“Free to Dream,” the latest song from folk-pop singer-songwriter Lauren Hulbert, emerged when she found healing, recaptured her true self, and shrugged off the shackles of acquiescing to others.
The song is a shiny pop anthem chock-full of hope, confidence, strength, and the sheer joy of embracing the magic of life.
Hulbert explains, “I needed to feel like life was full of possibility again after feeling the opposite for so long. I needed to feel ‘free to dream.’ I wrote this song to myself – like being my own cheerleader. It brings me joy knowing it will help and heal others, too. I especially love singing a line at the end that goes ‘Darling, have a little faith. Go and live your truth.’”
Recorded in the luxuriant surroundings of Malibu, Topanga, and Marina Del Rey, “Free to Dream” was produced by Colin Martin, a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. For the first time, Hulbert embraced her own ideas, exploring multi-part harmonies and spontaneous piano parts, as well as playing all the guitars on the track.
Hulbert’s accolades include the 2013 RAW Artists Ventura Chapter Artist of the Year Award and the 2014 West Coast Songwriters Song Award for “Burn.” Her sound, a blend of folk, country rock, and sunny pop has been described as “honest” and “smooth like honey.”
Guitar Girl Magazine spoke with Lauren Hulbert to discuss the inspiration behind “Free to Dream,” and her personal and musical evolution.
What three things can’t you live without?
Nature (especially the ocean), loved ones, and music, of course!
What inspired “Free to Dream?”
This song was inspired by my difficulty in following my own path. I struggled with judgment from others for pursuing art seriously, fear of being seen and failing, and lots of other typical roadblocks that artists face. I got myself into a romantic relationship where I ended up, unintentionally and begrudgingly, putting his needs and goals before mine, which I never thought I would do. But, alas, the patriarchy got me still. Perhaps I was hiding as well. I didn’t record my music for 8 years during that relationship. I lost myself completely and it was terrifying. On my journey of getting out and saving my own life, I wrote this song about how I want to live my life – to maintain a childlike curiosity, to trust myself, to give myself permission to follow an unconventional path and realize the beauty in that, to let go of the fear that keeps me small and to know I am supported spiritually and by loved ones. It was what I needed to hear – an inspirational song for myself. I know that so many people can relate to it. All the people who supported me in big and small ways played a part in its creation, too.
Was writing “Free to Dream” easy, in the sense of just flowing out, or was it difficult?
It was easy, but it happened slowly. I let it take as long as needed. I wrote the guitar intro/outro years before the rest of the song and saved it for the right moment. I think I had little snippets here and there for a while and knew what the song was generally about – following your soul’s desire. I think it was when I gained clarity in my personal life that the rest of the song flowed out, especially the bridge which starts with “Ain’t got no time to live someone else’s life.”
Did “Free to Dream” turn out the way you thought it would?
I didn’t have set expectations, yet it turned out much grander than I thought it would since I’ve never done such a detailed and layered recording. Once we were in the studio experimenting, it became clear that this song was an epic journey, and a big production was fitting.
What do you want people to take away from the song?
I want people to feel empowered, loved, seen and supported. To feel excited by all the possibilities in life. To remember what it’s like to have that childlike curiosity, being ‘free to dream.’ To appreciate being alive. It’s really about self-discovery and when you are doing the things that feel aligned with your heart and soul everyone benefits. If you have something you want to do or say that you feel is important and true, with love at the center of it, then do it!
How did you get started in music? What’s the back story there?
I started classical piano lessons at age 6 and completed all 10 levels of a rigorous program called Certificate of Merit. I taught myself guitar when I was 14 and immediately began writing songs. Guitar was my creative outlet since classical piano was strict and rigid. My mom sings, so our house was always full of singing. I got a good amount of time on stage singing in the church choir as a kid and performing piano for judges and audiences at festivals, so being on stage felt natural for me.
What kind of guitar do you play? Which amps and pedals are you using?
I currently have a Maton which I bought on a whim on my walk home from work at Broken Guitars in Oakland, CA. I’d never heard of the Australian maker but it sounded great and was a good deal, so I snatched it up. I’ve been happy with it for many years! I also play a Fender semi-hollow body telecaster, which I love for its warmth, simplicity, and the fact that it doesn’t weigh a lot when I’m performing. I use a Fender Blues Jr. tube amp, which I took to immediately for its rich tone.
What is your definition of tone and has your tone changed over time?
Tone is the quality and uniqueness of sound. My vocal tone has maintained a pure, warm quality but over time has become stronger and smoother with more control. The tone of my productions has gotten more expansive as I’ve embraced more instruments like synth, cello, and saxophone. My EP ‘Superbloom’ was recorded to tape, which makes for the warmest quality of sound for a most intimate recording – I love the tone on that project!
What’s been the highlight of your career so far? Maybe touring or who you’ve played with, something that’s really stood out.
I think the highlight so far was recording this song. (Actually, I’m noticing a pattern of my highlight being the last thing I finished – because I can’t believe I did it! ha-ha) It was the first time I felt totally confident and comfortable in the studio, and trusted my ideas and instincts and spoke up about it. It was really cool to notice how much I’ve grown in the area I had the most fear in, simply because I have less experience doing it – not nearly as much as writing or performing.
Another highlight was playing in the Tropic of Cancer Music Festival in Todos Santos, Baja, Mexico in 2024. It felt like a musicians’ summer camp. So fun!
What is your definition of success?
Success to me is having a good work/life balance, living near a clean, natural body of water that I can swim in daily, having a solid community, and making all the art that I’d like to make. I like having control over my artwork to retain its purity. I own 100% of my recordings, which feels good. Ideally, more people would hear my music and I could afford to play more shows since live music is one of the best things ever! A bonus would be actually profiting from my recordings – but that’s a far cry in the current indie music market. When I think about how far I’ve come, the internal struggles I’ve faced, overcome, and grown from, and that I’ve not given up – all these things that are in my control – I think that is success.
What can your fans look forward to over the next six months? Music videos? Live gigs?
I’ll be releasing a new music video for my already-released song ‘Demons,’ which I filmed in Ventura, CA with some friends. It was really fun dressing up as a wild, comedic demon – something I would have been terrified to do years ago because of my own ‘demons’ of being judged. The more art I make and share, and I suppose the older I get, the less I care what people think about it or me.
I also have a lot of great songs to record, so I’ll be looking to get in the studio. I may do a crowd-funding campaign, which is a fun way for fans to get involved and follow the journey of production and release.
I’ll play live gigs, too!
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