LACES, the alternative pop project of Jessica Vaughn (formerly known as Charlotte Sometimes), has dropped the new single, “worship,” her first release in over a year. Initially written as an experiment in creative isolation during quarantine, “worship” flowed out of Vaughn as she remembered that she had the tools and capabilities to explore and write on her own, instead of just in a collaborative environment.
“I’ve always been drawn to the darker side of love. In the past, I’ve fallen so in love that I can barely see where I end and they begin. It’s beyond love – it’s passion, obsession, lust, and it’s like the story has already been written,” she says. “Ultimately in this song my yearning leaves me with a choice… losing myself or promising them my next life.”
LACES’ signature style of writing is thoughtful and determined to be as honest as possible. That mantra is something that she is now embracing fully in all aspects of her life, opening up as a bisexual, queer woman. “I’ve always tried to live my life as authentically and as transparent as possible. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized while I haven’t hidden identifying as queer/bi-sexual, I have never truly owned it publically.” She is now ready to take that step. “When we don’t shine a light on our spirit, I feel it can lose its shine. I want to celebrate who I am and who we all are.”
She is also speaking up for the first time about her experiences as a young woman in the music industry – including the traumatic ones. She was first thrust into the public eye as Charlotte Sometimes, when she was signed to Geffen Records at just 18 years old. Her debut album, Waves and the Both of Us, landed on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top Heatseekers charts, VH1 named her a “You Outta Know” artist. However, the relentless touring was getting exhausting and lonely, and it came to a head late one night after a show when she was assaulted backstage. When she told her management company, she found cynicism and cold shoulders instead of support. “They put me in limbo after that––made other plans,” Vaughn remembers. “I did some EPs, but really, I checked out for a few years. I felt like a shell of a person.”
Still performing as Charlotte Sometimes, she landed a spot on Season 2 of The Voice––and became a critic and fan favorite. Rolling Stone, Billboard, Marie Claire,and others championed her run and the music she released after the show, but looking back, Vaughn feels like her heart wasn’t really in it. In need of a fresh start, she left the East Coast for California, and discovered that to truly embrace herself, she needed to let go, too. “I had a funeral for Charlotte Sometimes,” she says. “We had a funeral show––I invited everyone to wear black, we gave her one last hurrah, and then, I moved on. I created this persona, LACES.”
For the past five years, LACES’ sound has evolved, and Vaughn has also branched out to other parts of the music industry. In addition to collaborating with other artists, she is the Director of Sync & Creative at the boutique music publisher, Heavy Hitters Music. She is featured in the groups Skinny Beats, Chelsea Gramsand Vanyze, as well as Rvrside, alongside Curtis Peoples and Colin creeV (of Third Eye Blind). Between her various projects, she has had recent placements in TV shows such as Selling Sunset, Lucifer, Charmed and Criminal Minds, as well as commercials for Motorola, Samsung, and more.
The next LACES release will be a collaboration with fellow Backline Creative artists, FLAVIA, BELLSAINT, and Amanda Brown. “they say” is an anthem of female empowerment, ignited by the experiences Vaughn has had in her career, experiences shared by far too many women. “‘they say’ is a song about the process of living through trauma in a country that often asks you to smile through it and forget it,” she says. “Being a survivor isn’t a choice, it’s the next step after you’ve been painted a victim. Trauma changes you, but together we won’t let it break us.”
“worship” is out everywhere now, and “they say” will be released on October 9th, 2020.
