Lauren Pritchard has been whipping up something of a quiet storm in the music industry of late. Not to be ones that like to be left out the loop, we caught up with the Tennessee born soul singing chanteuse to find out a little more about life in London, touring and her collaboration with Marcus Mumford.
R13:For those who haven't yet heard of you; can you give us an introduction to Lauren Pritchard?
Lauren Pritchard: Lauren Pritchard is a Tennessee girl who is thankful to the UK for being so welcoming and letting her come create here. I've had an interesting journey so far haha...
R13: Who would you say your biggest influences are musically?
LP: Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Marvin Gaye, Aretha, Ryan Adams, Eg White, Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow, Howard Tate, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Eminem, Mos Def, Nas, Lil Wayne, the whole Jackson Family, this list could go on for days!
R13: Which artists are you listening to at the moment?
LP: The Black Keys, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Drake, Miike Snow, Pete Lawrie, Noah & the Whale, Kassidy
R13: Who do you think our readers should be listening to?
LP: Everything I just wrote on the above question, also have been listening again to all the Motown classics after watching the amazing documentary "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" (a must-see film). I think we all should do that, the playing on those records if just effing amazing. I'm in awe of it.
R13: At 15 you packed up your life and moved to LA; was it hard to take that leap of faith?
LP: Yes, very much. But it’s been worth so far. It’s all about keeping the faith.
R13: I think the feeling of wanting to escape, is one that a lot of people can identify with; whether it's a small town or a situation, do you feel that it was the right decision?
LP: Yep. I'd do it all again if I had to. Its weird, picking up and leaving everything behind, but sometimes its what you need to do in order to find yourself and find what you want to do with your life.
R13: Any Regrets?
LP: Not really, its not a regret moving away from LA, I just miss being close to the beach haha...
R13: You were a part of the original cast for Spring Awakening. You were in adverts in commercials in LA - did you ever think your life would take you down the road of musician?
LP: I've wanted to be a musician always, since I was really young. But I grew up doing theater and such so when I moved to LA I figured I could try getting some acting jobs, make some money while I tried to get my music underway. Which then turned into doing a few commercials & then Spring Awakening but life as a musician has always been what I wanted to do. And even when I was acting I was always writing, gigging, making music and trying to get an album together.
R13: When did you think that being a musician was the road that you wanted to go down?
LP: See above. LOL.
R13: You're currently based in London, how has the UK been treating you?
LP: Its been great! I love it here and it’s been a place of writing inspiration with a lot of new faces and adventures.
R13: How do you find the audiences here?
LP: They're really open to all kinds of music, which makes it fun to play. There's more room for trying new/different things.
R13: You've lived in twenty one different apartments, in three cities, in six years. That's an impressive feat for anyone- what do you do to keep settled?
LP: I have a few things that I always move with me to make me feel comfy. Plus I sort my apartment out straight away, make it as much like home asap.
R13: Has this influenced your song writing?
LP: Yes, seen a lot of different places, living arrangements, housemates. Those changes affect your life a lot, it can spark off a great song sometimes.
R13: Touring life is a bit hectic also, another day another city, do you think that moving around so much has helped you acclimatise to the touring life?
LP: Yep, I'm so used to a new place all the time that when I've been in the same place for more than a day or so it seems a bit funny.
R13: How did you find collaborating with the likes of Ed Harcourt and Marcus Mumford?
LP: Very much fun. They're all a blast to work with and I was fans of both before our collabs, was great to work with such creative talents as them.
R13: How different from writing solo?
LP: Its a nice difference to have someone bouncing ideas around with you, equally pushing each other to do better, think harder. I like it a lot.
R13: You're shows are very stripped down which is a contrast to the production of the album - which do you prefer?
LP: I like both really. We've been doing an acoustic tour cause its an easier setup to travel with and right now I just want to play the songs so people can get a feel for the music. Then the next time they see us play we'll be a full band, playing the album that people will be able to purchase in September.
R13: Have you ever taken your music back to your hometown?
LP: Yep!
R13: What was the reaction to it?
LP: Even "Wasted in Jackson" went over well!! People really responded to it in a great way, which was very exciting :)
R13: How did you find the experience of recording your first album?
LP: A lot of different emotions come out thru the process cause you put so much of yourself into the album. But its worth it, I had the best time making the record with Eg, Ed & the Mumford guys.
R13: Are you starting to plan your next album?
LP: Sort of... I'm always writing though.
R13: What is your favourite thing about being a musician?
LP: Being able to be creative for a living.
R13: What have you got planned for the rest of this year and into 2011?
LP: Festivals this summer: Great Escape, Glastonbury & Latitude so far. Touring, touring, and more touring, the "Wasted in Jackson" album release Sept 20th, meeting my niece in the fall, my 23rd birthday, then taking the album and touring back to the states. Should be fun!!
The Jackson Sessions EP is now available for download from the usual online stores (£1.69 on Amazon.co.uk) and her forthcoming debut album, Wasted in Jackson, will be released on September 20.
Lauren can be seen live around the UK at the following venues in May:
13th May 2010 Brighton - the GREAT ESCAPE Festival
17th May 2010 London - The Enterprise, Chalk Farm
19th May 2010 Leeds - Mine Bar
25th May 2010 London - The Underbelly, Hoxton Square
26th May 2010 Brigton - Latest Music Bar
27th May 2010 London - Monto Water Rats, supporting Ben Howard
28th May 2010 Penzance - Acorn Theater, acoustic set.