Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Llánes
Hi Lauren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in a household that loved music. My parents and grandparents never played instruments or performed, but music was their lifeblood. My dad sat us down a few times a week to show us all kinds of live music and concert DVDs, from ABBA to Pet Shop Boys to Cirque Du Soleil. From then I was hooked and knew deep down not only did I want to perform, I wanted to be showstopping with an eclectic sound. To this day, both my music taste and writing style reflect what my dad showed me. I grew up trying to write songs in middle school. They were terrible but I had a fascination with the fact that I could create something out of nothing. I joined a church in high school and tried writing worship music, but that didn’t flow either. Once I left and began my own personal, un-encumbered songwriting journey, songs came to me daily. Great songs. I wrote my first single Revolving Door in a few hours by myself in my room, and then cried for a while at the release I felt to finally write something I was proud of. It was like that song was whispered to me, it really felt like my soul and God had written it a long time ago and sang it in my ear to be written down. From then, I’ve written music everyday, falling in love with every aspect of the craft, bettering and sharpening with every song, carving my writing-style and my writing-voice. Singing was always my favorite thing to do, but writing and singing my own songs has completed me.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Like I mentioned about church, being a part of a praise team taught me alot about leading and directing a live band, knowledge that I still use today. But going my own way, embracing my creativity without so many rules, has not only freed me as a songwriter but as a person. My main struggles have been internal: dying by comparison and realizing this isn’t a competition, almost giving up on myself because people close to me didn’t believe in what I was doing or that I’ll make it, imposter syndrome, feeling inadequate as a musician. Those kinds of things almost take you out, but when you know you were given a gift, the determination to see it through comes with that gift.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As an artist, I’m known for two things: a soulful voice and memorable writing. I’ve been singing my whole life but I’ve been properly learning and developing my singing voice for about 10 years. It’s very important to me that I don’t have one without the other, I am here to showcase the two gifts.
I am most proud of my progress in music production. I have learned (and still have alot to learn!) about how to capture what I hear in my head. When I write, I often hear everything at once, the vocal melody, each instrument by section, the harmony stacks, the structure and arrangement. It’s very important for me to be able to capture all of that for myself atleast in a demo so that I can show producers and engineers exactly what I hear.
I want to share that apart from being an artist/songwriter, I’m a child therapist, an elementary school teacher for many years, a life coach, and a somatic healer. I say this because all of these areas of my life combine in my artist persona. In my art, I get to be all those people and more. I get to tap into the Venn diagram of emotions that all these areas bring me to feel. The closeness to children, remembering innocence and my childhood, having studied the brain both cognitively and emotionally, all influence my writing.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Sitting on the cold, leather couch with sleepy Saturday-morning eyes while my dad fills my imagination with beautiful music and visuals… it’s not just a very important memory, it’s one of my favorites. We also traveled a lot as kids, my parents took us to beautiful places. I wrote a folk song about getting to travel through Europe as a young teenager with my family; I wrote about the borders of my mind being opened and Mona Lisa becoming my friend.
You can listen to some of my music coming out soon!
April Showers releases 4/24
A mini EP releasing on 5/31
Follow my Spotify and socials so you don’t miss it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ddGeYH00pXt92U5jaUJrQ?si=1M-jXa6eStmgDEuV9rRH1A
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenllanesmusic?igsh=MXJ2MTN5N3M1dTYzcw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@laurenllanesmusic
- Other: https://linktr.ee/laurenllanesmusic
Image Credits
April Nicole
Jorge Quaz Palacio
Jasmine Ornelas
