Introducing: Lauren Ann

Hailing out of Newry, to supporting Tom Grennan and moving to Belfast; we have the pleasure this week to introduce you to the next indie-rock sensation - Lauren Ann.

First coming to my attention with her indie pop banger "Adelaide", Lauren has a unique mix of grunge, angst rock and pop to her music that you just can't shake out of your head. Although she's been a bit quiet on the release front as of late, as she writes her upcoming EP, her discography has already caught the attention of many in the bustling Northern Irish music scene and beyond.

Citing inspirations far and wide from her fellow Éire native, Hozier to the Cure to Nirvana and finally the queen of pop music at the moment Olivia Rodrigo - it's fair to say that Lauren's music easily catches your ear and makes you wanting to listen more and more.

Signing with Faction Records straight out of high school and releasing her first EP worth of songs over 2021 & 2022, there are already a few absolute tunes out that you can listen to, not limited to including Lucy, Other Stuff and the aforementioned Adelaide...

Growing up in around Newry, you may think it's a far cry from any sort of music scene or influence, being a small part of Northern Ireland as opposed to the notable hotbeds of music we always hear about like Manchester, Glasgow or Dublin. However, her upbringing couldn't be further from that, throughout her house, her community and her life music has soundtracked and shaped how she views the world.

Initially learning violin as per tradition, before finding her true love with guitar, from an early age Lauren was in her school's orchestra and choir. But it wasn't until she started listening to the likes of Nirvana that her passion to create truly ignited...

Fast forward to the present day and settling in after her move to the big city of Belfast, there may be less cows about than before, but Lauren now finds herself in a grand but nurturing music scene for her to grow into. Full of venues, of which she has already had performed in quite a few; the biggest night of her career so far has come from her support slot with the one and only Tom Grennan last year at Custom House.

Day to day, in between the glitz and glamour of her headliner at Mandela Hall and supporting the likes of Grennan and WhenYoung; Lauren juggles being a barista at Starbucks and constantly writing music. Already "living the dream" in her words, just from talking to her for this interview, it's hard to not root for someone so humble but also so determined at creating their art.

So what can you expect from Lauren's art?

In the upcoming EP, you can expect to hear a heavier sound and larger concept running throughout compared to before; with her hope being that the biggest takeaway listeners get is noticing how far she has come as a writer since her high school era debut singles.

However, for the current EP, if you had to create a playlist with songs around her music, artists similar to Lauren include: Sir Chloe, NewDad, Olivia Rodrigo as well as Just Mustard. Finally to sum up your art in just three words is hard, however like every exclusive MoveOnUp interview I had to ask it - in response Lauren said:

Dreamy, Spiteful, Truthful

Make sure to check out Lauren's music on Spotify below and stay tuned for more on her instagram:@laurenann_music