Laura Jansen
Laura Jansen ( born March 4, 1977 in Breda ) is an American- Dutch singer and songwriter.
Life and work
Laura Jansen was born in 1977 in Breda, the daughter of an American mother and a Dutch father. Therefore, it has both nationalities. While she lived with her family in Brussels, she began playing the piano at the age of five years. In the following years she lived with her family still in Zurich and in Connecticut.
Jansen's favorite music was from Queen, Joni Mitchell and Barbra Streisand, but she heard also like classical music, and the beloved of her mother Brazilian music. In high school she sang in the choir and performed in musicals.
Because of their passion for politics Jansen worked for the United Nations in Geneva and studied at the College political science. Her dream was to become the first woman Secretary General of the United Nations. However, they broke off his studies after a good friend, a human rights activist, was murdered in Africa.
The next two years were spent Jansen at a music school in the Netherlands and gained experience as a musician at weddings, before a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, changed.
After Jansen had finished her studies, she moved to Music City Nashville, Tennessee, to be a songwriter. She found herself in the city but not as good deal and was instead working in retail.
Since 2003, Jansen lives in Los Angeles, California. There they wanted to use their second chance to become a songwriter, because many well-known artists are from Los Angeles. First Jansen appeared in The Club Hotel Café, a small but renowned music venue, where many well-known singers and songwriters, such as Katy Perry, John Mayer and Sara Bareilles, her career began.
On 26 February 2007 their first EP trauma appeared. Thus, the television network MTV was aware of them and used several pieces of the EP for shows such as The Real World and Newport Harbor.
In the same year she was discovered at the Hotel Café of the American singer Joshua Radin, who thereupon took on tour. She joined in 2008 for six weeks on as the opening act, Radin supported as a background singer and accompanied him on the piano.
After her return, she was a part of the National Hotel Café tour alongside singers like Ingrid Michaelson and Rachael Yamagata. After re- return, she was invited to several appearances in her native Netherlands, which meant that it was taken from Universal Music under contract.
On 4 September 2009, she released her first album Bells. In the Netherlands, gave the album 95 weeks in the charts, reaching number six in the meantime chart and platinum status.
In September 2009, she toured with William Fitzsimmons as a member of his band and opening act through Europe.
Your biggest success so far had Jansen with a cover version of the song Use Somebody by Kings of Leon. This piano version she had practiced for a popular Dutch radio show and played there. The response was so great that the label decided to record the song. The song stayed 62 weeks in the Single Top 100 and reached number eight. In the top 40 he spent 13 weeks and peaked at number twelve. However, outside of the Netherlands, the title could not place in the charts, even though he was covered for radio hit and often at talent shows.
In 2011 she returned to the United States. First she went with Joshua Radin as the opening act and band member on tour through the USA and Canada. After that, she started her own tour with concerts in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and several appearances at the festival South by Southwest.
In August 2011, she was with the Belgian singer Milow on tour through Germany.
On December 4, 2012 Jansen released her single Same Heart, which she had with Tom Chaplin, the lead singer of the English rock band Keane, sung. This song was the anthem for the 3FM Serious Request 2012, an annual fundraiser. The song reached number six in the 100 Single Chart.
On March 22, 2013 Jansen issued its second album Elba. It reached in the Netherlands in the meantime Chart fifth place and stayed 22 weeks in the charts.