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Back in 2019, Duncan Laurence won the Eurovision Song Contest with his debut single “Arcade.” It hit the #1 spot on Spotify’s Global Viral chart, and has received radio airplay in over 58 countries. This is quite the way to start off a story about a small town boy.
Growing up in the Netherlands, Duncan experienced bullying all throughout his childhood. He would isolate himself at home and play the piano and write music as a way to process his emotions and turn them into something positive.
Just a few years after participating in the fifth season of The Voice of Holland, Duncan was selected to represent the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. He was nominated by Ilse DeLange, his former coach on The Voice of Holland. Competing in Eurovision was a special experience for Duncan, and after taking the crown, he released his second single “Love Don’t Hate It.”
It was about time everything came together on an album, and despite being in the middle of a pandemic, Duncan felt like the timing was just right. After all, writing from his experiences has provided comfort for not only himself, but millions of listeners around the globe!
Duncan’s debut album Small Town Boy arrived today, and it feels like you’re listening to a musical diary. It’s an intimate listening experience, and one that Duncan will be able to look back upon for years to come. He says, “Each song opens a window into my life and tells my own story. Creating this album allowed me to grow as a person and learn more about myself and who I want to be as a musician. It is a dreamy, raw and poppy invitation into my world – really everything I could ever wish for in my first album.”
Many of the album’s tracks were written on the go, as Duncan visited different parts of the world. But no matter where he went, Duncan’s persona of being a “small town boy” followed him. In other words, he has never forgotten where he’s come from. Being able to visit cities such as Stockholm, London, and Los Angeles played a huge role in his songwriting process.
Duncan spilled, “Every time I went somewhere, I kind of got influenced in another way. I traveled a lot to Stockholm, London, and eventually also to Los Angeles. The thing is, in London there are a lot of great songwriters, but they are more like The Netherlands’ kind of songwriters. More like storytelling, a good old guitar on their lap and just a pen and paper and they write amazing songs. When I went to Stockholm and LA, they weren’t quite similar. Stockholm is really like the pop capital of Europe, so it inspired me in a whole other way to work with musicians who were thinking in melodic ways rather than lyrical ways. When I went to LA, it was that great combination of being able to work with people who write awesome melodies, but also at the same time are on top of their English of course… because they speak English every day!”
Those studio visits allowed Duncan to learn a lot about the English language, and become even more inspired to tell his stories in a new way. He embraced the use of metaphors, and being more poetic in his songs. Duncan shared, “Throughout the process of making this album, I experienced more freedom in music than ever before. I was able to write, produce and arrange my own music.”
As Duncan enters this exciting new chapter of his career, one thing is for sure – the small town boy that lives within him will be there every step of the way.
Small Town Boy is out now via Capitol Records. Listen below!
