Jules Bates
Laura Veltz
Laura Veltz is living the Nashville dream, which is ironic since it’s one she didn’t know to have.
After growing up with a musical family who moved around constantly, she moved to New York in her 20s. During her 10 years there, she says she never felt at home, but she did discover songwriting as an outlet for her emotions and childhood traumas. Once she embraced the craft, she made her way to Nashville on the advice of a mentor. Since then, she’s become one of Music City’s most sought-after songwriters, penning No. 1 hits including Maren Morris’ latest hit, “The Bones,” and Dan + Shay’s Grammy-winning “Speechless.”
Laura Veltz
Age: 40
From rock bottom to chart-topper:
In New York, I wrote songs purely out of desperation. I was just really unhappy, but I was in that fun twenties zone where you don't know how to make yourself happy yet. Then I turned 28, which I believe is a magical age—once people turn 28 they get their life together—and I decided I wanted to write songs [for a living] but I’d only met one person who did that; [songwriter and music publisher] Kye Fleming. She said, “The only way to write songs is to co-write and Nashville is a great place to start. Come down here and see if you like it.” I wrote with Skip Black [who has written for Jana Kramer and Tyler Farr] and Eden’s Edge. After that I moved here, and I’ve never looked back.
Finding home:
Nashville is where I feel like I’m from and I always will. I have no connection to any other place. The community side of it was instant—I couldn't believe how quickly I had ten friends who would literally, like if someone broke into my house any one of them would be there with a shovel to knock them out. And that’s coming from someone who was the weirdo in school, who never had any friends. It was that fast, and it's only grown since then. It's the greatest feeling just to be around that love you and that you love. For someone who had no idea that was a thing before the age of 28, it's remarkable.
Number one and two on the way:
Luckily for me, my first number one, I was pregnant with twins and completely distracted. There's this terrible thing that happens; it's like an actual bout of depression right after you have your first number one because you're like, "Oh my God, I finally did it!" And then all of a sudden, it's over and somebody else has their number one. I’m very grateful I did not have that experience because I was three katrillion pounds, and I was not interested in anything aside from just getting through the day with my giant body.
Speechless at the Grammy’s:
I’ve never been to the Grammy’s, so I asked my publisher where we should stay. He said you can stay where we’re staying, or you can stay at the Sunset Marquis. My husband and I were like, "Let’s do the fun thing," so we stayed at the Sunset Marquis, which is very hard for me. I come from nothing. Spending money all in one day like that, it took a lot of muscle, but my husband and I had the most wonderful time. Two days before the awards, we are sitting at this restaurant surrounded by this tailored jungle—so green and so pretty, like you’re sitting outside but you’re inside. I had an out of body hour where I just couldn't stop crying—it was over-exorbitant. John Oates was at the next table and I was like, "John Oates is just watching me weep!" But it was a dawning. "I can't believe that this is real and I get to do this and be here with someone that I'm in love with and my team, who I love.” It was just very trippy and amazing.