals in your respective industries, does that success ease any stress, or does it add more pressure? How does the process feel for you now?
LS: It’s kind of like I said before: you only live once. As soon as you’re in that mindset, the world feels small and your ideas feel big. That’s all that matters: the work you put in to it.
So, what’s next? Can you share the full details on your future projects and what fans should be excited about? We’re hearing about more releases, and we’d love to be the first to announce it!
LS: “Funny Money” will be released in a waterfall fashion, like episodes in a TV series. Then, we will release the album as a whole for long form listening. It’s genre diverse, and we are eager to go on this journey with music lovers around the world. We are also deep in the trenches of visual creations and look forward to future video releases. I am particularly excited to share our next song, “Jerk” with you. Stay tuned in as we develop, and most of all, we want to thank everyone who goes on this ride with us. It means the world.
Laughing Cats, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Laughing Cats’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
Now, click the links below to experience their incredible work firsthand!
Check out this latest release and listen to more of Laughing Cats on Spotify & YouTube.
Comments