We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Malamala recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Honestly, my biggest flex is that I’m doing what 3-year-old me wanted to do when she grew up. I was singing before I could talk, and I was obsessed with the 80s cartoon, “Jem.” I didn’t care so much about the specifics, but I knew I wanted my career to be in music and I never strayed from that knowing.

The only thing I wanted to do as much as music is… be a mermaid. But now I’m a certified diver, so I still get to fulfill that fantasy for fun on the side.

Lauren, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I found my lane in sync licensing a couple years ago, which led to finding work-for-hire session singing and music production clients, and it actually took a good 13 years of pursuing music professionally before that whole world opened up to me. I started writing and recording before social media was even a fraction of what it is today. While anyone can collaborate and record from anywhere now, geographic location was still a huge barrier to entry back then. I was fortunate enough to live in London for four years while getting my International Business degree, so I had a chance to learn the basics about recording with some local producers. I also performed in random piano bars (I’m a classically trained pianist and former piano teacher) and produced some events at the Hippodrome before it closed.

Fast forward a few years, and I made “the big move” to NYC to play the role of the starving artist. It was rough, but I made use of my time by attending educational events at the Apollo to learn from artists like Nona Hendrix and songwriters like Andrea Martin. Looking back, that was definitely a period of “gathering information” and simply learning about the music industry – including the shady parts.

Eventually, I ended up leaving NYC and found myself at a standstill career-wise with no direction and no idea what to do. Then, quite literally overnight, I found myself signing up for a 3-month sync licensing workshop that taught me about a part of the music industry I didn’t know about. It was one of those epiphany moments that answered everything I was looking for: I knew I wanted to write songs and record at home, but I didn’t want to focus on Spotify streams, perform live, or go on tour as a commercial artist. I also didn’t want to be married to one single genre – I’m primarily a pop artist, but I have a blast writing darker, trailer type music once in awhile. I’m also Polynesian and originally from Hawaii. So island flavor and world music elements will sneak their way in at times. Sync licensing ticked off all the boxes.

I immediately started meeting and collaborating with incredible producers around the world and, within months, our songs were being signed to licensing agencies. Less than a year later, I got my first sync placement when my song “All I Am,” produced by Stan Ryan, aired in an opening scene of The Young and the Restless.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

After living in NYC for six years and trying to make something happen with my music career, I had to move out of my apartment and didn’t have the funds to secure a new place. It was a huge blow to the ego, having to move back in with my parents in the Pacific Northwest after all that time, and I wasn’t in the best place mentally. But one of the ways I cope with hard times is by taking the focus off myself and contributing to causes that are bigger than me.

I started volunteering as a dog handler at Seattle Humane, and being around the dogs was like a form of therapy. It started out as a way of distracting myself from the shame of “failing” in NYC, but turned out to be the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done.

Hilariously, the shelter’s marketing team at the time found out I was singing to the dogs in their kennels, and they decided to create a series on social media called “Lullabies with Lauren.” It went viral to the point where I was slated to be on local radio shows, with future guest spots in the works for Kelly Clarkson and Ellen’s shows. Then the pandemic hit, and that all went away.

However, it was obvious that I couldn’t escape the music thing, even if I tried. There I was, walking shelter dogs and poop scooping, only to unintentionally wind up with a local following for my lullaby videos. During the pandemic, the sync licensing workshop fell into my lap, and it was the most obvious neon sign from the universe. In hindsight, there isn’t a single part of my journey that was a mistake. And my favorite takeaway is that none of us can miss out on anything that’s meant for us.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

The non-creatives I know often have a hard time wrapping their minds around the fact that financial stability isn’t at the forefront of my priorities. Even after being nearly homeless in NYC, I never questioned whether or not music was right for me. Quitting has never been an option, because – quite frankly – we cannot QUIT who we are. If you’re an artist, then you’re an artist. It’s part of your essence and identity. The same cannot be said for a 9-to-5 job. I could have easily given up the music thing for a 6-figure job in the city; but there’s no satisfaction or fulfillment in ignoring who we are at our core, and I’ve known that since I was a kid.

There’s a common saying from business and life coaches that I often hear, but don’t resonate with: “If you’re not earning money from it, then it’s a hobby.” Not true. If you’re a creative and committed to going all-in on a career, then you need to believe in your work long before you earn your first dollar.

I spent over a decade calling myself a career singer-songwriter before I earned anything substantial. I NEVER considered music a hobby. Some may call it delusion, but I think it’s just a deeper sense of knowing – something that can’t be explained to anyone who hasn’t experienced it themselves. And that’s okay, because nobody is obligated to understand our lives and none of us are obligated to explain it to them. Thanks to my “delusion,” music is now paying my bills and funding my dive trips around the world.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @laurenmalamala
• Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Id4myBoBTcDzkaU4pWdNJ?si=mPQIX0rqTDGHedyz542zuA

Image Credits
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