Lauren Monroe
Interview conducted on Sept. 20, 2022
by Dan Locke
Shaped by her Queens, New York upbringing, Lauren found her own authentic expression through poetry and music. At six she wrote her first songs. In her teens, Lauren discovered the written word, creating her unique style of expressing mystical experiences through symbolic imagery and music. She is a practicing spiritual healer and teacher of energy medicine specializing in trauma recovery in America and abroad. Her music is an all-encompassing outreach of soulful and spiritual medicine that crosses over into Americana, Roots, Rock and Healing Chant Music.
What was your upbringing like?
I grew up in Queens in an Italian family. There was always a lot of music, parties, and family that contributed to my love of music and the arts. My grandfather played stringed instruments, and my dad was meant for the stage but kept his singing to the streets of Queens, walking home from work and singing loudly for the neighbors!
How did you discover music?
Music has always been a part of my life. There was always someone playing an instrument or singing. My grandfather was very encouraging and taught me guitar when I was six.
How did you start to write music?
I started to write music after I learned my first three chords when I was six. It came very naturally to me to express myself with my voice and rhythms, and I had many insights and deep questions about life even as a young child. One of the first songs I wrote at that age was called “Who Am I,” which I still remember!
What was your first guitar? Do you still have it?
My Grandfather gave me my first guitar… I think it was a little Yamaha nylon string.
I wish I still had it.
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model?
I love the Gibson L 200 Acoustic Guitar that’s the Emmylou Harris signature guitar. It sounds so rich and beautiful and is light and easy to play. It was a gift from my husband about 15 years ago, and I’ll be taking it on tour with me this year.
Describe your music.
My music is grounded in Americana roots rock and is steeped in emotional, and spiritual messages of resiliency, empowerment, and how to take the healing journey.
Since I’m a percussionist too, I really love including rich rhythms and percussive elements and writing in all kinds of feels. Ballads to rock songs to country pop vibes. I really just love creating music that moves people to feel. Feel joy, feel pain, fear, empathy, oneness… It’s all a part of the journey of being human, and I believe music is like a magic doorway we can walk through to experience all of these deep and reflective emotions together.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
My first song was called, “I Believe In God.” I wrote it when I was six years old. My grandfather recorded it, and I have it on an old cassette tape.
I would have shows in the backyard and stand on the picnic table with my guitar and sing for the family and neighbors on Sundays.
How did you and your husband decide to form a band together?
I’ve had several bands I created and played in before meeting Rick, and when I met him and later moved to CA, we began recording my first solo record, The Freedom Sessions, which he played on and produced. It was just a natural evolution for him to play with me when he was free and not working his “day job.” Since I’m also a percussionist, we started playing together almost immediately after we met each other. It’s great he can sit in with my band and play shows around the country. We both get a lot of joy out of that. He didn’t create the band with me but it’s nice to have him play.
Tell me about “Void of Course,” and the creation of the song?
“Void of Course” was written from my observations of the struggles of relationships. How difficult it can be to leave relationships that aren’t healthy when you deeply love a person.
I love studying astrology, and I used the state of the moon called “Void of Course” to illustrate the struggle of being in a place of indecision when needing to choose to love yourself or choose to stay in a toxic situation because of fear. All of the instrumentation, the edgy guitars, the heavy percussion, and the passionate lyrics all illustrate the conflict and desire to let go of love.
How is it working with your husband on an album while he is off touring with his other band?
I work primarily with my co-producer Jim Scott in the studio and bring in musicians from my band and other really amazing players to track the songs. Although Rick isn’t involved with the production side of things these days, he always contributes great ideas and lends his drumming and percussion to tracks.
During your tour, you always have people donate seats, so Vets can see you in concert, and also you auction off pieces of mixed-media art to raise money for Raven Drum Foundation. How did this all start?
It really started from an annual benefit concert we started several years ago to raise funds for the Veterans Resiliency Program. We invited Veterans and their families to come as our guests, and they would get such a boost from the shows, the storytelling, and the community feeling that I decided I wanted to continue as we began touring around the country more. It means a lot for all of us to share these experiences with our Veterans and their families. Raven Drum Foundation, Rick, the entire band, and I look forward to them coming, so we have free tickets for every show this year.
Have you looked into doing something with Joe Walsh Vets-Aid?
What a great idea! We need to look into that.
Anything you would like to say in closing?
I’m so happy to have Messages from Aphrodite out in the world, and I’m looking forward to bringing the songs to people live this fall. Tour dates can be found on my website, laurenmonroe.com
