About
It happened in a garage on the outskirts of Paris when she was 14. Lauren stepped behind the mic to sit in for the French band Duty Free. In that moment, both she and everyone else in the room caught a glimpse of what the future held. But pressure to pursue a more secure career path took her on a long academic detour. After degrees at Haverford College and Yale University and on her way to becoming a field linguist, she finally stopped resisting her passion and came to terms with what she felt she was meant to do: bring music into the world.
Settling in Chicago, she abandoned herself to songwriting. It wasn’t long before her vocal and songwriting skills attracted some of Chicago’s finest musicians, including guitarist David Chelimsky, bassist Bob Lizik (Brian Wilson) and drummer Ed Breckenfeld (The Insiders, Jim Peterik). Together they recorded From These Stones (Tessera Records) with engineer/producer Craig Williams. Demonstrating she had “a knack for crafting alluring folk-rock melodies” (Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun-Times), the album received critical acclaim and was chosen by Performing Songwriter magazine as a Top 12 DIY.
Her second album, Closer Than Skin, was released in 2008 after a move to Colorado. A series of singles has followed.
The daughter of a Parisian and a New Yorker, Lauren grew up on both continents. Her father sang opera and her mother played classical piano. But it was a Beatles record in their collection that ignited her musical passion. At five, she started studying classical piano and then gravitated to the guitar when she was 11. Immersion in different cultures honed her ability to perceive, feel and express what others experience. Whether drawing from her own life or the lives of others, her songs paint vivid portraits that feel intensely personal, exposing insights into the complexity of what it means to be human.
In addition to being featured on several radio stations and in a variety of publications, her song “Walls” appears on Big Fish Little Fish, Vol. 2 (Sweet Pickle Music), a compilation of Chicago’s emerging female artists. Now based in Denver, she has performed in various parts of the U.S., as well as in Paris. She has shared the stage with such artists as Pierce Pettis, Modern English, Kurt Neumann (BoDeans) and Vertical Horizon.
A multi-award-winning songwriter and artist, Lauren has established a reputation for her haunting, velcro-like pop and alt-rock melodies; nimble word smithing; and rich voice that is equal parts black velvet glove and black jaguar: sensual and edgy, sleek and powerful. Paralleling the dualities of her background, she gravitates sonically and thematically toward both epic empowerment and dark cinematic.
In addition to her own artist project, she is one-half of two duo projects: Spark Syndikat and Rebels + Rogues. Spark Syndikat’s song “Fight On” was featured on an ESPN promo, and it was played during the quarterfinals of the Italian Cup on Italian TV.
New songs are currently in production and will be released in the near future.
AWARDS
2022 International Songwriting Competition – Honorable Mention (Rock)
2022 Great American Song Contest – Top 5 Winner (Rock/Alt), Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting
2021 Posi Award – Honorable Mention
2017 Great American Song Contest –Top 5 Winner (Rock/Alt), Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting
2017 UK Songwriting Contest – Finalist (Rock)
2016 B-Side Project – Winner, People’s Choice Award
2015 UK Songwriting Contest – Finalist (Rock)
2014 Great American Song Contest – First-Place Winner (Rock/Alt)
2014 Great American Song Contest – Finalist (Adult Contemporary)
2013 Great American Song Contest- Top 5 Winner (Adult Contemporary), Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting
2013 Great American Song Contest – Finalist (Pop)