For ELAURA, Cry Until We Laugh is more than just an EP — it’s a deeply personal document of heartbreak, healing and self-discovery. Written through one of the most challenging periods of her life, the project traces an emotional journey from betrayal, grief and uncertainty toward acceptance, self-worth and joy. Across six vulnerable tracks, the singer-songwriter invites listeners into moments that feel less like songs and more like pages torn from a diary.
Yet beneath the pain lies a story of resilience. Drawing on her Chilean heritage, community and an unwavering commitment to honest storytelling, ELAURA transforms personal experiences into something universally relatable. As Cry Until We Laugh finds its audience, she reflects on the lessons the project taught her, the courage it took to release her most vulnerable work yet, and why the next chapter of her artistic journey feels brighter than ever.
Futuremag: Cry Until We Laugh feels deeply personal. Looking back on the EP now that it’s out in the world, what emotions came up for you?
ELAURA: Gosh, I think I feel proud and relieved, mostly. The emotional chapter and cycle of heartbreak and grief that this EP was written through is finally coming to a close, and I’m able to create more space in my life for loving, healthy relationships.
I also feel incredibly accomplished for finishing such a vulnerable and mature-sounding project. There were many moments where I genuinely didn’t think I could see it through. It challenged me creatively, emotionally, and financially, and stretched my capacity in ways I wasn’t expecting.
Because the EP is so personal, I also feel soo exposed! People are hearing me at some of the most vulnerable moments I’ve experienced in this life, and it feels like they’ve read my diary! But there’s something liberating about that, too. Once you’ve shared that level of honesty, it makes you realise there’s no point hiding. It has encouraged me to continue creating from a place of vulnerability, both for my own healing and for anyone who might hear these songs and feel a little less alone in what they’re going throug
Futuremag: The title is such a powerful phrase. What inspired it, and how does it capture the journey of the record?
ELAURA: Cry Until We Laugh came to me in a moment when I realised the EP had its own storyline. The songs begin in heartbreak, betrayal, confusion, and the painful recognition that the person you love might not be right for you. But as the project unfolds, it slowly moves toward acceptance, self-worth, joy, and community.
By the time we reach the final track, Find Your Feet, I’m no longer looking outside myself for validation. I know who I am, what I stand for, and that my worth doesn’t depend on someone else’s ability to love me well.
The title captures that journey perfectly. Sometimes healing isn’t about avoiding the tears – it’s about allowing yourself to cry until, eventually, you find yourself laughing again. The final moments of the EP literally end with my friends laughing together, which feels like the perfect representation of what the project became – proof that on the other side of heartbreak, there is still joy, connection, and life waiting for you, for us!
Futuremag: You’ve described these songs as moving through heartbreak toward healing. What did writing these songs teach you about yourself?
ELAURA: Writing these songs taught me that healing is most certainly not linear, and that so much of what I thought was love was actually fear, attachment, limerence and old patterns I needed to confront. Through songs like Cut My Hair, We Both Know, and LDDWYD, I learned to sit with feelings like grief, anger, and uncertainty instead of running from them. I feel like all these bigger lessons culminated in the last track, Find Your Feet, realising that the love and validation I was searching for in someone else had been within me, and in the community around me, all along. This was my favourite and most invaluable thing that writing these songs has taught me. It feels like coming home to myself.
Futuremag: That Ain’t It became a bold statement of self-worth. Why was that song such an important piece of the EP?
ELAURA: I think because it was a turning point! So much of the EP explores grief, longing, confusion and trying to understand what happened, but That Ain’t It is the moment where I stop trying to make excuses for someone else’s behaviour and just call it what it is, and I even give it a dash of comedy and drama. I wrote it in a puddle of angry tears on my apartment floor, and it felt like the first time I gave myself permission to be angry and righteous. I don’t often express anger in my day-to-day life, so writing that song felt incredibly freeing. It’s a stand-out because it’s the moment in the story where I choose myself and relieve myself of any power my ex had over me!
Futuremag: Was there a particular track you felt the most confronting to write or release?
ELAUREA: Definitely LDDWYD. It’s the most vulnerable song I’ve ever written. There’s nowhere to hide in it. It asks some really difficult questions about love, self-worth – the ones that we usually don’t say out loud. The vocal you hear is from those very first takes when the song was written, and you can hear how raw the emotion was. Releasing it felt confronting because it captures me in a moment where I genuinely didn’t have the answers yet. But I think that’s why it’s resonating a lot with people who relate; raw honesty is such a bridge to connect us.
Futuremag: You weave elements of your Chilean heritage into your music and storytelling. How has reconnecting with your roots shaped Cry Until We Laugh?
ELAURA: Reconnecting with my Chilean heritage has helped me understand myself more deeply. Growing up, I always felt very connected to my culture through family, language, food and music, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more intentional about exploring what that means to me as an artist. Including Spanish throughout the EP felt really natural because it’s part of how I experience the world and express emotion. It wasn’t about adding a cultural element for the sake of it – it was about telling the truth. The project feels richer because it reflects all of who I am.
Futuremag: You’ve cited artists like Jorja Smith and Cleo Sol as inspirations. What lessons have you taken from those artists while still carving out your own lane?
ELAURA: What I admire most about artists like Jorja Smith and Cleo Sol is their commitment to honesty. They don’t seem interested in overcomplicating things – they trust the song, the feeling and their own voice. That’s something I’ve tried to carry into my own work. At the same time, my experiences, community and cultural background are completely different, so my job isn’t to sound like them. It’s to learn from that authenticity and then tell my own story in a way that only I can.
Futuremag: You’ve spoken about honouring the voices of those who came before you. In what ways do you feel your family or ancestry is present throughout this release?
ELAURA: I think they’re present in everything, honestly – in the Spanish language, storytelling and in the honesty that the songs are rooted in. My family taught me about resilience, community, generosity and finding joy even through difficult circumstances. A lot of this EP is about healing, but it’s also about connection, and I think that comes directly from the people who raised me. Even when I’m writing about heartbreak, there are echoes of the lessons, sacrifices and love that have been passed down through generations. I feel like the best way to honour those who came before me is to be myself as honestly and loudly as possible, and tell my stories. Something that they didn’t have the privilege, stage or microphone to do, so I do it for them.
Futuremag: If Cry Until We Laugh represents one chapter of your story, what does the next chapter look like for ELAURA?
ELAURA: I think this EP was about survival, healing and coming home to myself. The next chapter feels much more expansive. I’m interested in exploring joy, freedom, playfulness and what happens after you’ve done a lot of healing work. I’m already writing from a lighter and more joyous perspective, as that’s where I’m at. I want to keep building community, collaborating with incredible people, deepening my connection to my culture and continuing to push my songwriting and keep devoting my life to music. If this EP was me finding my feet again, the next chapter feels like learning how to run.
Cry Until We Laugh EP Launch
Thursday 11 June – Shotkickers, Naarm, Melbourne
Doors 7:30 PM
Supports ARAMINTA and TYLA MOONCHILD
Tickets on sale here.
