Noa Lauryn Unpacks "Always On Time"

Amsterdam-based Neo-Soul artist Noa Lauryn returns with her brand-new EP Always On Time, available everywhere now through Vokall Records. Blending soulful R&B with jazz, pop, and electronic influences, Noa's sound is inspired by artists like D'Angelo, Jazmine Sullivan, Anderson .Paak, and Mahalia. With unapologetic lyrics, rich vocals, and groove-heavy arrangements, she brings a fresh and relatable voice to modern soul music.

The EP’s standout track, Wasting Time, is a soulful ode to slowing down and embracing the art of doing nothing — a timely message in a world that glorifies hustle. Through stories of love, ambition, and self-discovery, Always On Time offers listeners a deeply personal yet universally resonant sonic journey.

“Wasting Time” is a love letter to doing nothing — a radical act in today’s hustle culture. How did your personal experience with burnout shape that track?

I’ve always struggled with my schedule, wanting to do way too much at a time, always feeling like I’m 10 steps behind. Not taking any breaks. I remember thinking at times, I’m a musician, isn’t it supposed to be fun? (Spoiler: yes, it is!) This lifestyle eventually caught up with me, resulting in a multi-year burnout. Once I reached this point, taking a break was no longer an option, there was just no other way but to takea  rest and wait for my brain and body to recover from the stress I’d put on myself for years. When I started to feel like myself again, and the creative juices came back to me, I noticed the joy in everything I did was so much bigger and things like songwriting came so much easier. I told myself to remember that feeling of ease, feeling like things are flowing, when you are rested, instead of everything feeling like a race or a fight. I wrote Wasting Time in an afternoon as sort of a promise to myself to never again get into the same situation. In the song, I praise taking time to be spontaneous and not productive, which I sing to another person in the song, but it’s really a big reminder for myself. I actually notice it working sometimes, I find myself thinking “well, I wrote a song about it now, I kinda have to follow up”.

The title track blends electronic influences with a plea to let go of pressure. How does your own relationship with time and punctuality show up in this project?

To be completely honest, the title track was supposed to be more of a meditative chant, reassuring myself and the listener of something along the lines of “everything happens when it’s supposed to, so you’re always on time”. But this song sort of came out when I first heard the beat by producer m. demian (aka house producer Midas Field), as I was in a playful mood. I think the excitement of feeling better and being out in the world again made me want to write happy, silly songs. I didn’t want this project to feel too serious — even though it’s about a really shitty thing that happened, and happens to lots of people — because I was feeling so happy to be participating in life again.

“Please Don’t Make Me Choose” hits on something so many women feel — the pressure to pick between career and family. What inspired you to tackle that so directly, and how do you personally navigate that tension?

Please Don’t Make Me Choose was a really pure outing of a repetitive fear of mine, which is that because I’m spending so much time on music and my career, I cannot be a good friend, or partner, or eventually mother (which I am not even at the moment). This thought plays in my head a lot, and with this song I really feel like I’ve written it off my chest. As I was writing the song, I realised a lot of it had to do with not being “caring” enough or taking the time to cook and clean enough (yes, seriously). And I realised this is something I’ve internalised because I’m a woman, which is what inspired the second verse. I wasn’t even raised to think like that at all, but these images are just fed to us from 1000 different angles since we are born, manifesting in women feeling guilty for choosing something for themselves. Answering this question, I realise I’ve felt this a lot less lately, so it really must have worked.

“Layers of Time” feels like a deep unraveling of inherited family patterns. Can you share what emotional space you were in while creating it?

I’d like to skip this question.

After the emotional weight of your debut coin collection, this new EP feels lighter, even healing. What did you have to let go of creatively or personally to arrive here?

That’s true! When I was writing this EP, I was in such a good state of mind, because it was so nice to be able to do the things I love again. Having to stop working and making music for a while was like a nightmare to me, one of the biggest fears being that I won’t be able to come back from it. That I’d lose momentum or lose my creativity somehow. Coming back inspired and full of ideas was like a big breath out. Like, even if I drop the ball for a bit, I can just pick it back up when I’m ready. And that feeling really allows me to be way more chill in making music and life in general. I can have more fun with it, and I think it’s been great for my creativity as well.

The blend of acoustic and electronic textures across the EP is so seamless. How intentional were you in crafting that balance, and were there any moments where you almost took it too far in either direction?

I love blending the old and the new sounds in Soul and Jazz-inspired music. Most music I love to listen to has at least an element of live music in it. I think it makes it sound alive and human. But I also love the endless possibilities electronic elements offer. It’s so nice finding the exact right synth sound for the vibe you want to create. So I do really love to play around with combining the two and the sound it creates. A Neo-Soul for this decade. I am playing around with the idea to focus more on acoustic sounds for the following project. But I’ve also got a few more dancy electronic tracks on the shelf, so it remains a surprise which will see the light of day first.

The neo-soul, 90s hip-hop, jazz fusion throughout feels very lived-in. What are the sonic or lyrical “rules” you always come back to when writing?

Oww, that’s a tough one. I didn’t study music (but Philosophy), so I don’t know many of the actual rules, to be honest. There are a few things a song always has to have for me, the first of which is groove. I want people to be able to be swept up by the wave of the rhythm. This is something that was instilled in me at a young age by my dad, who is a bassist (i.e. Liquid Spirits), as the backbone of good music. Another thing I love to do is add stacks of harmonies. I love the smooth sound of a blanket of airy vocals, and I think the backings play a big role in my songwriting and production. An exception being the focus track of this EP, Wasting Time, which barely has any! I tried to squeeze some on there, actually haha, but it really didn’t need it.

You’ve collaborated with legends like Candy Dulfer and shared stages across Europe. What feels more natural to you — being in the studio shaping sound, or being on stage sharing it?

I used to be a real studio girl, loving working on the lyrics and perfecting the sound, one detail at a time, with my producers. And I still love this process. But in the last couple of years, I’ve really gotten the hang of playing live as well! I’m enjoying it more and more. I think in part because we are getting better as a team — I’ve been playing with the same amazing group of people for the last two years — and I’m feeling way more free now on stage. I think now, I’d prefer spending more time on stage than in the studio. And I’d also love to bring some of that new live energy into the studio as well, focusing less on songs sounding perfect and more on capturing the vibe of the moment.

With “Always On Time,” you’re also making a subtle case for redefining success — less about doing everything, more about doing what matters. Has your definition of “success” changed over the years?

That’s a nice way to look at it. I hadn’t consciously thought about it in terms of success. But I’ve definitely moved more towards doing what is fun or feels right in the moment. Rather than going through the motions to reach “success” in the future. I also realised I’m already doing exactly what I want. I’m making albums, and people are connecting to it. I’m singing my own words live on stage with an incredible band to audiences that are vibing with us. At the core, this is what I want to do, and I’ve managed to get to a place where I am, so to me that is a huge success. The only thing left now is more music and more stages. But there is always a bigger stage to play, so I think if you hang up your feeling of success too much on size and volume, you’re never gonna feel like you got there.

You’ve got a club tour ahead and growing attention from blogs to national radio — what’s one moment you’re really looking forward to on this next chapter of your journey?

Making more trips abroad to play and write songs! I’ve been to London twice this year for a show and to meet up with new producers and other artists, and it has been so so nice. I’ve always wanted to travel and make music at the same time, and I always love to find new people to work with and create new sounds with. So I’m planning to keep this going. Will be back in London later in the year and also planning a trip to Berlin.

With Always On Time, Noa continues to carve her path as one of the most authentic voices in contemporary Neo-Soul. The release will be celebrated with an exclusive listening session in Amsterdam (TBA), followed by a tour with her band, The Incredibles, hitting stages in Hilversum, The Hague, Amsterdam, and London (TBA).

Photos courtesy of Jo Veloso