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Laufey comes from a lineage of strong women. The  23-year-old musician was named after her great-grandmother, whose namesake references a mythological figure (in Norse folklore, Laufey was the mother of Loki and credited for pioneering matriarchal lineages). That feminine energy resonates deeply in the singer-songwriter as many of her songs address empowerment and kinship. “All the women in Norse mythology were really strong characters. I think it’s really cool to be named after such a strong woman,” the young artist says from her home in Los Angeles, where she is seeking shelter from the blistering heat. Over 90-degree weather is not something the creative is used to, as she grew up in Iceland, where it rarely gets above 70. It was in Reykjavík where the burgeoning musician began forming her creative sensibilities. Like many other musical protégés, music was ingrained in her from an early age: “I was in the womb at orchestra rehearsals with my mother, so music has always been second nature to me,” she laughs as she recalls her weeknight cello lessons and weekend jam sessions with her family. All these years of practice culminated in a performance at the Iceland Symphony Orchestra when she was just 15–a place she will return to this fall during her headline tour.

It was also there, on the volcanic island in the North Atlantic Ocean, where Laufey cultivated a sense of wanderlust and fantasy that characterizes her unique sound. “I’m a big daydreamer,” she elaborates. “I think there’s so much excitement and hope in the unknown. This romanticized view of the future definitely gets into my songs and my songwriting.” The hopeless romantic inside of the artist can be heard in her latest single, “Dear Soulmate.” Fascinated with the idea that her companion is out there living their life, but she doesn’t know them yet, Laufey penned this emotional ballad. This song is among 12 other songs that make up her upcoming album, which gets at her larger mission of revitalizing jazz for the modern age, making swing notes and piano musical breaks accessible to the new generation.

“The album’s called Everything I Know About Love, but we come to find out at the end of the album that I actually know very little about romantic love,” she shares. This sonic tour de force also includes features with some of the strong women that make her the artist she is today. Laufey shares that her mother and twin sister play the violin, and on the title track, the trio play in familial harmony. And as no Laufey project would be complete without unbridled female energy, the singer is certainly living up to her name.