Lara Meyerratken, whose nome de plume is ‘el May’, is an Australian composer, session musician, and instrumentalist. She reached international renown thanks to her compositions and collaboration in various music projects.
Her achievements took her to share scenarios and recording sessions with many musicians. Some of these include Luna, Via Tania, Sneeze, Luscious Jackson, Nada Surf, and Clem Snide. She is often associated with Ben Lee, with whom she maintained a long-term working relationship. Ben Lee is another one of Australia’s renowned musicians, having started his music career as early as 14 years old. His first band was called Noise Addict and stayed active up until 1995 when they broke up and Lee started his solo journey. This journey would eventually take him to know Lara Meyerratken with whom he collaborated. In 2009, Meyerratken participated in a new Noise Addict album called ‘It was never about the audience’, released in 2009.
A flexible musician and a diverse career
Besides being a successful songwriter, the Australian musician collaborated and led important music projects. She is the composer of a wide variety of film and television music and also wrote pieces for commercials. She was the musical director for a project called ‘theMatch.com’ that won a prize at the 2010 Cannes Lion Awards for Best Original Music.
This is the largest creativity award event and attracts thousands of visitors from every corner of the world. The event was created to reward those who work on creative projects in different areas. These include marketing, design, advertisement, and public relationships. In this context, Meyerratken managed to receive an award for her involvement in this project, thus being recognized as one of the leading creative figures in the music industry of our century.
In addition, she has made many appearances in New York, home of the Yankees, the Mets and a recently legalized mobile sports betting bill. For more information on topic, you can check out this best NY betting sites guide from Betting.us.
But her accomplishments go far beyond this having composed original music for commercials. Some of these corresponded to world-class brands like Kellogg’s and Oranine. The latter is a famous Japanese skin care product line.
Her music was also included in the film industry. The song ‘Hero’ was part of a film’s soundtrack from 2005: ‘The Baxter’. In 2011 she participated in another soundtrack with the song ‘The things you lost’, which appeared in the movie ‘Our idiot brother’. But this was not the only entertainment industry that ‘el May’ has reached. Some of her songs have also taken part in well-known television series.
Lara Meyerratken’s solo career
Under the pseudonym ‘el May’, Lara released her first album. Self-titled and released in 2010, some of its songs appear in Melrose place, The Lying Game, and Pretty Little Liars. Here are the ‘el May’s’ album tracks:
- Don’t you
- Made of water
- The things you lost
- Fire/freezer
- Decide on a direction
- Order in the nothingness
- Want for wonder
- Hold yourself
- I remember
Although she currently resides in California, she has played in numerous shows throughout the US. The following video features Meyerratken live in New York at Mercury Lounge in December 2008.
Some music critics and journalists consider Lara Meyerratken as an overachiever, and it’s clear why. Besides the above-mentioned awards and recognitions, she received an ARIA for her work in ‘Awake is a new sleep’. This is an album from her colleague and collaborator Ben Lee. Released in 2005, it included hits such as ‘Catch my disease’ and ‘Gamble everything for love’.
While both songs were in the top-40, ‘Catch my disease’ got the second position in the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2005. A year before that ‘Gamble everything for love’ was number 15 on the same ranking. Another great success was the song ‘We’re all in this together’, which didn’t get high on the rankings but was used for several television commercials in Australia. Meyerratken participated in this album as a vocalist, drummer, percussionist, and keyboard player.
After winning these awards, playing multiple instruments, working as a session musician, and participating in soundtrack projects, it seems impossible that someone can find the time to record a solo album. But Lara recorded not only one but two. Her second work under ‘el May’ was released in 2014 and called ‘The other person is you’.
This is the track list for ‘The other person is you’:
- Took it on the mouth
- Lessons Appear
- I played a role
- Diamonds, girl
- Science
- Thrills
- My policeman’s an addict
- Diagnosis for the doctor
- Atlantic, Pacific
- Oh, get carried
The video for the song ‘I played a role’ shows Meyerratken dressed in a pink suit wandering the streets of New York and getting people to listen to the song. In the video, she features people’s reactions when they hear it for the first time.
First album: el May
Don’t you
The song starts with a catchy melody and steady beat. The accompaniment is basically led by the bass. The melody stands out for its wide register, starting at a high pitch, touching upon a lower note, and finishing the phrase in a mid-point. The pattern is repeated several times with the same bass accompaniment.
Towards the chorus, the song is enriched by clever vocal arrangements while the lyrics read ‘Don’t you wanna be somewhere else’. The keyboard provides a new level to the accompaniment moving it away from its somber bass-like style at the intro.
Approximately at minute 2, the main and backing vocals sing in homophony with a single synthesizer’s percussion pattern. The motive of the melody changes dramatically, being this new melody characterized by repeated notes instead of a lyrical melody line.
Made of water
A sweet introduction starts this song accompanied by a guitar and led by the keyboard. This quickly opens the way to the leading vocals which carry out a tune with surprising turns and intervals. This section is backed by a percussion set consisting of a tambourine, maracas, and egg shakers, while the rhythmic guitar maintains the same pattern.
After a short pause, we hear the drums beating and that’s the cue for a bright and powerful chorus. The song reaches a new dimension that contrasts with the softer melody and accompaniment from the verse. This goes perfectly according to the lyrics that pray ‘if you could sweat, if you could cry, we’d know you are made of water like anyone’.
The things you lost
By far the richest song regarding harmony, ‘The things you lost’ stands out from the rest of the tracks. It has a bluesy accompaniment powered by the bass and a guitar arpeggio through which the harmony is highlighted. It combines major and minor scales to create a unique atmosphere conveying a mixture of melancholy and artlessness.
The melody is also complex with many rests that surprise the listener. Its powerful lyricism is due to the wide range it uses, interesting turns, and sustained notes. The piano joins in a counterpoint against the leading vocals and the arrangement surely adds to the excellence of this song.
Fire/Freezer
Fire/freezer starts with an a capella voice followed by a guitar. With a minimalistic style, Meyerratken is able to create a folky, acoustic sound. The second part of the verse is characterized by a sharper rhythm in the leading voice. The accompaniment is mainly led by an acoustic and electric guitar playing the same patterns. A solid bass, synthesizer ornaments, and drums make the chorus more powerful. The melody has a unique descending chromatic turn.
Order in the nothingness
The song starts with a one-note pattern both in the leading voice and the piano accompaniment. This rhythmic pattern is maintained throughout the entire piece with different instruments and melodic variations. The bass, piano, keyboards, and percussion instruments are interlocked in a creative arrangement whose main achievement is to maintain repetition in an ever-changing crescendo. The spirit of the song, starting from a minimalistic pattern and only two instruments, reaches a powerful level of polyphony towards the end. In this sense, ‘Order in nothingness’ reminds us of Ravel’s bolero. Without a doubt, this is one of the best tracks on the album.
Decide on a direction
Unlike other songs, ‘Decide on a direction’ starts with the full band at the intro. When the leading voice enters, it’s accompanied only by the bass and drums. A few bars later, the band comes back with the same pattern presented in the intro, played by the piano. Approximately at 1’ 30’’ the arrangement gets interesting with a counterpoint between the leading voice (carrying the melody), the piano, and the keyboards, that continue the same pattern. The pattern is characterized by an ascending leap ending in the dominant. The song ends abruptly when the accompaniment stops, and the voice finishes the phrase.
Want for wonder
Starting with a relaxed tropical-like guitar base, the leading voice quickly makes an entrance. This style is enforced by the percussion using egg shakers. At first, the melody is carried out by two voices and later by a 4-part voice arrangement singing in homophony. Towards the middle of the song, the voice is accompanied only by percussion instruments. This creates a dramatic change of texture. After the other instruments rest, we hear only the egg shakers creating a pattern along with a traditional drum. A few bars later the piano joins with an ostinato and the tambourine tags along. When the rest of the instruments return the song reaches a unique atmosphere thanks to a drumroll and a high-quality arrangement of woodwind, and strings, more precisely, cellos.
Hold yourself
The leading voice is accompanied by a balanced cushion formed by a keyboard, synthesizer, and cello. The song stands out for its minimalistic style while keeping rich instrumentation. A high-pitched pedal joins the accompaniment increasing the overall dynamics. Towards the 2’ 30’’, the voice is left alone with the cello and synthesizer, which present a counterpoint. The cello plays a clever melody with descending and ascending leaps creating an overall ascending effect.
I remember
Strings also play an important role in ‘I remember’. After a short piano intro, the voice starts the melody accompanied by a low-pitched pedal by the cello. This enhances the melody’s characteristic which surprises the listener with Meyerratken singing in a low register. The phrases are composed of a steady melody register-wise and many repeated notes.
The bridge is a transition between the low repeated notes from the beginning to the wide lyricism and sustained notes of the chorus. At this point, the whole band is playing, and we can hear a fine arrangement led by the strings. The drums stand out for their pattern-based accompaniment rather than a simple rhythmic base.
The song goes on with similar characteristics until the end. The only variations appear in the texture. We hear a section where the voice is accompanied by strings and synthesizer, piano, and synthesizer, etc. This provides a fresh sound throughout the piece, especially when the whole band takes on the accompaniment again.
Second album: The other person is you
The second album was released in 2014, four years after the first one. While ‘el May’ represented a huge step as her first solo album, ‘The other person is you’ reflects a new stage in the musician’s life.
The debut solo record came after many years of working as a session musician for other artists. Although this was a very successful process, she released a solo album rather late in her career. ‘The other person is you’ shows us a more confident and mature Meyerratken. She wrote, recorded, and produced the songs but herself after two major life changes.
During the four years between the albums, she moved from New York (where she had lived for 10 years) to Los Angeles and had a meaningful relationship and further break up. This had a great impact on Lara’s emotional inner world, and she decided to take a year of celibacy to get to know herself. In this context, ‘the other person is you’ was conceived, written, and created.
The album was also inspired by a dream she had. In the dream, she and her boyfriend were working at the same table, looking at a pile of papers with only one light hanging over them in the dark. Thanks to this, the idea of connection stroke her, in the sense that all of us are connected even while taking care of our business by ourselves. One week later, the couple broke up and this caused an even greater impression on the artist.
During her year-long introspection, she realized that trying to place guilt was useless. Instead, she chose to learn from this experience and understand the role each person plays in another individual’s life. This is, all in all, the spirit of the album and particularly of the song ‘I played a role’. This is one of the album’s greatest hits. It stands out for its ability to combine simplicity with a catchy tune. The song’s freshness is reflected in the video which you can see above in this article.
Took it on the mouth
A strong, steady beat accompanies a well-achieved melody, characterized by interesting turns and long rests. This gives the song an overall refreshing sound. The guitar plays an important role in the accompaniment.
Lessons Appear
This track pleases the audience with its country-rock style and bouncy rhythm. While the accompaniment is quite steady throughout the song, it surprises us with a homophonic pattern towards the chorus. The instrumental sections are enriched by a violin playing a high-pitched melody and a synthesizer playing ornaments.
I played a role
This is the song that mostly reflects the meaning of the album. The chorus reads ‘You played the role for me, and I played the role you’ll see. I played the role for you, and you played the role for me’. These words, in a way, contain a lesson that the songwriter learned after a self-inspection process, dealing with a breakup, and starting anew on the other coast. Maybe the simplicity of the arrangement is meant to highlight the lyrics and overall meaning so that the listener is not distracted by fancy turns and sudden changes.
The song starts with a steel drum that continues throughout the whole piece. The dynamics change thanks to layered voice arrangements and melodic shifts.
Diamonds, girl
This is the first track in this album that brings an innovative sound. It freshens up the listening experience with a percussion-based intro and original guitar riff. The melody is carried by several voices with a descending gesture. It brings an element of surprise thanks to its ongoing sixteenth notes interrupted by syncopation. This creates an interesting pattern enriching the melody line considerably. The second part of the verse returns to what seems a more traditional melody. Yet, it reaches a whole new level of interest and creativity with a sharp ascending leap, which can only be sung by a talented vocalist such as Meyerratken.
Science
Science doesn’t have an intro. It starts with an upbeat powerful bouncy style. The arrangement is quite straightforward, yet these kinds of songs are necessary for an album like this. It allows the listener to rest from the complexities of other pieces, which are thus highlighted and more appreciated. The highest points in this song are a few rests and a rich voice arrangement consisting of a three-part counterpoint.
Thrills
Combining a retro 70s style and a funky sound, ‘Thrills’ is characterized by a repeated-note melody core. The chorus brings a varied melody consisting of several turns and ending on an ascending pattern. The instrumental bridge has a less dense texture that allows the bass line to stand out.
My policeman’s an addict
Although it doesn’t present great surprises when it comes to arrangements, ‘My policeman’s an addict’ brings a catchy tune. It will certainly make the listener tap along with the bouncy rhythm.
The song reaches a new level with a section featuring repetitions by the leading and backing vocals replicating the words ‘I’ll let it go’. The repetitions soon turn into sustained-note patterns towards the end.
Diagnosis for the doctor
The main achievement in ‘Diagnosis for the doctor’ is a particularly mysterious atmosphere generated mainly by the intro. Here we can hear a percussion pattern with synth sound effects. The leading voice sings over this accompaniment alone well into the middle of the song. The melody presents rich motives exploring a wide pitch range. Meyerratken solves it well at a technical level. This proves, among other things, her quality and professionalism as a vocalist.
Atlantic, Pacific
The introspective theme of the album is well represented with ‘Atlantic, Pacific’. The acoustic sound and melodic richness of this song contrast with the other tracks in this album.
Oh, get carried
The last song of the album is a representation of Meyerratken’s unique arrangement abilities. An arpeggiated accompaniment by the synthesizer carries the song from the beginning. Separated piano chords define the harmony while creating a sound that we haven’t heard in any other song of the album. With this, the song acquires a new dimension, and a one-of-a-kind quality being differentiated from other tracks.
Inspired by her history with her mother and stepfather, there is an autobiographical load in ‘Oh, get carried’. The brilliant use of the piano and strings give the song a philharmonic feel, particularly highlighted by the pedal note in the cellos. After a sharp diminuendo, which provides a dramatic and innovative change in texture, the synthesizer joins with a percussion-like base, reminding us that we are listening to rock-pop music.
The song reaches a true level of genius when it presents a percussive pattern establishing a metric that contrasts with that of the leading voice. Although simple, this polyrhythmic approach is hard to find in rock-pop music. This is a testimony of Meyerratken’s wide understanding of music, following the examples of great musicians of the past century like Stravinsky, in classical music, or Dave Brubeck in jazz.
After this section, the chorus reaches a more powerful level coming back to the traditional 4 by 4 bar measure. This song’s ending is the album’s final sound, and it closes with an instrumental cushion led mainly by the strings. They feature sustained notes supported by the piano and drums.
Final thoughts on Lara Meyerratken’s work
Lara Meyerratken is a perfectionist when it comes to her work. Maybe this is why she has achieved such great success as a collaborating musician and solo artist. Her work brings contemporary pop-rock music to a new level.
She started her solo career late, but this is understandable given her resume. Meyerratken did not waste time. Besides participating in world-class projects, soundtracks for renowned films and series, and some of the most successful albums in Australia in the last decades, she still managed to find her own sound.
She is not a stranger to heartbreak and other similar personal crises, but instead of giving in to these feelings, she managed to make art out of them.
Under the pseudonym ‘el May’, Lara Meyerratken has already contributed to the 20th century’s musical scenery in many ways. But this is not it. This Australian songwriter still has a long journey ahead of her. We hope she will keep surprising her fans with more high-quality music and innovative sounds.