John Lathrop
- Composer
- Soundtrack
John Lathrop is a composer/songwriter/musician known in both the music and film industries for being a true one man band; in addition to composing music and writing lyrics, he performs and records all of the vocals and instrumentation and produces all of his work. Born and raised on the Space Coast of Central Florida, Lathrop comes from a musical family; growing up, he was constantly exploring his parents' legendary record collection that spanned decades and countless genres, and then jumping behind his dad's drum kit or his grandparents' organ to play his favorites. Self-taught in every instrument, he has an underdog mentality that drives him to keep improving and expanding his range with each piece he writes.
His most notable musical creation is recording as The Stan Laurels (the name being an obvious homage to one of his favorite icons of comedy). The culmination of his musical vocabulary and relentless drive to create the perfect pop song, Lathrop has carefully crafted The Stan Laurels with a big, lush, multi-layered pop/rock sound that feels both vintage and modern. The music is solidly rooted in the melodic mod and pop-rock sensibilities of the 1960s (think Beatles/Zombies/Kinks), but truly spans a myriad of styles, including power-pop, psychedelic, progressive, art-rock, folk, and occasionally, a twist of classical.
The Laurels' debut album, 'Death of the Sun' was released worldwide in 2009 to high praise. It is a nearly hour-long epically cinematic psychedelic pop/rock concept album about alien abduction on the surface, but with much deeper personal meaning to most of the songs hidden within the lyrics and broad sweeping musical tones.
Soon after the release of 'Death of the Sun,' Lathrop was commissioned to write, perform, and record the score and original songs for the independent film 'Billi & Theodore,' a comedy/drama written and directed by Ronald Short, released in 2012. The coinciding soundtrack, 'Billi & Theodore: Music from the Motion Picture,' contains The Laurels' signature humor and psychedelic touches, but also adds a down-to-earth acoustic element - complete with banjo in key parts - giving the sound rich new depth and feeling. Released in 2013, this served as Lathrop's second full-length studio album as The Stan Laurels, containing the full film score and 8 original songs. Lathrop won the award for Best Music & Sound Design for 'Billi & Theodore' at the MayDay Film Festival.
'Maybe,' Lathrop's third album as The Stan Laurels, was released in July 2018 and is once again the soundtrack to a motion picture ('Maybe Shower'). With 'Maybe,' Lathrop has created something truly special and unique: a film soundtrack that is also a pure stand-alone rock record. The album is centered around characters and themes in the fictional movie universe, but the lyrical themes are as relatable as any Lathrop has ever written. Sonically, this is The Laurels' power-poppiest album yet, full of loud, crunchy guitars, big hooks, pounding drums, space-age synths, and melodic guitar solos, while bringing a wealth of infectious melody and hooks. The result is a bigger, tighter, more powerful, and accessible sound, while still staying true to The Laurels' signature strong melodic drive, thick beats and bass lines, clever lyrics, splashes of psychedelia, and a few unexpected twists. Lathrop's most revered album to date, Maybe has scored tons of positive reviews, landing on several "Best of 2018" lists, and getting regular airplay all over the world. The pinnacle of these accolades has been an Independent Music Award nomination for Best Indie/Alt Rock album of 2018. Essentially the Indie Grammys, The IMAs are the biggest music award in the world for independent artists.
Experimenting with many different musical styles, yet always maintaining an unwavering, strong sonic sense of self, John Lathrop is a unique force of nature, an audial auteur like no other artist. His loving creation, The Stan Laurels, can be found gracing film screens as often as radios, which is both fitting and delightful for a film buff with a Radio-Television-Film degree.
Lathrop is also an award-winning pop artist. His instantly recognizable Mod Pop Art breathes new life into the classic and current pop culture subjects referenced, putting a fun and original spin on pop surrealism, often by way of humor and absurdist parody. Using a modern approach to mixed media, Lathrop combines hand-painted artwork with graphic design techniques to create his unique, colorful clean-line style. The result is visually stunning eye-candy, bold and striking, with a vibe that feels vintage, yet unmistakably modern.
Since 1997, Lathrop has resided in Austin, TX with his wife and two sons, splitting his time between creating audial and visual art.
His most notable musical creation is recording as The Stan Laurels (the name being an obvious homage to one of his favorite icons of comedy). The culmination of his musical vocabulary and relentless drive to create the perfect pop song, Lathrop has carefully crafted The Stan Laurels with a big, lush, multi-layered pop/rock sound that feels both vintage and modern. The music is solidly rooted in the melodic mod and pop-rock sensibilities of the 1960s (think Beatles/Zombies/Kinks), but truly spans a myriad of styles, including power-pop, psychedelic, progressive, art-rock, folk, and occasionally, a twist of classical.
The Laurels' debut album, 'Death of the Sun' was released worldwide in 2009 to high praise. It is a nearly hour-long epically cinematic psychedelic pop/rock concept album about alien abduction on the surface, but with much deeper personal meaning to most of the songs hidden within the lyrics and broad sweeping musical tones.
Soon after the release of 'Death of the Sun,' Lathrop was commissioned to write, perform, and record the score and original songs for the independent film 'Billi & Theodore,' a comedy/drama written and directed by Ronald Short, released in 2012. The coinciding soundtrack, 'Billi & Theodore: Music from the Motion Picture,' contains The Laurels' signature humor and psychedelic touches, but also adds a down-to-earth acoustic element - complete with banjo in key parts - giving the sound rich new depth and feeling. Released in 2013, this served as Lathrop's second full-length studio album as The Stan Laurels, containing the full film score and 8 original songs. Lathrop won the award for Best Music & Sound Design for 'Billi & Theodore' at the MayDay Film Festival.
'Maybe,' Lathrop's third album as The Stan Laurels, was released in July 2018 and is once again the soundtrack to a motion picture ('Maybe Shower'). With 'Maybe,' Lathrop has created something truly special and unique: a film soundtrack that is also a pure stand-alone rock record. The album is centered around characters and themes in the fictional movie universe, but the lyrical themes are as relatable as any Lathrop has ever written. Sonically, this is The Laurels' power-poppiest album yet, full of loud, crunchy guitars, big hooks, pounding drums, space-age synths, and melodic guitar solos, while bringing a wealth of infectious melody and hooks. The result is a bigger, tighter, more powerful, and accessible sound, while still staying true to The Laurels' signature strong melodic drive, thick beats and bass lines, clever lyrics, splashes of psychedelia, and a few unexpected twists. Lathrop's most revered album to date, Maybe has scored tons of positive reviews, landing on several "Best of 2018" lists, and getting regular airplay all over the world. The pinnacle of these accolades has been an Independent Music Award nomination for Best Indie/Alt Rock album of 2018. Essentially the Indie Grammys, The IMAs are the biggest music award in the world for independent artists.
Experimenting with many different musical styles, yet always maintaining an unwavering, strong sonic sense of self, John Lathrop is a unique force of nature, an audial auteur like no other artist. His loving creation, The Stan Laurels, can be found gracing film screens as often as radios, which is both fitting and delightful for a film buff with a Radio-Television-Film degree.
Lathrop is also an award-winning pop artist. His instantly recognizable Mod Pop Art breathes new life into the classic and current pop culture subjects referenced, putting a fun and original spin on pop surrealism, often by way of humor and absurdist parody. Using a modern approach to mixed media, Lathrop combines hand-painted artwork with graphic design techniques to create his unique, colorful clean-line style. The result is visually stunning eye-candy, bold and striking, with a vibe that feels vintage, yet unmistakably modern.
Since 1997, Lathrop has resided in Austin, TX with his wife and two sons, splitting his time between creating audial and visual art.
