Laura Orshaw is a celebrated multi-instrumentalist and powerhouse singer who has earned die-hard fans across the country. Laura’s latest solo project, Songs of Lost Yesterdays is available on iTunes, Amazon and all the usual suspects. Songs of Lost Yesterdays includes a mix of 11 tracks consisting of originals and covers with guest artists including: Matt Witler (mandolin), Catherine “BB” Bowness (banjo), Tony Watt (guitar), Alex Muri (bass), Michael Reese 9guitar and vocal harmony), Mark Orshaw (vocal harmony) and John Mailander (fiddle harmony). Laura took care and consideration when choosing each song to include on her project, with each song having a story behind it.
In an effort to get some insight into the finesse and style of Laura, she has provided some commentary of how the “songs of yesterday” were chosen and the memories that make them a part of Songs of Lost Yesterdays.
The album includes some traditional folk standards like “Sailor on the Deep Blue Sea,” “Row Number Two, Seat Number Three,” and “Going to the West.”
“My dad and I spent a lot of time driving the highways and back roads of Pennsylvania. Each time we got in the car I knew that Norman Blake would be on the stereo. I knew every obscure old time fiddle tune and English ballad by heart, exclaims Laura. “Without question, I was going to pay homage to Norman on this album, and being a fiddle player, I couldn’t think of any better song than “Uncle.”
“Getting Over You” has an old country feel, but on this album Laura morphs the song by creating an old swing feel.
“Charlie Moore’s ‘Cotton Farmer’ came into my repertoire through some good musicians and friends,” Laura reminisced. “They’d argue about who learned it first, and then they’d move on to whose dad played it first, whose arrangement was stolen from who, and so on. I found the multi-generational competition over this song pretty comical, but I couldn’t argue that it was a good song!”
Songs of Lost Yesterdays also includes some originals by Laura.
“Guitar Man” is an original by Laura that she wrote after hearing John Prine’s “Unwed Fathers.” Laura was reminded of a friend whom had to leave school early due to an unexpected pregnancy and wanted to write something that would be relatable for women.
Laura’s “New Deal Train” was inspired by stories her grandfather told about growing up during the Great Depression. “It seems like little boys always loved trains, but to a boy growing up during the Depression a train was especially meaningful. During FDR’s New Deal, trains delivered food and supplies to the poorest towns across America. Families would line up near the tracks and wait for a bag of flour, or a pair of shoes—this was quite an exciting outing for a little boy who didn’t have much.”
Songs of Lost Yesterdays provides an insight into the history that Laura has grown up around in the traditional music scene and pays tribute to some acoustic greats while providing a new twist with the dazzling voice of Laura Orshaw.
According to Bluegrass Unlimited magazine, Laura “has firmly established [herself] as a significant emerging artist in the arena of traditional American music.” Laura grew up in a musical family in Northeastern Pennsylvania; at the age of 10 she learned to play and sing from grandmother, Betty Orshaw, a well-known musician in the region. Throughout her teens Laura performed across the Northeast with her father’s band, The Lonesome Road Ramblers, performing classic bluegrass around one mic. She recorded two CD's in her teens. For nearly fifteen years Laura has been performing, teaching private lessons, and conducting educational programs and workshops throughout the Northeast. Her passion for teaching is also evidenced in her professional education; she has a Master's in counseling and works as Coordinator for the Expressive Therapies Graduate Program at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, where she also lives.
