The time capsule nature of my phone’s camera roll provides the thrill of rose-tinted nostalgia and cringe-worthy reminders of my younger self. I recently found a video of me dancing and — painfully — singing with my hairbrush to Maude Latour’s “One More Weekend” during the first month of the COVID-19 lockdown, donned with the stay-at-home combo of a winter hat and pajama pants about 4 inches too short. Amid the quarantine induced-boredom, there was nothing quite like finding a new fixation. Maude Latour quickly took that spot; she sang lyrics through my screen that made me yearn for life beyond it.
Latour started making music at 15, and her second EP, “Starsick,” began getting traction in 2019. Her single, “One More Weekend,” solidified her fanbase in 2020, and she quickly came out with another hit EP, “Strangers Forever,” in 2021. I have continued to follow Latour’s music over the past few years, as her career has grown exponentially. Her latest 2022 EP, “001,” features some of my all-time favorites, such as “Cyclone” and “Probabilities.” I was fortunate enough to be at her concert at The End during last fall right after this release, and it was a surreal experience to be packed in a tiny room full of fans who knew every word to every song.
In preparation for Latour’s upcoming performance at Rites of Spring, I had the opportunity to sit down with her (cue the freakout) and pick her brain about music, life and everything in between.
As a 2022 alum of Columbia University, Latour is no stranger to balancing hobbies and a college education. In addition to giving me advice on how to pick classes that reflect your niche interests, Lautor explained how useful academics can be to explore and cultivate your interests, rather than simply being an obligation or distraction.
“Never choose between your hobbies. The world wants you to think we can only do one thing but we are such complex people,” Latour said. “We don’t have to choose between any of our passions. In fact, when our passions overlap, that’s the sweet spot.”
Latour described how a Romantic Poetry class she took as an undergraduate helped her immensely in finding the intersection between music and education and inspired her to transform her creative pastimes into a career.
Latour still lives with the same roommates from her first year of college, so I had to ask for her advice on fostering friendships that last. With a big smile, she explained the importance of intention and openness to evolution. She further stated that no person stays the same forever, so we should avoid expecting our relationships to stay static. According to Latour, her close friendships have been the greatest influence she’s needed to keep making music.
“The conservation of friendship is such a pillar for every reason I’ve written music,” Latour said. “When I first started writing songs they turned into little gifts I wrote for my friends. They [the songs] said, I was paying attention during this moment and I wanted to capture it for us. My songs today are just older versions of that exact same muscle.”
When asked about how she was feeling about performing at Rites of Spring, Latour’s excitement was palpable. Latour understands the pressure of academics that every college student is battling, and she knows how to put on a show to make the study break worthwhile.
“I’m gonna have a blast. I’m gonna have myself a day,” Latour said. “Every Nashville event I’ve had has gone so hard and I’m sure Vanderbilt students will be the epitome of that.”
In Music City, Vanderbilt students witness how the music industry is full of constantly changing norms and trends, with songs and genres going in and out of style like seasonal fashion. In this whirlwind of a workspace, I was curious to see Lautor’s most surprising life lesson she’s learned through all the ups and downs.
“The desire to strive and always want more is powerful, but the ability to actually enjoy and be grateful for where you are is such an important skill,” Latour said. “That is the only way — the journey being the mission — to find deep fulfillment and peace.”
I am a person who thinks about the future frequently. Taking the time to stop and remember that the path matters more than the destination is something I’m constantly repeating internally like a mantra. I’m hoping Rites weekend is a time when we can all take a few moments to ourselves and be with the people that make the journey worthwhile.
The fluidity of the beat and the power of Latour’s words makes you want to spread your arms out wide and spin around, ready to awkwardly dance to embrace those insecurities in the most genuine display of joy possible. To me, Maude Latour’s music feels like coming across old glossy photographs my parents printed in Costco circa summer 2007. Her music is sitting on the floor to do your makeup criss-cross-applesauce; it’s wearing an eccentric big-buckled belt even if your pants already fit. For me, someone who admittedly struggles to stop and admire the chaos of my own journey, Latour’s music is the soundtrack to a supercut of life’s most unexpectedly beautiful moments. I hope some of those moments find their way onto my path this Rites of Spring weekend. I know I’ll be in the crowd waiting to see just how they manifest.
