What is your name?
Lauren Waller

What is your genre of music?
Indie Pop

Give us a little bio about you.
I am based in Los Angeles and I like to describe myself as an all around creative. I’m a writer, a
singer, and a performer. I love to explore all aspects of art because I grew up painting and purse
theatre and design as well. My music is heavily inspired by 1980s dark wave pop and modern
electro-textured indie pop. More than anything, I am a story teller! So far, my musical work
includes 2 EPs, a Christmas cover song, and a collection of original singles. I have had the
opportunity to open for iconic bands like Wilson Phillips, Anna Nalick, A Flock of Seagulls, and
many more at venues all around Los Angeles.

What made you go into music?
I started in piano lessons when I was pretty young, and my dad was always playing music around
the house. I didn’t start singing until I was in my late teens, but I very quickly fell in love with
singing and performing. Once I started writing songs, I realized I had a genuine passion for
storytelling and wanted to tell stories people could connect to and find a piece of themselves in
the music.

Who are your influences?
I have always been so inspired by Sara Bareilles. She has an incredible capacity for storytelling and
is actually the artist who made me fall in love with music. Lorde is who I’m always told I sound the
most like, which makes complete sense because she is one of my favorite artists. Halsey is also a
big inspiration in all parts of their music and persona: production, lyricism, concept art, activism,
and their representation as a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. All three of these artists are also
incredible performers, so I draw a lot of inspiration from that as well.

Are you signed?
Nope!

You released your new single ‘Dopamine’, tell us more about the single.
My tagline for this single is “it’s the beginning to a bad love story.” I write a lot about bad love
stories, but I think it’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written. To me it’s just a cool song. I love
the production on it, there are a lot of quirky things buried into the track.

What is the meaning behind the single?
“Fell in love with the idea of falling for a stranger” was the inspiration for the song. It’s the first
lyric I came up with, and everything flowed from there. Of course, you’re never really falling in
love with a stranger. It never gets to that point. It’s just someone for the night who can make you
forget about other people or make someone else jealous. That’s not a great feeling, wanting
someone, changing things about yourself to get them to like you, and then using someone else to
get over it? I can’t recommend it, but it made for a good song!

What was the writing and recording process like?
I had written the lyrics set to different music and a different melody months prior. I had just set the
song aside and wasn’t focused on it when one of my writing partners, Ryan Benyo, had me come in
and listen to some of the tracks he had been working on. I quickly realized that the lyrics could be
an excellent fit and went from there. We finished writing and recording it at Ryan’s studio in
person while zooming in with the other co-writer Monte Malone. After working on a demo, I sat
with it for a few weeks, practiced with it, and then went back in to record! Describe the track in
two words.

Describe the track in two words.
Dark Love

Who did you work with on the single?
Ryan Benyo and Monte Malone!

Will we see a Music video for ‘Dopamine’, what can we expect from the creative process?
I’m not sure yet! I only have one official music video out currently, it’s for my single Night Stalker,
and I worked with Tara Jenkins, an incredible filmmaker that I know from college. If I go forward
with a video for Dopamine, I would love to work with her again. We shot the Night Stalker video
with an all-female team which was a very cool environment to experience.

Will we see an EP or Album and if so, can you give us a teaser of what to expect?
Right now, I’m focused on singles and getting to experiment with my sound. That being said,
something more long-form is never off the table!

Do you have any live shows or a tour coming up and if so let us know where we can catch you at?
Unfortunately, I have nothing on the books open to the public. I am looking forward to showcasing
at MUSEXPO this March in Hollywood, my first live performance since January of 2020! As soon as
I get back into the swing of things and start booking more dates, all of that information can be
found on my social media or on my website!

What else can we expect in 2022?
More music! I have a few more singles to look out for in the upcoming months.

Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
I can only hope that I am still writing and obsessed with performing. I want to challenge myself to
do larger projects in the next few years. Maybe that means a concept album or something that
focuses more on creative visual projects combined with the music.

What quote or saying do you always stick by?
Kickers get the front seat. I have no clue where that expression comes from, but it’s one that my
mother has ingrained in me since I was little. It doesn’t sound like the “nicest” advice, but I’ve
always taken it as don’t be afraid to go after something if you want it. There’s always going to be
someone willing to ask, so why not let that person be you.

When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
1.Glitter, a little glitter is now my good luck charm!
2. So much water. And I always use a reusable water bottle.
3. I’m not particularly eager to eat before a show, so I have to bring something that
won’t mess with my voice, but will keep my energy up.
4. I always have to thank my stagehands, sound techs, lighting techs, or anyone working backstage. My college degree is actually in Production and Design. I still work at a theatre as a technician, so I know how much work goes on behind the scenes.
5. It’s cheesy, but I never want to forget how lucky I am that I get to perform. I don’t get nervous anymore, so it’s easy to get too relaxed or complacent. I constantly remind myself how exciting this is and how I am so lucky to share what I love to do most with other people.

Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Yes! I am on Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube.