Upcoming Nashville-based, alt-pop singer-songwriter Lauren Presley discusses the upcoming release of the debut EP “Hanging In The Balance”.
Due for release on April 18th, the forthcoming EP explores an intimate yet powerful narrative that speaks of the struggles of navigating uncertainty. The 5-track EP is a journey through the highs and lows of self-acceptance, offering a raw and unfiltered look into her personal experiences. Each track delivers a different shade of vulnerability and highlights Lauren’s emotional storytelling.
Lauren has kindly taken the time to chat with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding the release of her upcoming EP and the creative process behind it. You can find the full interview below.
Hey Lauren, thank you for this interview. Can you introduce yourself to readers unfamiliar with your music?
Lauren: Thank you for taking the time to chat! I’m Lauren Presley, I’m an alt-pop artist from Nashville!
When did you first discover your passion for music?
Lauren: I started singing when I was about 4 or 5 years old, and it was basically instinctual. I wrote my first song when I was 5, and started writing music frequently at about 16. When I was around 12, I started singing country music covers on YouTube, and a TV show called ‘Chasing Nashville’ wanted me to be on the show. After a few auditions, I joined the show. After the show ended, I found my passion for pop music and never looked back. As I teenager, music became my escape and my coping mechanism for life.
Have you always wanted to pursue a career within the music industry?
Lauren: Yes, I’ve loved music my entire life, and I decided when I was about eleven or twelve I was really going to do this thing.
How would you currently describe your musical style?
Lauren: I would say it’s a mesh of pop, alt, and rock. Sonically, it’s a darker vibe, and lyrically, it’s like an inner monologue.
On April 18th, your debut EP, “Hanging In The Balance”, will be released. How did the idea for this EP come together?
Lauren: I was going through a rough time mentally, just dealing with a lot of anxiety, and I felt like I had so many unanswered questions in my life that I was pressuring myself to figure out. I think there were a lot of traumas I kind of buried and never talked (or written) about. I was on my way to a session and I felt like it was time to start telling these stories. I challenged myself to be as vulnerable as possible in that session, and that’s the day we wrote ‘People Leave’. The other songs kinda poured out of me from there.
What are some of the creative influences behind the track list?
Lauren: Some influences I had in mind when writing the EP were several songs from Maggie Lindemann, Chandler Leighton, & Nessa Barrett.
Which are your favourite tracks from the EP?
Lauren: All of them are special to me, but ‘People Leave’ would have to be my favourite. It was one that just came together perfectly & I loved it since the night we wrote it.
What does the album personally mean to you?
Lauren: The whole EP could be summed up as it’s the idea of being stuck in limbo, unsure if i’ll ever get to where I want to be in life or if I’ll ever get past certain traumas. Working on this project has been incredibly healing for me. Talking through things with my collaborators, writing, singing it, and thinking deeply about all of it has helped me come to terms with things.
What message would you like listeners to take from the EP?
Lauren: My hope is that people who hear it will hear that it comes from a very real place within me, and they will connect with it and realize they aren’t alone in those thoughts/struggles. I think just simply knowing that somebody else really ‘gets it’ is a comforting thing. Healing is not an overnight thing, and it’s not going to look perfect, and that is totally fine. I just hope people find healing in this the way I did when I wrote it.
Are there any songs that did not make the EP, which we could see released later?
Lauren: There are some songs that didn’t make the EP. I don’t have plans currently to release those but that could always change. Who knows!
What advice would you offer to someone looking to pursue a career in music?
Lauren: Keep going. Just keep going. I have gotten more no’s than yes’s, and that’s okay. Don’t let that get you down. Art is so subjective, not everyone is going to love what you’re doing. But they don’t have to because there are people out there who will love it, you just have to find them. It takes time, so be patient and take care of yourself in the meantime. You will be just fine.
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?
Lauren: Thank you for taking the time to read this. I appreciate everyone who read through this, follows me on socials, or streams any of my music. You guys are literally making my dreams come true, and I can not wait to show you all this EP!
You can pre-save “Hanging In The Balance” by clicking here and can check out the official lyric video for “People Leave” below.
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