A bold, gritty pop-punk anthem, ‘Dangerous Love’ marks our point of entry into James Laurent’s artistic universe. Now based in California, the American creative champions an energetic, explosive flair, crafting saturated, energetic pieces steeped in melancholic melodies and fearless lyricism. The project’s latest single is the perfect evidence of that, with ‘Dangerous Love’ finding fertile ground in intense, gloomy imagery and a fierce guitar-powered imprint. It’s not necessarily a complex record, but it’s catchy, hard-hitting and relevant.
What’s more, the piece has been written and produced by Laurent himself. Working in TV and Films as an audio specialist, James certainly has all the right cards to manage the project himself. He does so with masterful allure, placing the track in-between mainstream and leftfield. It’s a delicate balance that sees Laurent entering alternative territories with universal euphoria.
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with James to learn more about his artistry and past experiences… Interview below!
Hey James, thanks for chatting with us. ‘Dangerous Love’ marks my first encounter with the project, and I am intrigued by the rowdiness and fierceness behind your music, together with the unique story you have to share with our readers. First off, are you proud of how ‘Dangerous Love’ turned out? Is it true that you wrote and produced most of it in one night?
Thank you for having me! I am extremely proud of how Dangerous Love has been received; it has been such a positive reception immediately from all around the world. It is true that I wrote and recorded ‘Dangerous Love’ in one night. It was actually back in late 2023, and I have been sitting on this finished song since then, waiting for the right time to release my album.
The track embraces a keen pop-punk allure, yet there’s also a heightened sense of darkness and gloominess in it. I get the sense that you are rather familiar with obscure, fringe genres. What would you say are your major influences?
Some of the major influences that shaped my taste in music growing up were Linkin Park and Hollywood Undead. However, my playlists contain an eclectic series of songs, ranging from Broadway stuff to country music. The only genre I don’t listen to is metal. My current favourites for listening are artists like WesGhost, and some Russian alternative music.
Delving deeper into the lyricism behind ‘Dangerous Love’, I’d love to know whether it was born out of personal experience or just as a general songwriting effort. Do you usually write alone or with others?
Dangerous Love, in particular, was more of a mixture of all of my personal experiences. I do almost everything pertaining to my music alone. I have tried a few times to work with others, but I found it to be annoying or uncomfortable: for instance, having to switch my style of writing to cooperate, or slowing down my working pace. I write fast and prefer to make songs in packs of 3-4 a night and pick the best ones.
I have noticed a lo-fi aura around it, a quirky EQ that makes the piece quite leftfield and grainy. Is that a conscious choice? Or just a result of your production process?
I have been a large proponent of using saturation in my mixing process, as well as my recording channel has a CL1-b tube compressor, which helps warm up my vocals. I think the specific sounds of it are a product of whatever sounds best within the context of the music, but the saturation to begin with is a conscious choice.
The readers might not know this, but you are actually a Media Systems Engineer for FX Networks by day. Does working in TV and films help ‘sculpt’ your own material?
I wouldn’t say it has any effect on the content matter of my music, but it does allow me a deeper knowledge of certain aspects of creation, which I have brought over into my career to elevate my content. An example would be how I have been working on helping the VFX team during the creation of Alien Earth, which helped me launch off my own VFX pipeline from creating and painting 3D models, to animating and building environments in Unreal Engine to use for content pieces or cover arts.
Widening the topic, your biography is pretty interesting. Ranging from being told not to pursue music in school, to learning music production within a short timeframe, to gaining role after role in the Los Angeles music and TV industry. Looking back, are you surprised by how your life turned out?
I think the only initial surprise has been the switch from professional soccer player to focusing on music and TV. Even then, I have now worked in the entertainment industry for nine years, so it doesn’t feel like a surprise anymore to me.
Given your unique journey, is there a particular piece of advice or nugget of wisdom that you could share with our readers? Many of them are music makers themselves!
I think the two largest pieces of advice I have to offer are:
- Once you set your mind to doing something, don’t stop until you’ve achieved it. Research how, and just start doing it. The hardest part of anything is simply just starting it, so once you’ve done that, it gets easier.
- Don’t forget to stop the grind and look behind you to take in how far you’ve come and how much you’ve accomplished since you started.
Lastly, what’s next for James Laurent?
My debut album ‘Degen Z’ is releasing December 12th, 2025, and my sophomore album ‘Laugh at the Tragedy’ will then follow on January 16th, 2026!
