Eat, Pray, Lauv: A Conversation On Love, "Chasing Fire" & Chicken Tenders

Ari Leff is no stranger to battles of the heart. For the singer-songwriter referred to as Lauv, love is akin to kryptonite, although he's totally capable of finding inspiration from both the good and bad experiences that come attached because he's such a hopeful romantic. Today, Lauv has released another segment of his ongoing I met you Once I was 18 playlist project in the form of a fire new single called "Chasing Fire." The slow-building, bouncy banger captures the painful experience of attempting to sustain the love from a fading romance that has ultimately run its course.


TRL recently caught up with the 23-year-old once he was casually chilling in Paris for several days while in his sold-out I met you While I was 18 world tour. Lauv opened up about the origins of the track (which you could stream below) and everything else going on in his life.


TRL: What's the story beyond "Chasing Fire"?


Lauv: I would mention it's one of the most tragic songs on the playlist. I wrote it about whenever you get to that stage in a relationship as soon as deep down you know that it's over and that there's going to be an expiration date, yet you're attempting to pretend that's not the case. It's a desperation song; I'm attempting to save something that is already over. I originally wrote it two years prior with some companions of mine called Friendship plus it was sitting around. It didn't come with each other or feel quite right, it wasn't the correct time. I was in the middle of this U.S. And Canada leg of the tour and the production came with each other super out of nowhere, I cut the vocals in a hotel in Toronto, and right now it's coming out! I'm stoked.


While I was doing my studies, I noticed out that you are a Leo, which is a fire sign. It had me wondering if naming the song "Chasing Fire" was intentional.


I actually didn't even know that I was a fire sign, so thanks! [Laughs]


Which is harder for you to write, love songs or breakup ballads?


I would mention the sad stuff, music that I describe that is beautifully tragic, that comes more obviously to me.


What are your usual remedies to recover from heartbreak?


I feel like you try everything—you try drinking, consuming food, going out, meeting new people, doing new things. I've certainly learned the gamut of trying all of that stuff, nevertheless I've sort of realized that for me what's been the most setting thing is to really accept [it]. I don't know in case you really ever get over somebody that you cared about deeply, and also you sort of have to accept that they're routinely going to be there as a segment of your life and let that be.


What is your connection to the color blue and how is it so involved with your music?


So the starting of it happened in an interesting way where I just finished up "Like Me Better" and I was listening to the final version and I just sort of saw the color blue in my head. I was doing studies online and I stumbled upon the meaning for the blue rose in literary texts and classically it represented unrequited love and I was like "Yo, that's super dope. That's super my vibe." Life, especially any time paired with something like love that can be so surface level cliche, corny and boring, however for me blue resembles the complexities of it and the realities, the micro-truths, the complex times and all of that stuff. I just love the entire pairing of it.


TRL is in the middle of a March Madness snack bracket right now—obviously including chicken nuggets—so I wanted to ask about your tender obsession. We're routinely having a debate in the office about how to order tenders, fingers and nuggets...


I think it's so funny As soon as I began posting about that. As a kid growing up, it's the classic thing as soon as you are a picky eater—-you know a kid's going to like chicken tenders. Growing up, I was one of these kids that was afraid to let my foods touch each other. With chicken tenders, there's habitually that safety. Ever since I began posting about tenders people attempt to tell me like "Wait, is it nuggets, tenders or fingers?" I'm just like "ALL of the food." For me, it's not even particular that it's only about tenders. I've come to identify that I love food overall. I made a song about ramen noodles with one of my companions once we were in middle school, it was super lit.


You should just make an album called Snacks For Snacks or something.


Yeah, I may go on for days! [Laughs]


What are some of your top preference snacks around the world?


Oooooh OK. Tim Tams, have you had those before? They're from Australia, yet the initial time I had them I was in New Zealand. They do this thing called a Tim Tam Slam, you should search it up to really see it, and then some people use tea, hot chocolate or coffee, nevertheless you use it as a straw also it soaks the full cookie and then it dissolves and melts in your mouth. It's incredible, it's f*cking tasty. Those are a newfound obsession. Sour Patch Kids, sour candy overall. Chilaquiles are one of my preferred Mexican dishes. Of course, chicken tenders. I'm going to also include margaritas because that can be a meal. Oh my god, I'm making myself starved! Papaya fruit salad, I fell in love with that If I was in Thailand.


What else is going on? You were recently on tour with Ed Sheeran, what was that experience like?


That was a crazy tour. That was one of these things where there really are moments in my life like every time somebody brings that tour up I'm just like "Holy shit, that actually happened." The crazy thing about that tour was that I noticed out about it As soon as I was taking a run one morning in LA where I live. It was seven in the morning and I was sweating my ass off and then I get a telephone call from my boss asking if I could be interested in touring with Ed Sheeran in Asia. It was the most unexpected thing ever, so that was dope. It was my first time playing in arenas and with Ed so all of that at the same time was an overwhelming and incredible experience.


Aside from that, I'm just going to be finishing up the European portion of the I met you any time Whenever I was 18 tour which is my first world tour ever. It's been pretty much all sold out and doing incredible. I'm finishing working on music on the road and then going back to LA to do more writing, playing some festivals this summer and announcing more shows. It's been fun!


If you want even more Lauv in your life, you could revisit his special visitor appearance on TRL!