PREMIERE: Northern Ireland indie-pop act Lauren Ann shares new track 'Lucy'

Emerging alternative indie-pop artist Lauren Ann is releasing her first single with Faction Records tomorrow in the form of 'Lucy' - premiered by Hot Press below.

Having built a following with self-released songs while still in school, Lauren Ann began working with producer Declan Legge (Jealous of the Birds, Ciaran Lavery), who helped shape her raw songwriting talent into fully realised productions.

By the summer of 2021, music was clearly Lauren Ann’s path forward and she put plans to study law on pause and signed to Dublin label Faction Records (James Vincent McMorrow, All Tvvins, Sorcha Richardson). She also appeared on the Hot Press Y&E Series earlier this month with a stellar performance.

Her brand new single takes a nostalgic route, with unique, rock-tinged vocals bringing back '90s guitar-heavy tones. It could almost be the soundtrack to a throwback American high school-set film.

A song about a love triangle among friends, ‘Lucy’ reaches new heights in her songwriting in every aspect - from the wider range and deeper emotion of Lauren Ann’s vocal to the gnarly rush of the guitars and a stripped-back breakdown.

“It’s about being in a relationship and then one of your friends is getting involved," Lauren tells Hot Press. "You’re not angry at them but you’re also not happy about it and don’t know what to do. There’s also a bit of envy in there too, because they’re cooler than you and you’re scared that they might take this person that you like.”

It’s a concept that’s indicative of Lauren Ann’s wider lyrical approach, with her own experiences acting as the blueprint for her imaginative tracks.

“My songs are centred around heartbreak and anger. I didn’t want to write love songs as it’s not who I am, so I ended up doing break-up songs instead.”

The 18-year-old always had a passion for music, her father’s love of classic rock being the impetus that inspired her love for Pixies, Nirvana, Suede and Muse. A budding musician ever since she hit her teens; Lauren later traded violin lessons for her first sessions on guitar.

When COVID hit, her family decided to shield in a bubble to protect her vulnerable dad.

“I didn’t have much else to do, so I started writing songs,” she recalls. “I was hiding them from my parents because I didn’t want them to know. But then I wrote ‘Don’t Take It Out On Me’ and I was really proud of it. So I showed it to them, and everything started from there.”

With a fiery mix of grunge dynamics, garage rock exuberance and a hooky pop edge, ‘Don’t Take It Out On Me’ feels like a natural hybrid between grunge’s original wave of killer bands, but with a flavour of contemporary practitioners such as Sir Chloe, The Regrettes and Milk Teeth. Impressively, Lauren Ann recorded it at home on GarageBand, recording vocals, guitar and bass herself and adding programmed drums.

Subsequent singles ‘How It Works’ and ‘Angel Eyes’ saw a build up of Lauren's fanbase. ‘Angel Eyes’, was chosen as BBC Radio Ulster / ATL Introducing favourite track of the month.

Having earned praise from artists including Sir Chloe and Starcrawler, Lauren Ann’s upwards trajectory continues in the coming months with a set at the Ireland Music Week and the release of her debut EP.

Listen to fiery new single 'Lucy' below:

Lauren Ann live dates:

Oct 6th - The Loft, Dublin at 8.15pm (Ireland Music Week)
Oct 22nd - The Speakeasy, Belfast (with Villa in France)

Photo credit: Y-Control Photography