James Laurent Turns Pain Into Power on Raw Album ‘Laugh at the Tragedy’
James Laurent
Before music, James’ life revolved around soccer. That path ended abruptly at 17 with a devastating knee injury that crushed his chances of playing professionally in Sweden. With no backup plan, no mentors, and no local studios, James took a family laptop and a borrowed USB microphone from school and taught himself how to make music. What began as survival became obsession. Engineering quickly turned into his calling.
By 20, James was a sought-after engineer in Los Angeles, working with record labels and studios. By 23, he had moved into post-production, contributing to major television productions for South Park, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Cartoon Network, and more. He is now one of the youngest engineers in the country to design, build, and configure Dolby Atmos–certified mixing studios, including two rooms at Amazon Music in Culver City.
After years behind the scenes, James stepped into the spotlight with a carefully planned rollout of singles that landed him on Apple Music’s “New in Rock”, leading up to his independent debut album Degen Z, which peaked at #2 on the iTunes Alternative Chart. But behind that momentum, everything was quietly unravelling.
Laugh at the Tragedy was written and recorded in six sleepless days in early September. Over that span, James created 22 songs, seven of which became this album, while others laid the foundation for his upcoming third record, Womanizer. The writing process unfolded under extreme pressure: averaging just a few hours of sleep per week while juggling album planning, the FX Alien: Earth TV show launch, and mounting financial strain as a fully independent artist.
Then came the breaking point. James returned home one day to find his girlfriend of four years had moved out, and the relationship ended. At the same time, he was hiding a serious cocaine addiction, drowning in debt from finishing Degen Z, and staring down doubled living expenses just as his debut rollout began.
Faced with an empty apartment and a future collapsing in real time, James didn’t cry. He laughed.
“When everything goes wrong, and I mean truly everything, there is such a painfully funny irony that you can’t believe it’s happening to you,” says James. “All you can do is laugh at the tragedy you’re surrounded by.”
That moment became the emotional core of the album. Sonically, Laugh at the Tragedy is a sad, stripped-back indie rock record, deeply vulnerable and unpolished by design. It captures exhaustion, betrayal, addiction, and self-awareness without theatrics or false redemption arcs. The songs don’t search for answers; they sit inside the discomfort, letting honesty lead.
Despite the darkness surrounding its creation, light has begun to break through. James recently received his first Gold plaque, secured his first-ever sync placement for a Netflix feature film, without a publishing deal, sync agent, or prior submissions, and continues to push forward independently against staggering odds.
Laugh at the Tragedy stands as James Laurent’s most personal work to date: a record born from collapse, held together by humour, and driven by the stubborn refusal to disappear quietly.
Listen to 'Laugh at the Tragedy'
Bee Adamic
Liberty Music PR
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