Lauren Minear's voice—reminiscent of Natalie Merchant, Dido, and Maggie Rogers—delivers raw emotion, while her lyrics, likened to Joni Mitchell and Sarah McLachlan, cut straight to the soul. She is a unique artist with a gift for translating human experience into sound. In the words of multi-platinum songwriter, Andrea Stolpe, “[Lauren has] the ability to make the most difficult experiences relatable”. Originally from Nashville, now living in New York, songwriting was Minear's first love in life. She spent her childhood immersed in music, memorizing lyrics to Eric Clapton, Brooks & Dunn, Faith Hill, Mariah Carey, and Garth Brooks songs on long family drives to visit her grandparents in New Orleans. She wrote her first song at the age of fourteen, and recorded an EP (unreleased) with George Marinelli, longtime guitarist for Bonnie Raitt. She was mentored by some of Nashville's leading songwriters, and even sat in the studio with Steve Earle during his Jerusalem sessions. Needless to say, music is in Minear's blood. Since her debut in 2022, in addition to building a worldwide fanbase, Minear has shared the stage with legendary singer-songwriter Pete Yorn and rising star, Cassandra Lewis. She has performed in legendary venues, including The Bitter End (NYC), and The Basement (Nashville). Her gift for songwriting has been recognized by international songwriting competitions, and Ben Folds himself, who handpicked her for his exclusive songwriting retreat. She has released a charity single benefitting gun violence prevention efforts in the United States, and she has collaborated with many of New York's finest musicians. In short, Minear is brimming with raw talent, and she is just getting started. Website: https://laurenminearmusic.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenminearmusic/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurenminearmusic Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5nnohGTyoGL4ZCcudNki7A Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4XJIcAZWSuYDyuoq-xc47w ©Jay Michael ShowWatch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/fam8HTfWYVs