Next Wave #1001: Lauren Faith

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Lauren Faith’s musical journey starts behind a piano, at four years old in her hometown of Derby. From that moment, a love for music and instruments was ignited, pushing her younger self to learn the guitar, then the violin and the flute. “I started singing when I was 11,” she recalls, “but I would never sing in front of my mum… I would always keep the door closed in my little practice room!” Looking back in retrospect, these key moments – along with her mum’s strong support – lead to the formation Lauren Faith’s multi-faceted outlook. All told, she’s a singer, songwriter, producer and DJ – impressive, to say the least.

Lauren’s early achievements – from writing alongside Craig David, to working closely alongside Kaytranada, has undoubtedly helped her carve her own lane in the R&B landscape. When invited to support Craig David on his arena tour, she describes how “I had this opportunity that I couldn’t say ‘no’ to, but I didn’t have any proper material out! It was kind of strange because people had no clue who I was. I happened to win them over, though and it was great.” Giving her a glimpse of what her life and career could look like, she used this unique experience to elevate herself with an unstoppable drive and motivation.

Last year’s groove-filled, radiant ‘Cosmic’ EP was a massive stepping stone for Lauren in establishing herself as a solo artist. Now, she excitedly speaks of her upcoming project, ‘No Path To Follow’, which will take a more commercial approach, giving off a more indie-soul, neo-psychedelic sound. A massive highlight of the project is that it’s all written, produced and sung by Lauren, enabling her to show off the craft she’s been mastering all her life. For her, the project is about “navigating in a male-dominated industry as a female producer. That’s why my project is called ‘No Path To Follow’ – it just feels authentic. It’s all written and produced by me, there is no path to follow because I’m doing this all on my own”.

Although 2020 brought Lauren many challenges, she is entering 2021 with her head held high, bringing us not only her own music, but also exciting new material she’s produced and written for other artists. We have no doubt that Lauren Faith holds a very bright future ahead.

What: Soulful, upbeat pop all-rounder
Where: London
3 songs: ‘Feels’, ‘Jheeze’, ‘Just A Little’

FACT: She’s the proud mum of the adorable Henry, a Pomeranian puppy.

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Words: Ana Lamond
Photography: Sophie Mayanne