Monday Oct 30, 2023

E8 Justin Laughter

We are excited to welcome Justin Laughter to Small Venue Music! Justin is a singer/songwriter for the bands Flashlight Tag and Silly Bus, an entertainment lawyer, co-owner of the new Gramophone winery and music venue, and all-around artistic renaissance man.

Justin describes the start of his journey as a songwriter, from his early work writing songs to his first studio recording. He shares his work in both bands and spends time describing Flashlight Tag’s recent album “Don’t Blink”. Justin talks about how the songs on Don’t Blink were heavily influenced by all of the different types of relationships he’s experienced throughout his life.

Justin and Don discuss the Flashlight Tag hosted annual Christmas Show. Justin describes how it is a place to create an event that celebrates the holiday season, embraces the great musicians in Richmond, and raises money for local charities. Justin talks about a number of artists and bands that have made an impact on his work and some of his early influences.

They take a break and Justin returns to perform two live acoustic versions of songs from “Don’t Blink.” He performs “Sue’ and “Control” from the Don’t Blink LP.

Rejoining the show, Justin and Don focus on entertainment law, and within it Justin’s specialization in music law. Justin describes the biggest mistakes artists make, as well as how new and even established artists should go about documenting and protecting their work. These practices play an even greater role in a collaborative songwriting process among band members, as Justin emphasizes clear communication and documentation in the songwriting process. He advises artists who are just starting out but have dreams of playing music professionally to go for it and “treat it like a business” from the start. Justin reflects on the evolution of his career. Coming from a large Real Estate firm and eventually founding his own entertainment practice.

Lastly, Justin discusses how he partnered with Arthur Grant and Chris Mayo to found Gramophone, Justin outlines his hopes for the location to become a performance venue for artists of all varieties. Justin’s wide range of work has been extremely valuable for generating and fostering creativity throughout Richmond.

Justin Laughter’s Social Channels:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinlaughter/reels/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@justinlaughter

Legal Site: www.theartsattorney.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinlaughter/

X: https://x.com/JustinLaughter?s=20

Flashlight Tag Social Channels:

Band Site: https://flashlighttagmusic.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0PijQq5pZp7wGKgaySeI0A

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/flashlight-tag/744749947

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlashlightTagMusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flashlighttagmusic/?hl=en