Songwriters Singing Songs about Songwriting

This past weekend I had the pleasure of hosting the very first Songwriting Intensive at Wildwood Artist Retreat, put on by Ptarmigan Music and Theatre Society. Nine wonderful people decided to come and learn together and we laughed, ate food together, and became friends, all while learning the different aspects of songwriting (including alliteration!), and how to maintain a songwriting practice. On Sunday we had the studio all set up so each participant was able to record a demo of a song they either wrote or were working on during the weekend.

It’s amazing to see how when you get a group of creative people together, the creative and collaborative energy is so great, and we feed off each other. Being a bit of an introvert and not much of a talker, it was tiring for me to be facilitating and teaching the entire weekend but though I was quite exhausted come Sunday evening, I was so full of joy and inspiration and gratitude for the opportunity to share one of my greatest passions with others.

If you’re interested in songwriting and would like some help in the right direction, send me a message! I am definitely planning on hosting more workshops, and I’m also available for individual sessions.

Enjoy these photos from our time this weekend!

❤ Lauren.

Lauren Mann Sings David Bowie

I’ve always been a fan of the late great David Bowie, but I had never delved deep into his work. After his passing on January 10, I was inspired to learn a few of his songs and share them with you for this month’s exclusive. I went back through his extensive catalogue, listening to song after song, and finally settled on three that I thought I could add my own flair to. It was really interesting to dig a bit deeper into his work, and it gave me a much greater appreciation for his artistry and songwriting. He was truly a legend, and an artist who has left us with a beautiful legacy. Working on these songs has pushed me out of my creative comfort zone, and I learned a lot through the process while thoroughly enjoying listening to David Bowie and learning more about his life and work.

When I started working on these songs, I knew that we needed some sort of visual to go along with it. And what better visual than re-creating the cover of Bowie’s album Alladin Sane? My friend Elizabeth from Studio B Hair Art came over and did an amazing job turning me into David Bowie.

You can access these three songs by signing up for the Exclusive Content Project. It’s a subscription starting at only $6/month, and every month we give you exclusive access to new songs, online concerts, merchandise and more. Get more info HERE.

 

A State of Chaos

We got back home from two weeks away on Friday night and have spent the weekend in a frenzy of catching up on cleaning and laundry, and working on multiple projects including recording a song for a quick deadline, and rehearsing for some shows coming up this week. There’s a slight sense of chaos with drums and tambourines in the living room, cords through the hallway, and a mess of a music room.

But in all the chaos, there is a sense of purpose and that makes it feel less chaotic, more “normal”. Filling my days with creative endeavours is energizing for my mind and soul and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to do what I do.

Here are some snapshots of what our house has looked like this past weekend. Music equipment everywhere!

We all live in some sort of chaos, and I hope that whatever that looks like for you, that you can find some purpose in it!

Until next time,
Lauren.

We’re Making a New Record!

Yesterday was the first day of our journey towards creating a new record. We’ve been touring full time for three years, and although we’ve been able to cover our expenses as we’ve gone along, we haven’t been able to save enough for a new record. And now that we have a permanent band (Zoltan and I, Jay, Jessica, Josh and Hammer) we feel like it’s the right time to start working on a new record that reflects the dynamic we have and the music that we’ve begun writing. In order to make this happen, we realized that our only option at this point was to do a fan funding campaign, so yesterday we launched an IndieGoGo campaign to make this record happen. We are really excited (and nervous) about it all, but we’re looking forward to bringing all of our friends along the journey with us.

Please check out the video and campaign, and even if you’re unable to get on board financially, we’d love it if you shared this with your friends! Thanks to everyone who has been alongside us as we’ve been touring; your support has been continually overwhelming, and the friendships we’ve made along the way have been such a blessing to us!

If you have any questions about what we’re doing, please get in touch with us through any social media: facebook, twitter, email, etc. We’d love to hear from you!

Until next time,
Lauren.