Fans first met Marit Larsen when she was part of the pop duo M2M, which basically summed up the year 2000 with hits like "Mirror Mirror" and "Don't Say You Love Me." With those days behind her, Larsen has been going solo as a performer and producer, gaining tractions with songs like "Traveling Alone" and "I Don't Want To Talk About It."

And now, Larsen has a new album, When the Morning Comes, which drops this Friday, January 29th. To mark the occasion, Enstars caught up with Larsen to talk about where her lyrics come from and the connection people have when it comes to feeling their emotions, and pretty much everything else she's been up to.

Enstars: How did you get started with singing?
Marit Larsen: I've been singing as long as I can remember. It's the most boring answer, but it's true. I have been making music since I was 13. I made my debut on stage in musical theater. That is not worth talking about, I was toothless and I was Molly in the musical Annie [laughs].

Is your music meant to help spread a positive message?
I hope that listeners can take that from my songs. I was in a very different place in my life when I wrote these songs, I wrote them over the course of about a year. And I know that I wrote some truth so hopefully I've done some work with some of my listeners.

What advice do you have for aspiring singers looking to make it big? 
I would say the most important thing--even though it's important to worship things that you like--try to find out what distinguishes you from everyone else instead of trying to fit in because...oh boy, I've tried to fit in for so many years and I've had to try to figure out what set me apart, and when I started getting the hang of that, I think I started finding my true listeners and the listeners I feel are almost as close to me as my favorite bands are.

Do you have any favorite songs on your new album?
I still feel like "Please Don't Fall For Me" is such a heartbreaking lyric. Being in a situation where one person falls for the other and it's not returned and just thinking about how many friendships have been distorted like that. It's probably happening right now in the world. It's a pretty cocky song title, but the story is pretty devastating.

Are your songs about anything specific that you went through in life?
I try to be very specific in my writing, but it's not always about me...I think it's the privilege of a writer to invent and imagine and do whatever it takes to tell a good story.

I noticed you have songs about heartbreak. In fact, a lot of singers have songs about that. Why do you think that is?
Because I think every heartbreak is unique. And that is a devastating thing. And I think heartbreak and falling in love is something that connects us to each other. No matter if you're a student or a lawyer or a doctor or whatever you're doing you are deterred with your emotional life, of course, and if it's working, if you're in a great place in your relationship, it may be 10 percent of what goes on in your head, and if it's not working, it's about 99 percent. And I think that struggle you just try to stay in control and also try to get to know yourself. It's something that keeps spinning in your head through your whole life. I remember being a small child and thinking by the time you grew up you would have all these things figured out, but here I am and I haven't. We keep investigating, my grandmother is still investigating and I think that is so interesting. It's no different for any of us so it connects us.

It's been a while since your M2M days and now you're going solo. Is it liberating at all to be on your own?
It's been a different kind of challenge, but also a different kind of liberation. When I went solo, I was still very young and I felt like I got to start over and really consider what I wanted to do with my music and what I wanted to say. I felt like I kind of got a once in a lifetime opportunity for the second time so I'm very thankful. This is fourth solo album and it's been going really well so I'm very thankful for that.

Do you have any other talents besides singing?
Well, I'm a total nerd when it comes to coffee. I'm really good at brewing coffee. I'm also really good in the kitchen and I spend most of my time on my music, I'll be honest. And I'm very good at binge-watching Making a Murderer.

I keep hearing that's really good.
You should watch it, but you'll be devastated.

What singers would you like to perform with someday?
There are so many. I think right now my biggest dream is to perform with Jason Isbell, he's one of my favorites right now and I just saw him and he was fantastic. I almost jumped on the stage, but thankfully I didn't.

Tags: Marit Larsen Music