On The Row: Lauren Watkins Puts Her Hazy, Honey-Glazed Sound On Display

/by

Lauren Watkins. Photo: Courtesy of MusicRow

Music has followed rising singer-songwriter Lauren Watkins everywhere life has taken her. The Nashville native combines her clever songwriting style, guitars skills and hazy yet silky vocals to create a soothing, southern blend.

Watkins officially signed a record deal with Big Loud Records and Songs & Daughters, the label helmed by hit songwriter and artist Nicolle Galyon, and released her debut EP Introducing Lauren Watkins in April. Spring continued to be a big season for Watkins, as she was named SiriusXM The Highway’s newest “Highway Find” in May. She’s not slowing down this summer as she has been on the bill for festivals including CMA Fest and Carolina Country Fest and is slated for more in the coming weeks.

Watkins recently stopped by MusicRow to tell her story and share a little of her latest project and recent work.

Growing up in Music City, she and her older sister—SMACKSongs writer Caroline Watkins—played at various spots around town. The first gig they booked was at the sports bar Corner Pub, which didn’t typically have live music. As they got older, the sisters started playing downtown at the Broadway bars as well as Puckett’s locations.

Photo: Claire Schaper/Courtesy of Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters

Watkins then left Nashville to attend the University of Mississippi—known as Ole Miss—and study marketing.

“I was still doing music, because I could never fully [stop]. I wasn’t playing shows, but I always had my guitar with me in every place I lived in college and would [play] for my roommates and [post] little cover videos on Instagram. I just couldn’t ever not do music,” she shares.

It wasn’t until Caroline, who was still playing live shows, came to perform in Oxford, Mississippi and pulled her up on stage that Watkins remembered how much she loved performing live.

“That was the turning point where I [decided], ‘I’m going to come home and [pursue] music.'”

Watkins notes that she wanted to stay and finish school with her best friends, having developed special bonds and a deep affinity for Ole Miss. She began writing songs while still in college to give herself every opportunity to flourish musically once she returned home. Watkins also got to know a local cover band and started to play gigs with them.

“Ole Miss,” one of the tracks on the project, is dedicated to her alma mater and has an accompanying video that was filmed in Oxford along with the video for track “Anybody But You.”

After graduating in May of 2021, she moved back to Nashville and signed a publishing deal with Songs & Daughters later that year. As a newly-signed artist, Watkins is introducing herself and her talents to the country music space with her seven-song collection. Inspired by stars such as Kacey Musgraves, she creates clever tunes that utilize traditional country elements.

Produced by Joey Moi, Introducing Lauren Watkins includes the cleverly sugared single “Shirley Temple,” which Watkins wrote alongside Galyon and Meg McRee.

YouTube video

“It is my favorite song from [the EP] and it seems to have gotten a pretty good response,” she shares. “I’m just really proud it.”

The EP also features single “Camel Blues,” which was one of the first Introducing Lauren Watkins releases along with “Shirley Temple,” and rowdy track “Sleeping In My Makeup,” written by Watkins, McRee, Tofer Brown and Lauren Hungate.

During her MusicRow visit, Watkins shared an unreleased tune called “Cowboys on Music Row.” She wrote the song while on a retreat with her sister and a few of their friends/collaborators. Watkins notes the song came to be after the group had binged music documentaries such as Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus, among others, leaving them inspired to write a tribute to the country music greats.

Next weekend, she will perform as a part of the Faster Horses Festival lineup at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, before taking the Next From Nashville stages at both the Watershed Music & Camping Festival in George, Washington and  TidalWave Music Festival in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Liza Anderson
Latest posts by Liza Anderson (see all)