We recently connected with Lauren King and have shared our conversation below.
Lauren , appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Most of my adult life has consisted of taking risks. Heck, anyone in the music industry could tell you that! And what I can tell you is the cliff doesn’t get smaller. You just get better at taking the leap. I was lucky enough to be a professional musician starting at the age of 16 in my home state of Rhode Island. Thanks to close friends and family, I was pushed in many different ways to “create” my career. Whether it was a restaurant, a wedding, or an original music venue, I contributed in any way I could. By 2020, I started my own LLC and prepared myself for when the world started turning again. Not only was I learning how to navigate my own business, I was writing like the wind (most songwriters found themselves doing this at the time, and I stand with them)! “The Wolf is Back,” an album I wrote and co-produced with some very talented people, came out that next year. Following the momentum, I performed in some local festivals, shot some music videos, and dedicated a lot of time to keeping busy. Though I did venture out of the smallest state to perform (one example being Nashville’s Bluebird), I couldn’t help but get the sense I was meant to move on to new roots. I hadn’t known where, I just felt it!
During my college years I attended Stonehill College with a double major in Music & Philosophy. Talk about taking risks, right? I studied opera in the music program, which led me to live in Salzburg Austria for a semester. I fell in love with this beautiful city wrapped in Mountains and Mozart. After my semester ended, I remember thinking to myself: Is there anywhere in the US that even remotely compares to this? When I asked my parents, they both looked at each other, smiled, and said “Colorado. Without a doubt.” After I graduated however, that dream seemed to slip into the background for a bit. I had work to do, after all. How was I supposed to get there as a recently graduated twenty-something who plays guitar and sings? Thankfully, this led to so many gigs and collaborations. A few months after riding the high of new music and an audience supporting it, the call of Colorado rang louder and louder.
A very close friend of mine starting discussing her business and said to me on the phone: “I think I’m moving to Virginia.” I smiled, leaned back, and said: “That awesome. Because I think I’m moving to Colorado.” It was exciting. But as any sun sets, my anxiety rose. I had no contacts. No place to live. Not even a teaching job to get me by. Rather than feeling like I was building my way up to the west, it felt like I was leaving all sense of comfort. How was I going to leave each job, opportunity, and colleague I made? Standing on that cliff, I came to realize something was waiting below. All thanks to a ski trip in Aspen.
My dad and I love to ski. It’s our version of father-daughter bonding, and the funniest part of it is that neither of us say much to each other. Only the occasional: “Wow. Isn’t this phenomenal?” After each run we were greeted by a few welcoming ski lift employees. Besides the quick small talk: “Where ya from?” And “how is it out there?” The topic of my work came up. In true Lauren King fashion, I buzzed by quickly and mentioned I’m songwriter. Sure enough, the next time my dad and I found our way back to the ski lift chair, the speakers of Snowmass village was playing my music. When it was within earshot for us, we both looked up at each other and I yelled: “THEY’RE PLAYING THE BOSTON SONG!” The call to Colorado was as clear as a bell.
Long story short, things started to fall into place. I found an apartment that allowed my two Shih Tzus, Thelma and Louise. I was offered a job teaching vocals, piano, guitar, and songwriting in a professional studio. Creatively, I started working as a songwriter for labels, while also accepting the opportunity to write and record a song for a documentary with PBS. And more recently, I got to collaborate with a trusted friend in LA to write and record the song “Secret Language,” which he then produced as an EDM song.
Looking back, the true risk was leaving the jobs I thought of as steady in a place I was comfortable. I know it’s silly to say as a musician that I made something steady, but it was loading everything I could into a minivan and following the compass west (Waze is more like it). As I’m sure many others can tell you on this platform that taking a risk comes with experience. I saw so many beautiful pieces of the country for the first time. We stayed at a farm in Marietta, Texas (Pop. 113). I saw a shooting star in El Paso that looked GREEN. I had the best burger of my life in a small bar in North Little Rock. Each challenge has given me a lesson to learn; though there are cliffs, the best you can do is prepare, take a deep breath, and jump.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As I began playing gigs that wanted both originals and covers, the biggest aspect of my business in music is speaking from the heart. The most fulfilling jobs I’ve done are the ones that collaborate with charitable businesses. I once played in the middle of a mall for World Diabetes Day and I still consider that performance as the most reflective on what performances I like to give. My first songwriting job was for an independent film called “Where Were You?”, which was a dedication to those effected by 9/11. There are happy and sad songs, but I feel the best songs I create are the ones that simply tell the truth. And that’s a very hard thing to do for anyone. But for songwriting flows into my love of teaching the craft. I love opening a space for other writers to let them express how they truly feel. Seeing someone I work with open up and trust me in that way has led us to make some beautiful pieces. While it is intense, I have SO. MUCH. FUN. I’ve studied opera, I sing folk and pop, and now I can say I wrote and sang on an EDM song. The music world is so darn big and it’s been great to study one genre to the next as a writer, performer, and collaborator.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Leaving the past behind is necessary, but you don’t have to leave yourself either! As a person and a business owner, burning anything that resembled a bridge was terrifying—especially in the music industry. With that being said, the music industry in made up of a lot of people with the intentions of using the performer as long as it makes them money. I’ve learned to be very careful with the people I work with and luckily it’s been both projects in quantity AND quality! I had to unlearn holding on to every connection I could for the sake of my own balance. In this unlearning, I’ve realized the people that do stick around are the ones that will be rooting for you the entire way.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I don’t like to dwell on the year of 2020. But one thing I’m grateful for was the chance to perform online for a lot of people who were stuck at home. One night my friend suggested I go live on Facebook, and from there, my online audience grew more and more. Showing my home and conversing with people from all over was a great way to not only connect, but to also make people feel less alone. I still consider this a goal in my online presence, and each project I come out with is a chance to show my audience what my imagination looks like in hopes that it gives them comfort.
Contact Info:
- Website: Laurenkingmusic.com
- Instagram: @laurenkingmusic
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@laurenking3895
- Other: Spotify, latest single is “SECRET LANGUAGE” : https://open.spotify.com/artist/2zOjeeda9XEGefbjJYxJBj?si=qOtf9f5hRya6zHQEBV85_A
Image Credits
Garrett Prevey