Van Buren
Van Buren is definitely one of my favorite new discoveries. His music is the type of music I’d listen to daily and I am planning on listening to him for a very long time. His new single “Laurel Canyon” is memorable. It wasn’t hard for me to fall in love with this song, it has everything I am looking for in a song. It has some country influences, unique vocals, honest songwriting and timeless melodies.
Van Buren is an amazing talent and the world needs to hear his music.
“Laurel Canyon” is now available worldwide.
Photo credit: Amy Waters
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hi! My name is Ted, and I make music under the name Van Buren. The name comes from the street that I first lived on when I started releasing music. It represents a genesis in both my music and my life, and it’s also a Dutch name that means “from the neighbor” when translated to English, and that’s how I want my music to feel. I was raised in Oklahoma, where I fell in love with singing and performing. I discovered songwriting in Nashville, and my love of singing took me all over the country and eventually landed me in Los Angeles, where I have grown as a singer, songwriter, and artist. I hope to make music that touches on the experiences that we all have in common, aiming to make people feel more like “neighbors” and less like strangers.
What did you grow up listening to?
I listened to a lot of things growing up - my parents were really into U2 and a lot of 80s pop/new-wave stuff, so I think that caused me to lean towards pop music in my own music taste. I was really influenced by piano-driven pop/rock, so Coldplay, OneRepublic, The Fray, Ben Rector, The Script, etc. were artists that I was really into.
When did you know you could sing?
The first moment I remember was when I was about 10 - I went to a small private school where we had mandatory chapel every morning, and we’d sing hymns every day. I remember getting curious looks from my classmates when I was singing (probably because I was too loud), but I remember really enjoying singing in that setting. Around the same age I joined the school choir and musical theater productions, and that’s where I started learning that I loved to perform. But it wasn’t really until I sang in a talent show at the age of 14, where I got a lot of attention and recognition from peers as being a “good” singer.
At what point did you know you had to be an artist and release your original music?
This is a tough one for me…I know there are other careers or paths that I could take in life, but I kept coming back to being an artist. I’ve never felt drawn to do anything else. But I think for a long time I downplayed what makes me and my story “important,” and for a while I just felt like I’d be “adding to the noise” by releasing my own music into the world. But part of my journey as an artist is recognizing that that belief is a lie, and the best way to fight against that lie is by doing exactly what it’s telling me not to do. I have stories to tell, and songs to sing, and by keeping them in I’d be depriving myself of the ability to grow and be connected to something bigger than myself.
Who was the first person to ever believe in your music?
I’d say my Mom! She was the one who made me sing in that talent show, because at the hyper-sensitive age of 14 I probably wouldn’t have out of fear of being made fun of. She’s always supported me and believed in me before anyone else did.
"Laurel Canyon" is your new single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
I spent my first three years in LA driving through Laurel Canyon twice a day, every day as I commuted from the valley to the studio I was working at. One day I took a date (who later became my wife) to my favorite lookout at the top of that very familiar drive, and the feeling of having her next to me made me wish the night would never end. It was like I was experiencing the magic and wonder of the city for the first time all over again. Trying to pay homage to the incredible music history of Laurel Canyon, and pairing it with my time spent in Oklahoma and Nashville, we weaved in more folk/country elements, and the song was born.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song? When did you start working on it? Who helped you create it?
I wrote this song back at the start of 2022 with my buddy Theo Kandel. We both went to college in Nashville at Vanderbilt, and he’s an incredible singer-songwriter. Very good at telling stories. I was telling him about my story with Laurel Canyon, and as were writing we really leaned into the story and felt that song wanted to be a country song, if that makes any sense. We made a demo, and I couldn’t stop listening to it. I showed it to my friend Casey Smith, who is a dear friend and a very accomplished pop songwriter, and she helped simplify the song concept and made for a really polished lyric. I then went into the studio with my good friend and producer Jordan Sherman to bring it to life because I believed in it a ton, and he absolutely crushed every element of the production. The day that we finished the production we both were just so proud of what we made! It was mixed by Brandon Buttner and mastered by Makoa Johnson. Everyone involved in the process genuinely loved contributing to the song, and I’m so excited for it to be out in the world!
What did you feel when recording this song?
I just kept thinking that I couldn’t wait for people to hear this song because it just feels SO good.
What's your favorite lyric on "Laurel Canyon"?
Probably the end of the first verse - “looking out at the skyline/feels like the first time I’ve got something to lose.” I think if I really think back to my early years in LA, I didn’t really have much going for me or much to my name. But this relationship felt much more important than anything else in my life up to that point.
What made you want to release "Laurel Canyon" as a single?
It’s a bit of a different vibe from the other songs I’ve released so far! But it’s also a perfect primer for the EP I have coming soon.
You're getting ready to release your debut EP - what can tell us about it?
Yes! I’m taking a few of the songs I’ve released in 2022 and compiling them with 3 new ones this year to form a complete body of work. More to come on that!
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
The hardest part is having to wear so many different hats to not only get your music out in the world, but also to get people to pay attention. But the best part is getting messages of appreciation from people who really connect with my songs, or getting to watch someone connecting with them in real time at a live show. Means the world and makes it all worth it.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
It has never been easier to make, release, and promote your music, which is wonderful. The lack of barrier to entry is definitely a great thing for the sake of equity and independent ownership of one’s art. But that means it’s also never been harder to stand out, and you really have to compete for people’s attention. So I have mixed feelings about the current state of the industry, for sure!
If I could change one thing…i’m going to sound like a boomer here, but I truly think Tiktok has ruined the music industry. It prioritizes songs more than the artist, it decreases people’s already-short attention spans even further, and it is tempting artists to cater their music to appease an algorithm. If we could go back to a world without it, I’d love it!
What does singing make you feel?
Alive. It feels like the thing I was born to do.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
There are a lot of things that would make the world a better place, but I think we as a society have gotten more disconnected and isolated from the people around us, causing loneliness and increasing anxiety/depression as a result. I think if we became a society that both knows and is known by our neighbors, taking time to have real, vulnerable conversations, I think we’d all realize we’re a little more alike than we think, and we’d become people who love before we judge.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
It’s always better to tell the truth.
You’re the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with and the media you consume.
“Me too” are the most powerful words in the English language.
Connect with Van: