Meet Laura Weinbach | Musician (singer, guitarist, writer)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laura Weinbach and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I come from a family where entrepreneurship is highly valued. My dad is an entrepreneur who wrote screenplays in his earlier years and after his first success in selling one, used that money to buy inexpensive (at the time) land in the Hollywood Hills. He then built the house I grew up in on that land as well as two other homes enabling him to generate income without having to be part of the 9 to 5 hustle. My mother comes from a family that valued education and music. The combined influence of both my parents really cultivated in me the goal of being my own musical boss. In my 20s my boyfriend (now husband) and musical partner Anton Patzner was who really opened my world up to actually making a living as a musician. He had been doing it for several years before we met as a touring musician playing violin in bands like Bright Eyes and Mates of State, doing session recording and string arranging work. He’s always had a very DIY approach to his musical success as most of his involvement with internationally headlining bands came from his initially playing on the street. Eventually he suggested that we try playing on the street together. I had tried street performing before, un-amplified and had zero luck, so was fairly resistant to the idea. But since it was with him I was down. That first time we played together in Noe Valley, San Francisco, we made more in an hour than I could as a substitute teacher in 6 hours plus we were invited in to the French restaurant near where we were set up have wine and food on the house because they enjoyed our music. To me this was amazing and magical– that we could make money and a romantic dinner just from having fun playing together on the street. I decided to take this street playing business seriously and spent the next few weeks scouting locations, trying them out and taking notes on how much I’d make in however long to the point where I had a system and a route figured out. At that point it didn’t make sense for me to keep substitute teaching so I quit teaching to play music full time. From playing on the street I started getting more and more gigs playing at private and corporate events and shows and continued to just do music in various capacities ever since.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I was listening heavily to the band Faun Fables when it first occurred to me that I might be able to write an actual song. For several years before that point I had been immersed in learning to play classical guitar music and so my outlook on songwriting / composing had been that it was strictly for serious professionals to do– professionals like Bach, Scarlatti, Tarrega and so on. Of course I grew up listening to other kinds of music but in those earlier years I wasn’t actively playing an instrument so the idea of making music myself wasn’t really front of mind. Faun Fables, when I first heard them struck a chord with me– they sounded to me like if Siouxsie and the Banshees was a witch making acoustic music in a dark forest. It just really captured the magic of the golden hour (a time and feeling I was constantly chasing at that time; I’m still chasing it) . Anyway, inspired by this sound combined with the classical guitar technique that had been ingrained into my muscle memory at that point, I eventually plucked out my first tune called Foxtails Brigade. I think my approach back then was to just place my fingers in a random shape that was unfamiliar to me on my instrument and pluck a repeating pattern until it sounded like music. I’d the overlay that with some sustained vocal notes and apply some lyrics from a poem I had stashed away long before. The poem was about what I thought were foxtails that resembled psychedelic security guards growing outside my bedroom window (turned out they were actually pampas grass, but pampas grass honestly looks WAY more like foxtails than “foxtails” do). Suddenly I had my first song. Over time I continued to write tunes, drawing from the the twilit fantasies borne from gazing out my window at the golden hour and eventually started collaborating with other musicians. When Anton joined me on violin he had the idea to experiment with further expanding our instrumentation. Once we tried playing with drums and bass and electric guitar, the sound evolved into more of what it is now– my classical guitar-centric and melody-driven songs (which Anton co-writes on some) at the core with rock instruments orchestrally supporting the songs. The sound is not trying to be anything other than what we think sounds best for the song. Because of this combination of elements and intentions, the end product is kind of its own bizarre beast.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Places I would take my best friend to in Los Angeles — Henry’s Tacos (in Studio City, I think they put crack in their food, it’s ADDICTIVE!), The Huntington Gardens (an obvious one, but I do love it), Hollywood Boulevard to see “Michael Jackson”, “Marilyn Monroe” and all those other celebs hanging out in front of Mann’s Chinese Theater (iconic), truth be told I haven’t lived in L.A. for a long time now, so my references my be a bit rusty, Coldwater Lake Park, Topanga Canyon (just fun to drive around and explore around there), my parents house, for walks around my parent’s neighborhood (Hollywood Hills), maybe visit my old elementary school Wonderland.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Anton Patzner who I mentioned in my discussion answer has very much mentored and supported me as a creator and musician over the course of my professional musical life. The depth and understanding of his relationship to music is possibly more profound than anyone else I know. He’s taught me so much and I continue after all these years to learn from him. I’m so grateful that I get to have him in my life as a guide.

My family have always been very supportive of me as an artist and believed in (most of) what I do. My brother Brent (funniest stand up comedian I know) has been a huge influence on my style and aesthetic having exposed me to many bands and artists in my youth that influenced and inspired the kind of art I continue to make. My parents have always immersed me in music from the time I was a baby. My mother Patricia, as a classical pianist herself taught me and all my brothers piano at a young age and my dad Robert made me learn to sing old jazz songs as a way to redeem myself from being punished when I was a kid (I was a bit of a troublemaker). My younger brothers Max and Nicky are also staunch supporters of my work and inspire me through their own art as musicians (Silhouette City is their awesome band) and comedians.

My dearest friends Jenifer Hannah and Kara Ford-Martinez are also sources of great inspiration to me. Jennifer is an incredible artist, art therapist, yoga instructor, seer and overall goddess figure in my life who I am so thankful to be able to converse with. She is truly one of my greatest muses. When we are together magic happens. Kara is an incredibly gifted and discerning artist, writer and mother who likewise energizes me on many levels. I am in complete awe of the worlds and characters she breathes life into and draw invaluable amounts of inspiration from her creations.

Website: https://www.foxtailsbrigadeband.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foxtailsbrigade/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foxtailsbrigade/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQCxKzSfplN-o4Y69QlIXDA

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/404?fromUrl=/foxtailsbrigade

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6VNIsExpc6Sklt3ZWNXVtJ

Image Credits
Laura solo photo by Riki Feldmann
All band photos by Edgar Lara