Ep.54: She was being looked at by Warner Brothers, playing sold-out shows in New York… and then she got pregnant and walked away from all of it.

LauraLea Taraskus has been a full-time working musician since 1997: 26 consecutive summers at the Ocean Drive in Sea Isle City, six nights a week with her band Tripp Fabulous, and a catalog of original songs she's been playing live but hasn't recorded in over 20 years. Julian and LauraLea go way back — she sang on his album, performed at his wedding, and wrote one of his favorite songs of all time. Now she's heading back into the studio at 50, and her teenage daughter is writing the drum parts.

In this conversation, we get into:

• Her song "Cheers" and why Julian considers it one of the best songs ever written
• Recording a raw, live album in Chicago on sake and gut instinct
• Choosing motherhood over record deals and realizing it wasn't a sacrifice
• Why she refuses to use backing tracks and what that means for a four-piece cover band
• Going back to the studio at 50 with drum parts written by her teenage daughter

About LauraLea:

LauraLea Taraskus is a South Jersey-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist who has performed full-time for nearly 30 years. She fronts Tripp Fabulous, a four-piece cover band that tours the East Coast from Dewey Beach to Key West, and performs solo acoustic shows year-round. Her 2004 debut album is available on all streaming platforms.

Connect with LauraLea:

Website: trippfabulousband.com

Instagram: instagram.com/lauralea_trippfabulous

Facebook: facebook.com/trippfabulous

Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/02AoKp0R0AUsWfo2Omg5Y5

Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/artist/lauralea-taraskus/251819215

Music Mentioned in this Episode:

Songs:

• Cheers (LauraLea Taraskus)
• Chemical Whore (LauraLea Taraskus)
• This Is Mine (LauraLea Taraskus)
• Perfect (LauraLea Taraskus)
• Zombie (The Cranberries)
• Heart Shaped Box (Nirvana)
• When You Were Young (The Killers)
• The Story (Brandi Carlile)
• Gravity (Sara Bareilles)
• Tennessee Whiskey (Chris Stapleton)
• Mother (Danzig)
• Angie (The Rolling Stones)
• Good Luck Babe (Chappell Roan)
• Red Wine Supernova (Chappell Roan)

Albums & Projects:

• Grace (Jeff Buckley)
• LauraLea (LauraLea Taraskus, 2004)

Artists & Bands:

• LauraLea Taraskus
• Tripp Fabulous
• The Cranberries
• Nirvana
• The Killers
• Brandi Carlile
• Sara Bareilles
• Jeff Buckley
• Chris Stapleton
• Marcus King
• Chappell Roan
• Taylor Swift
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Kings of Leon
• Mumford & Sons
• Tame Impala
• Cage the Elephant
• Dr. Dog
• Gnarls Barkley
• Four Non Blondes
• Linda Perry
• Joan Jett
• Elton John
• Sydney Irving
• Primus
• Tool
• Danzig
• The Rolling Stones
• Pink
• Sia
• Rihanna
• Phoebe Bridgers
• Boy Genius
• The Warning