Chapter 19
NINETEEN
An excerpt from Orla Monroe’s interview with Estelle Lavigne
OM:
So far you’ve shared that several of your songs have been inspired by real life. Let’s talk about process. How do you work? What does a typical day look like?
EL:
I do find the world to be an inspiring place.
People I meet, experiences I have, hopes, dreams, the trivial and the profound, good and bad, you name it.
The very first song I wrote was called “Petite Potato,” and it was for my grandmother.
She was a great cook like all French women, better than any chef trained at Le Cordon Bleu, so I made it up while she had me scrub new potatoes from her garden.
It was such a thrill to see the recognition on her face when I sang it to her.
Even at such a young age, I understood that me putting words to an experience we shared was impactful.
So to answer your question, what I do is I pay attention.
I follow the news, I talk to people, I read books, and then I write.
I don’t wait for inspiration, instead I sit down with my notebook and pen every day and jot down any thought or line of text that comes to mind.
It doesn’t have to be good—it’s only a start.
When I have a few pages of scribbles like that, usually a line or two stand out. Those get kneaded into something better. Sometimes a melody appears at this point, sometimes not. But it is very much a deliberate process.
A typical day will be a few hours of that in the morning while Frankie does schoolwork.
Then we explore whatever town we’re in, which is important both for my creativity and her education.
I do a sound check if it’s a performance day, cook dinner, a load of laundry maybe.
It’s very normal-person stuff aside from being on stage. I’m a regular person. A regular mom.
OM:
Oh, I think not. You’re being exceedingly humble about everything you’re juggling. I know your manager handles your bookings, but other than that, you do it all, and you write and arrange all of your own material, correct? No co-writers? A bona fide singer/songwriter.
EL:
I do. Every chord, every word. But I don’t think about it as merely lyrics and melody—it’s a narrative the audience can get immersed in.
That’s why my music resonates with listeners—or at least I’d like to think so.
I guess what I’m saying is that if we’re going to parse words, I prefer to think of myself more as a storyteller than a songwriter. I hope that makes sense.