Life & Work with Lauren Wanamaker of East Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Wanamaker

Lauren, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m thankful to have grown up with a lot of musical influence on my mother’s side of the family, with a specific exposure to folk icons like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Nanci Griffith. I first started composing and performing original music at about 9 years old, after having begun to learn piano, something I continued into high school. After learning a few guitar chords from my uncle one Christmas, I began to teach myself to play guitar shortly thereafter.

I released my first EP immediately after high school graduation followed by a variety of performances around Washington State. Performing under the moniker Woman Alive from 2020 – 2022, several new songs were written and eventually released on an EP, Rest & Reprieve in early 2023–the first release under my full name. Since then, I have performed hundreds of shows in the Pacific Northwest prior to relocating to Nashville, Tennessee in August of this year. Since my arrival, I’ve performed regularly in local writers rounds and a variety of individual shows as well. I’m enjoying the supportive artistic community and am continually inspired by the immense talent in this city. I plan to release my next EP, Glitter, in early 2025.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not always been a smooth road and prioritizing my music has been the most consistent difficulty over the years. While pursuing music full-time presents expected challenges, there’s nothing else I would rather be doing and I feel very grateful for the opportunity to be doing it now in Music City.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a folk singer/songwriter from Washington State, now based in Nashville, TN. I am most proud of my upcoming EP, Glitter, which will be released in early 2025. The songs on that record were critical to a period of personal growth for me, and I look forward to sharing them with others.

What makes you happy?
My husband and our 3 dogs make me very happy. Additionally, I enjoy baking and gardening in my spare time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/laurenwanamaker
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauren.wanamaker/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LaurenWanamakerMusic
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/laurenwanamaker
• Other: https://laurenwanamaker.bandcamp.com/track/father?from=viewsite_dashboard