Lana Crow crafts heartfelt indie-pop with raw honesty. In this interview, she reveals the personal story behind Laugh With You, exploring resilience, self-acceptance, ego, vulnerability, and the inner power that shapes our reality.
1. “Laugh With You” carries a strong message of resilience and self-acceptance. What personal experiences or emotions first inspired you to write this song?
The lyrics, “I don’t care if you judge me, I don’t care if you laugh — if you want, I’ll laugh with you,” came to me after a night out with friends. This was shortly after I started releasing music. All of my friends were surprised to learn that I was writing music, and some were impressed. One of them, however, made a couple of remarks that, let’s just say, weren’t meant to be supportive. My emotional response was, “I really don’t care what you have to say, and it’s a shame that you feel my writing music makes you any less talented.” And that’s how the song was born.
The resilience and self-acceptance in “Laugh With You” come directly from my own life. I grew up in an environment where any hint of self-love would get you labeled a selfish brat, so for a long time, liking myself felt almost wrong. It shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand back then. I was vaguely aware something was off — I’d feel jealous of people who seemed at ease with themselves and others, and I carried this quiet sense of being less than most people. It took a painful event a couple of years ago for me to really see how deep it went. Instead of falling into victimhood, I chose to see it as a message I needed to hear. It wasn’t easy, but over time I got the answers I was looking for and turned the experience into something that helped rather than cripple me.
While my upbringing was chaotic, it did have an upside. I was born into a culture vastly different from the Western one, and when I moved to the West, I experienced a kind of culture shock — but in a good way. I continued to be exposed to different cultures because I mixed with other foreigners from all over the world, while also making an effort to assimilate wherever I was. That rollercoaster widened my perspective, and I feel it gave me an insight into other cultures that not everyone has. It helps me see things that aren’t always obvious to others. I’m grateful for that awareness — it was costly to gain, but I appreciate having it.
2. The line “If you want, I’ll laugh with you” feels both defiant and unifying. What does laughing through hardship mean to you on a deeper level?
I think it’s important that we don’t take ourselves too seriously; it makes life a lot easier. Some of us are more sensitive than others, and there’s nothing wrong with being sensitive—I’m still a very sensitive person myself. However, challenging your ego every time it rears its ugly head can be an acquired skill—and a very useful one. When you can laugh at yourself, you rise above the unhealthy noise of judgment around you. You become more grounded, more open, and honestly, easier to be around. When you accept your own imperfections and failures, other people’s negative reactions lose their power over you—you understand where they’re coming from, and you’re no longer shaken by it.
In the last chorus, I intentionally switch roles in the so-called “dialogue.” Lines like “Please don’t care if they judge you, I’ll be there, I’ll stick with you” are written as how I imagine God would speak to us, if we could hear that voice clearly. I often bring this kind of presence into the bridges of my songs. To me, God isn’t a distant figure, but an immense intelligence we’re all part of. We’re co-creators living in this earthly realm, and the chaos we see around us is largely a reflection of our inner world. God cannot force us into choices that are better for us; we have to make those choices ourselves, and it’s harder than it seems because it takes a certain level of self-awareness. The song is a reminder that we carry far more responsibility—and far more power—in shaping this world than we tend to realize.
3. Your music often addresses judgment, comparison, and inner strength. How do you personally navigate these pressures as an artist and as a person?
I do wish judgment and comparison weren’t as celebrated as they are. We’re born into a world where competitiveness is encouraged as a motivator, but often all it really does is breed jealousy and a sense of self-deficiency. Every single one of us is talented in our own way, yet not all of us get the chance to find out what that talent is because we often aspire to be someone else.
I’m still learning how to navigate the pressures we all face these days, and I think it’s an ongoing process—especially as the world keeps changing so fast and throwing new challenges at us. What really helps, however, is viewing every painful experience as a message pointing to the inner issues you need to address. When you approach every setback with that mindset, you still get hurt, but the pain loses its power over you.
4. Sonically, the track blends indie pop warmth with emotional intensity. How did you approach shaping the sound to support the song’s message?
When I work with a producer—who I always hire online—I send them my demo along with a reference track, and they help shape the final sound based on those. I have to admit, my demos are pretty flat. I’m not a strong pianist, and playing and singing at the same time is a big challenge for me. I do try to put as much emotion as I can into my voice, but sometimes it gets lost because I’m so focused on hitting the right keys. I have huge respect for artists who can play instruments freely while singing; it’s harder than people realize. So when you hear the final track matching the emotion and message of the lyrics, that’s largely thanks to the producer bringing my vision to life. I’ve been lucky with my producers.
5. Mental health and vulnerability are central themes here. What kind of conversations do you hope “Laugh With You” opens among listeners?
I hope people realize that taking responsibility for what happens in their lives isn’t something to be scared of—it’s actually freeing. Life becomes a lot more exciting when you understand that you’re in charge of your own path. When I look back, I can see how many events in my life were shaped by my own earlier thoughts, and honestly, it’s almost scary how much influence those thoughts had. But being honest with yourself is key, because our unconscious thinking tends to be pretty negative.
Many mental health challenges come from looking for external reasons for unhappiness—trying to change your surroundings or your body, and getting frustrated when nothing seems to help. The truth is, it’s rarely the physical manifestation of things that needs to change; it’s always the world within. Our physical reality is essentially a reflection of how we perceive ourselves and our surroundings, and understanding that can be incredibly freeing.
6. Looking ahead, does this single represent a new chapter in your artistic journey, and what can fans expect from you next?
No new chapter really—everything still feels part of the same journey. But I’ve got another single dropping next month that goes deeper into what I imagine God would say to us. I hope it brings comfort and guidance to anyone who’s struggling.
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