Acclaimed songwriter, producer, and musician Lawrence Rothman teamed up with Amanda Shires for their latest song “LAX.” Rothman shared the moving and vulnerable track along with its official video yesterday as the third single from their highly-anticipated new album The Plow that Broke the Plains. Watch the official video below.
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Rothman pulled the inspiration for “LAX” directly from their life. They took a trip to Tennessee and stayed in a cabin outside of Nashville that once housed legendary songwriter Leonard Cohen. While there, Rothman had to be rushed to the hospital. This terrifying turn of events led them to reflect on the battle with anorexia that nearly ended their life as well as the pain and self-destructive tendencies that went hand-in-hand with the disorder.
Lawrence Rothman on “LAX” and Working with Amanda Shires
In a statement, Rothman dove deeper into the inspiration behind the song. “Constant bombardment by media images and social pressure can cause you to feel uncomfortable about your body and the way you look,” they shared. “Product after product to stay thin, social media encouraging people to not only get thin but be dangerously thin. The ‘starving the body perfection’ that went around social media really took me under and it hurts me to admit it, but I got caught up in the web of wanting to look like images that were mostly likely photoshopped,” they added.
“One of the root issues of eating disorders is perfection and people-pleasing, I found myself going to Walgreens and buying up LAXatives—hence the ‘LAX’ title—and weight loss pills,” Rothman revealed. They went on to say that they took so many laxatives and weight loss supplements that their stomach started bleeding which led to the hospital visit.
Then, Rothman spoke about working with Shires and why he chose her to be on “LAX.” “Amanda and I have been working together the last three years,” they said. Rothman produced Shires’ acclaimed album Take It Like a Man and Loving You, her collaborative album with the late Bobbie Nelson.
“We have a great musical bond and wonderful friendship. It made sense to have a close friend lend their voice to such a vulnerable song. Plus, I’m a huge fan of her delicate but powerful voice,” Rothman added.
The Plow that Broke the Plains drops on April 26.
Featured Image by Mary Rozzi via Sacks & Co. PR
