Lauren Eddy: Twin Cities Latest Export

Tell us a bit about your journey as an artist?

I have been singing and performing for as long as I can remember. I’m pretty sure it was born into my veins. As an artist however, I only go back to about 2016. I played my first gig at Retro when it was held in the Library Museum to about 100 people. I remember feeling so spun out to hear my voice that loud! It was at that gig that I played a nervous rendition of ‘This Old Town’ for the first time. After that, I didn’t stop. I wrote heaps of songs- mostly bad, until I started to write some good ones. I kept playing gigs, each set progressing to contain more originals than covers. I released a few songs and played more gigs, and then went a little MIA this year as I wrote and recorded my debut EP ‘Growing Pains’. I’ve made the move to Melbourne in the last month and will be studying music next year! Onwards and upwards!

How did you step into music?

I’ve always been really passionate about music. I grew up surrounded by a lot of music from my parent’s heyday, and I got a pretty good education in music history from them. I was always singing, and it got to the point where Mum decided I either got lessons or stopped singing completely (I must’ve been annoying)! I started lessons when I was eight and ended up being classically trained. I sang a lot of theatre music and competed in a lot of eisteddfods and did a lot of music exams. I started teaching myself to play the guitar when I was eleven, and then the same with piano when I was thirteen. As for songwriting, I remember having a notebook filled with songs when I was in year two. I’m so glad my life has revolved so heavily around music. It’s the perfect hobby.

Timeline of my live performances?

First Retro gig- August 2016. I played a 20-minute set of a few covers and one original! I was super nervous but remember really enjoying singing songs I had chosen and not songs from theatre shows- which was what I was doing for a few years prior.

Played regular Retro gigs 2016 through 2018.

Played a few lovely afternoons at events such as Write Around the Murray 2018, Canvas Eatery Sunday Happy Hour, and Spring Thursdays at MAMA.

Also played support sets for Snug Pugs, ELK, Catnip Kaiser and Georgie Currie.

Can you shed some light on your discography?

I released my debut single ‘This Old Town’ in November 2017, after having the opportunity to record at Kool Skools in Melbourne. The song was super well received, and it was followed with a music video created by the incredibly talented Tom Rattenbury. We filmed the video at the Star Theatre in Chiltern, and in a paddock in the outskirts of Albury. I am so proud of that video! I followed ‘This Old Town’ with another single recorded at Kool Skools ‘Living in A Dream’, a song about the happiness of a hot summer in Albury after falling in love. I stayed pretty quiet for a while after that one- focusing on my year 12. Once I finished school, I put my head down and got to work on writing and recording my debut EP, released September 2019. I am writing a lot of new music with plans to record and release some in the near future! Possibility of another video in the works too!

Tell us about your Latest EP ‘Growing Pains’?

‘Growing Pains’ feels like a child to me. I spent about 4 months writing and recording, and I really enjoyed the process. Recording the project myself gave me control of everything, and I spent a lot of time on each song, finding the perfect synth sound, the perfect harmony, the perfect guitar line. I wrote new songs and uncovered old ones- creating a narrative of my late teens and my transition into adulthood. I wanted to make something super nostalgic and dreamy, so I worked on each song super intensely to create the vibe I was after. I am really proud of all the songs on the record and I think they all have parts that really strike me. I’m super glad the EP has been so well received, being streamed over 1000 times in less than a week. I am excited to see where it goes!

What’s next for Lauren Eddy?

I have all but no real plans for the future! I’ve just made the move to Melbourne and will start a Music Industry course at RMIT next year. I am super keen to start studying and start picking up gigs in the city! For now, it’s just a matter of balancing work and life. Where I will be this time next year is a total mystery to me, but I think that is all part of the fun!