The Knockturnal was on the scene for United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) star-studded 2016 Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day presented by Hess. 20-year old Laura Marano performed and hosted the event. She is probably best known for starring as “Ally” in the Disney Channel’s international hit television series Austin & Ally. We spoke with her before the concert exclusively.
Q: Tell me a little bit about what you’re working on.
Laura: I have a new single called “La La” that I’m performing live for the first time today, so I’m freaking out. It’s out on iTunes now, two words: La La, and my debut album is coming out later this year.
Q: Obviously we know you’re an actress, but tell me about your transition to music and how that’s been?
Laura: It’s been awesome. It’s definitely two very different worlds, but what I love about music and being an artist is it’s so intimate and personal, which can be scary but there’s something really nice about it. I feel like I’ve gotten to know my fans and they’ve gotten to know me in a different way.
Q: Who are some of the people who inspired you growing up?
Laura: Pink is my everything. Carole King, I love Carole King… Joni Mitchell
Q: So you like a throwback vibe?
Laura: Totally! But I’m also a huge Beyoncé fan. Beyoncé is so wonderful and what she did with Lemonade and just talented and I love her so much. So I’m kind of a fan of a very vast amount of artists.
Q: What’s your song writing process like?
Laura: So different all the time! For “La La” it went so smooth. I came up with the concept, I knew what I wanted to write about and then we wrote and recorded the song in four hours.