Laura Hobson
📍 Grand Rapids, Michigan | Musician
📝 Editor’s Note
I went on a guys weekend trip to Portland, Maine and it lived up to my very high expectations. Portland should be on everyone’s travel bucket list. My feel for the town is that everyone likes to do something active and to follow it up with world class food and drink.
MacGreagor was a great host and his fabric guide recommendations were on point. Everything was excellent but the standouts were Izikaya Minato, Novare Res Bier Cafe, and Maine Beer Co.
I may be living under a rock (most likely) but my most memorable drink was the Spaghett from Room for Improvement:
Miller High Life Beer
Drink the neck of the beer
Pour in a shot of Aperol
Garnish with a lemon
Very refreshing.
Also, because I like discovering new products and brands, I thought Ciele Athletics out of Montreal was interesting. Everyone in Portland on a run seemed to be wearing one of their hats. Or maybe because MacGreagor has 4 of them?
Lastly, we went into a store that sold Kimura Glassware. I think these could make an excellent gift for any cocktail aficionado.
Without further ado….
Why Laura?
Laura came highly recommended by Bryan D, who shared this when recommending her:
Laura is one fascinating person! She’s an amazing artist. She’s also the lead singer/creative wizard behind the band Phabies. Myself, my wife, and my kids are all big “Phabies Phans”! When I think of who I would want to see a profile on, Laura comes to mind. She’s thoughtful, interesting, creative, and overall wonderful.
Follow Laura on Instagram
Self-Description
Painter, gardener, musician with a huge heart for animals, trees, and collaboration with my community. Always looking for any excuse to wear a wig or build a set for creative projects.
Laura’s Recommendations
Written in her own words…
Brand
Basically a reusable lint roller that doesn't create waste & can be rinsed in the sink once in a while to make it brand new again. I wear a lot of black and have B&W cats, so I use mine every single day. Still going strong - I have one in my bag, & one at home. Can't live without, I tell everyone with pets to get one.
Content
I love the podcast "This Is Love" by Phoebe Judge, the episode titled "Among The Oak Trees" is a heartbreaking & powerful true story (and it's under 30 minutes). There are such beautiful acts of kindness and humanity sprinkled throughout each of the episodes, but the Oak Trees episode lives in my heart & I hope we can all learn to be more like Ruth from that episode. Another memorable one was about a whale calf and a teenage swimmer called "Something Large And Wild". I'm scared of deep and dark water so this was both chilling and thrilling to listen to! I like a 28-ish minute pod, & none of these are too long.
The book "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
AH!!! Read this, it will change your perspective on all things for the better. I beg everyone to read this book because I want people to realize how special this place called Earth is. It's easy for me to become disheartened seeing the endless sprawl of any cities' business corridor and picturing what plants and animals used to live there. I listened to Robin at a talk last year and everything she said is how I've always felt inside but felt too alienated and powerless to talk about. When I listen to her, I feel like we have the leader we need.
Watch
Severance season 1 was incredible. I could talk about it for hours - I have so many theories and have read other peoples' thoughts about the show. It came out on Apple back in February 2022, it's a thriller that's not too scary but definitely warped and mind-bendy with great characters/casting and a world that will keep you guessing where the story could possibly lead. I have high hopes for season 2. I've also never skipped the opening credits, props to the artists who made such a cool intro.
The episode from Unsolved Mysteries on Netflix called "Something In The Sky" (2022 Season 3, Episode 2)
This whole episode sent me down a rabbit hole for a week. I think I've since watched every documentary on YouTube related to it. I find it all very fascinating. Michigan has tons of UFO/UAP sightings and I've always been interested in what people have to say & couldn't believe I had never heard about this particular incident until watching the episode.
Gift
I was given a Reverend Contender guitar from my producer, Jacob Merritt after my bands 5th recording session at his studio. It's perfect for me; more lightweight so I don't get back pain from standing with it on for hours & a thinner neck than my previous (borrowed) guitar that makes playing more comfortable for my hands/wrist. This guitar is my favorite gift ever & I love that there are such happy memories attached to it.
Kodak EKTAR H35 Half Frame camera
I was also gifted a Kodak EKTAR H35 Half Frame camera to replace my disposable camera buying habit. This is basically a disposable camera that I can reuse over & over again BUT the best part is that the "half frame" gives you two exposures per negative so I get double the photos for each roll of film. Developing film is really expensive now, so this helps me cut down costs for something that I enjoy having in my life. If you ask for professional scans at a photo/camera shop the pictures come back regular sized & pretty decent-looking, not attached together like I thought they'd be. Also, always ask for your negatives back...not sure why places aren't automatically doing that these days.
Music
If Caroline Rose comes to your city go to their show!!! Their music and creativity is so inspiring, I wish I could see them in concert for the first time again. They played "Money" in Grand Rapids and that song is now on every pump-up driving playlist I make, along with the entire "Superstar" album.
Madison Cunningham wrote my favorite song of the last decade. The first time I listened to "Life According to Raechel" I had to stop what I was doing and go sit down with my headphones on full volume and play it 3 times in a row. And then another 30 times that week. I saw her in concert last year and immediately after was like, "Well, I guess I should quit music now. She's doing what I wish I could do, but way better". And then I took a class from Adrianne Lenker and she told us a quote from her friend who said, "Comparison is violence" and I realized she's right, so I'm still making music.
Plug
My band is called Phabies.
We just wrapped up recording our second studio album titled "The Curse Of Caring" & it's due out in spring of 2025.
Garrett Stier (bassist) and I just wrapped up a 4 month course through a local group called Plaster Creek Stewards & are installing a curb-cut garden at our local park to capture and clean runoff from street rainwater before it enters Plaster Creek (the most polluted creek in West Michigan). This will be an on-going project in partnership with PCS to help clean the watershed.
Want to reach Laura? If so, DM on Instagram (@phabiesband) or email: phabiesband@gmail.com
P.S. from Rambull — I recently finished the book Trust the Whispers. It is written by Kathy Izard, a Rambull OG and one of the first profiles. She an award-winning author, speaker, and change-maker working on homelessness and mental health in my hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. The stories Kathy shares are incredibly inspiring and heartfelt — I encourage you to check out her book.
