Laughing Cats is a dynamic musical partnership between singer-songwriter Lauren Schiff and renowned musician Tony Fredianelli. Together, they bring a nostalgic yet innovative take on pop and rock music, crafting songs that reflect their shared love for storytelling and melodies.
The rising duo returns with their highly anticipated second single, ‘Jerk’, lifted from their forthcoming debut album, Funny Money. Formed by Lauren Schiff and Tony Fredianelli, Laughing Cats blends fresh, contemporary sounds with the timeless energy of pre-Y2K pop and rock. Their latest track showcases their distinctive storytelling, strong melodies, and undeniable sonic creativity.
Inspired by music from the 60s and 80s, Laughing Cats cites legendary acts like The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, The Troggs, The Zombies, and New Order as their greatest influences. Tony and Lauren share a deep connection to these eras, which they describe as periods of musical renaissance. This reverence for classic rock and new wave is woven throughout their upcoming album, but it’s their modern, genre-bending approach that truly sets them apart.
The new single, ‘Jerk’ explores themes of self-reflection and growth within relationships. FLEX sat down with Laughing Cats to discuss the new single and their journey in music so far.
Thank you for sitting down and talking to FLEX, can you tell us a bit about how you got into music?
I’m one of those people who has always been obsessed with music. I was once a NY stage actor (not musicals although I came close a few times to being the “actor who sings” in some big Broadway musicals). Performance has always been my jam. Later on, I was asked to sing in a cover band in my community. The drummer of the band asked if I could write. I had always wanted to, so I started. Then a year later I stumbled upon Tony and here we are. And Tony has been in music since he was young. His father was Ronnie Gaylord of the Gaylords who toured with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. He was a guitar prodigy and played in a metal band called Apocrypha, in his late teens and early twenties, shredding metal (not that that’s his preferred style). Then he eventually landed in a little band called Third Eye Blind which went on to go multi-platinum. He was a 13-year-long member of 3EB, creating uncredited key riffs in iconic songs like “Semi-Charmed Life” and “Motorcycle Drive By”.
Who would you say are your biggest musical influences?
Everything begins and ends with The Beatles for me. John and Paul will always be my inspirations. But as a little kid, before I discovered The Beatles for myself, I was obsessed with Janet Jackson and Tears for Fears. As I grew up, it was all rock. I loved The Cure and New Order the most. But then it became all about discovering the raddest obscure bands I could find, like Kitchens of Distinction. The UK has always had the best rock, IMHO. Tony (who is on vacation mode at the moment) is similar to my tastes, as The Beatles are his fave as well. He was obsessed with things The Beach Boys did and he also loves all UK New Wave as much as I do.
Congratulations on your brand-new single 'Jerk' —what inspired this particular release?
I first wrote it about an acquaintance I knew who was on the outs with his wife and needed to address his alcohol addiction. I wrote it with the fantasy of Matt Shultz of Cage the Elephant singing it and it is much more post-punk by them. But, as I wrote it, it really became a universal human story- the moment of reckoning with oneself and fixing our own energies and habits in order to make better choices in life for ourselves and others. It’s as much my own personal story as it is yours, as it is the guy I was originally writing it about. Most heartbreak songs are sung from the perspective of being hurt, rather than the one who hurt someone else. I think we all need a little more soul-searching in this day and age, wouldn’t you agree?
How do you channel personal experiences into your songwriting, and what do you hope listeners gain from connecting with your music?
Some of my songs on the album are directly written about my life experience or personal thoughts. Some are written about my observations of friend’s lives. I love channelling and creating characters and stories. I literally imagine a lead character telling how it is. It’s fun- like solving a mystery, but one you create along the way. I also like writing about times in my own past- something freeing about creating a permanent piece of art/entertainment about a specific experience in my life. And I truly hope there are some humans out there who immerse themselves in the stories and worlds we create- and I hope they feel like the songs belong to them.
Each aspect of music—writing, recording, practicing, and playing live—offers something different. Can you share a particularly meaningful moment from each?
Writing is about finding that hook or phrase that clinches it. I have a lot of moments where I get excited about specific lyrics, but I’ll probably always love the time I came up with “I’m making money faster than the Fed can print it” the most, from “GYB”. Writing is fun from beginning to end. It’s an inquisitive journey searching for gems and jewels. Live performance teaches literally everything about yourself as an artist. I learn the most there. And recording is basically where I would live if I could. I would live in a studio and never leave. It’s a sonic sanctuary. There isn’t one moment, it’s a long, unending part of music creation that I could do infinitely.
Is there a song in your repertoire that holds a particularly deep personal meaning for you? Can you share the story or inspiration behind it?
Our album, Funny Money, will be released waterfall style. So every 4-8 weeks, we release the next song from the album- and then release it as a whole at the end. Speaking of “The End”- it’s my favourite song off our album. It’s the second to last song because it never is quite the end, is it? I haven’t met a person yet who doesn’t dig and everyone wants to play it again right away.
What are your goals for the future with your music?
We want to book as many gigs as we possibly can. That is our current goal. If there are any booking agents reading this, holla at me! It’s time to get out there. We’ve been in creation mode and now we want to play in front of people. As far as recording, we have a huge pipeline of music to work with, thanks to Tony who constantly creates, and I have several lyrics needing sonic homes. The goal is to keep on doing what we have been doing, but more live performances.
What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from your music?
Our songs are lyrics-driven, so I hope our listeners enjoy each story, and can hopefully relate to some or all of them (at some point in their lives). I think our sound has a sort of innocence to it, or at times, renewed wisdom from life’s lessons. I hope our listeners feel connected to us in the human condition and it gives them a sense of balance and togetherness.
To wrap things up, is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We are a bit of a global duo. In these days of fibre optic connectedness, we have been able to work with other artists around the world, from drums in Budapest by Máté Jancsovics for some songs (Jerk and Cool Hand Lucy) digital art in the Philippines, sound engineer, Vinnie Castaldo, in Las Vegas (as well as drums on two songs, including my favourite “The End”), Tony usually in Vegas or LA, the Redliners DJ pair in NY, and me in Puerto Rico. We are in a new era of creation and we fully embrace it. Producing art can be a worldwide collaborative experience now. I’m grateful Tony and I have the opportunity to do so, and we are thankful to you and everyone else who joins us.
One last thing, kids born in this century didn’t get to experience what the 20th century was actually like. The late 20th century had the greatest mainstream music ever made, so far, and I think this world needs some artists to help open that world up for them a little bit. If even one 20 something out there hears us, reads about us, and goes into a New Order or The Cure rabbit hole, just because we love them so much, I will feel whole. That kind of music is our passion, and we hope that passion is contagious.
Listen to 'Jerk' here:
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