LAUD

LAUD

Real name – Vladislav Andriyovych Karashchuk

Date of birth – October 14, 1997

City – Kyiv (Ukraine)

Language – Ukrainian, English

Genre – pop, R&B

Becoming an artist

LAUD (real name – Vladislav Karashchuk) – Ukrainian singer, composer, songwriter. The future star of the domestic R&B scene was born in Kyiv. The guy was familiar with the world of music from an early age. And this is no coincidence, because he grew up in a family of professional musicians: his father is a clarinetist, his mother is a pianist, and his grandfather, Vitaliy Karashchuk, is a famous Ukrainian pianist and teacher. So the atmosphere of immersion in culture and art has always been present in Vlad's life.

At the age of five, the boy mastered playing the guitar, and from the age of seven he became seriously interested in vocals. He also tried his hand at playing the saxophone, but he had no desire to develop in a new direction. While studying at the Kyiv gymnasium, Vlad attended a music school at the same time. The young man improved his vocal skills and playing the guitar. Today, the singer admits: he saw no other path than music.

Even as a child, the young artist actively participated in numerous vocal competitions, winning victories and awards. The guy's name has repeatedly sounded on the stages of such projects and festivals as "Step to the Stars", "Slavic Bazaar", "Black Sea Games", "Junior Eurovision" and "Children's New Wave". Thanks to his charisma and talent, the contestant managed to receive loud applause and recognition from a wide audience. Participation in competitions brought him increased popularity and prestigious diplomas and awards.

Vlad Karashchuk without hesitation chose a professional musical path for himself. He received his higher education at the R. M. Glier Kyiv Institute of Music. He studied pop vocals. At the same time, the performer improved his skills at the American Music Academy branch, combining the Ukrainian music school with Western methods. In 2015, the audience of the large-scale Alfa Jazz Fest music festival met Vlad Karashchuk. Not only music lovers, but also producers associated with the music industry paid attention to the talented and charismatic artist.

Creative path

Vlad's participation in the popular vocal show "Voice of the Country" became a landmark for him. The artist took an important step towards success in 2016. The participant of the project did not win. However, "Voice of the Country" became a real career springboard for the young artist. The audience remembered the bright performance of the hits Seven Days, Running, Killing Me Softly and Happy. Vlad stormed into the finals, becoming a favorite of the audience thanks to his extraordinary style, sincere emotionality and recognizable, special timbre of his voice.

Active cooperation with other representatives of the music scene began. The result was the video clips for the songs "I Feel" and "Good Morning", recorded with the participation of Vlad Karashchuk. LAUD made his personal creative debut in 2017. The singer presented the first single "On This Night". The composition quickly gained popularity on Ukrainian radio stations. The video clip for the song collected almost half a million views on YouTube. The atmosphere and special aesthetics of the video work were created by young Kyiv actors who starred in familiar metropolitan locations. The artist's producer was Igor Tarnapolsky. In the same year, Vlad took to the stage of the Kyiv Palace of Sports, performing as an opening act for the star, Ukrainian singer Jamala.

The next single "Don't Leave" strengthened the singer's position, demonstrating LAUD's vocal skills and sincere emotionality. In 2018, the artist became a finalist in the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, where he presented the song Waiting. Although he did not win, the performer himself emphasized: the main thing is experience and the opportunity to present his music on the big stage.

Artist's style and development

LAUD's further creative path was marked by constant development, new challenges and the artist's unwavering desire to reach the heights of the music industry. In March 2018, the new single "Invented" was released. The music for the song was written by Vlad Karashchuk in collaboration with electronic musician Roman Cherenov aka Morphom. Later, the artist supplemented the track with a bright video clip.

At the end of the same year, fans of LAUD's work received a real gift from their idol - a full-length album "Music". The presentation of the album took place at the singer's first solo concert in the capital. Hundreds of loyal fans came to the live show to hear new songs and enjoy the artist's special sound and timbre.

In February 2019, Vlad Karashchuk tried his hand at the national selection for Eurovision for the second time. This time with the Ukrainian-language composition "2 Days". The singer's performance became another confirmation of the artist's creative maturity. And in December 2022, LAUD presented the second album DUAL to the public.

Social activity

With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Vlad actively participated in charity. During this time, dozens of concerts were held both in Ukraine and abroad. Vlad directs all his efforts to raising funds to support the military and help those who suffered from the war. So, on October 14, 2022, LAUD performed as a headliner at a charity fair in Rivne. As part of the event, it was possible to raise 1,000,000 hryvnias for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Combining charitable and creative activities, LAUD released their third album, "Awakening," in 2024. The album's tracks reflected the artist's personal experiences and creative experiments. A Ukrainian tour was announced in support of the release.

Awards and honors:

"Wave of the Country", nomination "Best Dance Song" (track "On This Night");
"Ukrainian Song of the Year" (winner);
YUNA, nomination "Best Duet" (song "Without You" with TAYANNA);
"Golden Firebird", nomination "Indie" (song "2 days");
APrize, nomination "Best Ukrainian Album of the Year".

Interesting facts about the artist:

According to Vlad, to be successful, you just need to do what you like, not imitate anyone, and be unique;
The boy was persuaded by his parents to apply for the casting of "The Voice of the Country." And today the artist is sincerely grateful to them for this;
In 2017, LAUD became a permanent vocalist on the season of the show "Dancing with the Stars."