In an industry where an “all or nothing” approach is often believed to be the only way to make it work, Lauren Mann has embraced the island mentality of slowing down and creating space for the different facets of life to coexist. After touring relentlessly through North America, winning the 2014 CBC Searchlight contest, placing second in the Peak Performance Project the same year, and charting on CBC Radio and Earshot, Lauren has seen the highs and lows that accompany the full-time musician and knows first-hand the toll it can take on the mind and body.
Settling in the Southern Gulf Islands was the complete antidote to the hustle of the touring lifestyle, and becoming the Creative Director of a local arts organization gave her the opportunity to be on the other side of the industry. Through her position, she has played a strong role in supporting local and touring artists, as well as running arts programming in the community, including Pender Island’s annual Mosaic Festival.
After her last tour in 2019 and subsequent release of Memory & Desire in 2020, Lauren took an informal hiatus to focus on her work in the community, take up sailing, go backpacking, plant a garden, get married, and become a mother. While adventuring and embracing new seasons of life, the desire to create through lyrics and music has always been simmering just below the surface. All of these various endeavours inspire her artistic pursuit, giving depth and breadth to her writing and playing. She has returned to the studio to explore new ways of collaborating and recording in the midst of regular rhythms, exploring new musical directions with the piano-driven folk pop foundation for which she is known.