Hi Jennifer! Great to chat with you! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Thanks for having me! My name is Jennifer Lauren and I'm a pop singer from Canada. I love, love, love spending time in the studio, performing, and drinking smoothies.
How did you first hear about the ISINA Music Mentorship program, and what did it take to convince yourself to apply?
I think my dad actually heard about ISINA through a friend or someone he worked with. ISINA is a mentorship program you can apply for. If you are selected, you get to spend 6 weeks in LA, all expenses paid, working with industry professionals, performing in awesome locations, and creating music. So.. it didn't take much to convince me. I applied with a couple original songs and I ended up being selected out of 30,000 applicants along with 15 other artists and musicians to live 6 weeks in Beverly Hills and meet incredible people.
During this program is when I recorded Now Or Never, which has opened wonderful dream-come-true-doors for me. Incredibly thankful to have has the opportunity to take part in this program.
What are some of the things you've picked up from your interactions with songwriters and producers who've worked with people like Beyoncé and Rihanna?
So last summer I took part in the Vocalize U Artist Intensive and spending time with incredible mentors that the writers and producers or hits like Halo by Beyoncé and California King Bed by Rihanna was one of the incredible experiences that changed my life while attending. Honestly, the biggest thing I learned while spending time with these amazing people is to be true to yourself and who you are. People, whether in the industry or out of it, always have opinions on how things should be done, how you'll get "famous". People always said I have to figure out what my act is, figure out who I want to be as an artist and make it extravagant. I really struggled with that because I'm just not an extravagant person. I'm really chill and a total introvert. It just ended up feeling like who I was as a person wouldn't cut it if I wanted to be successful in the music industry. It's not a good feeling to have. To have people that have been so successful in the industry, and having failed in the past like everyone else, unanimously agree on the fact that you just need to be yourself and do you was a total life changing moment for me. In the end, people want to connect and relate. Pretending to be someone else isn't going to do that. So I'm going to be myself, wear what I love to wear, make the music I freaking love to make, and go after every single one of my dreams.
How would you describe the difference between what it was like to record with Davix Foreman, compared with some of our previous recording experiences?
I've been working with different producers over the past few years now and what I've learned is that I respond and work a lot better to a more chill environment. I've worked with a couple producers that had really high energy and they were just like go, go, go! In the end I just felt rushed and started doubting myself.
Davix definitely has a super chill and relaxed vibe in the studio. What I loved about working with him is there was zero judgement and he was so patient. I'm still learning when it comes to songwriting, and he was always open to my ideas and trying things out. He also challenged me to up my game as a vocalist. I can't wait to work with him again.
Does it change your appreciation for music as a whole when you see how seriously songs are crafted at places like Sunset Sound and Henson Studios?
It was really surreal to be standing in studios used by legends. I mean, I was in the same studio as Julie Andrews was when recording Mary Poppins. That's nuts. And like two days after I'd recorded in Henson Studios, Nick Jonas posted a vid of himself on the piano in the exact same studio I recorded in. And this isn't me fan-girling. I'm not really one to do that. Though if I met Julie Andrews tomorrow, I would definitely have a mini freakout afterwards.
It's funny cause while I was there I just kept thinking "man, this is so cool. I can't believe I'm here right now" but after we left, and still to this day, I kept thinking that I got to be in a place where people have made music that continues to inspire me today and I didn't feel out of place. It may be the Irish in me, but I feel like there's an energy and a vibe that is left there from all the previous people who created in that same space and the history they made. It was really cool and life-changing to just be in that energy.
How does it feel to have something you wrote selected for a Netflix show?
Having a song that I was lucky enough to create with Davix make it into one of Russia's top television dramas is still so unreal. It was also really humbling. The whole process was a huge learning curve for me and I feel so lucky and blessed to have supportive people in my life. When I finally watched the episode and heard both my singles Now Or Never and Enemy played in the show it was a moment where I thought to myself "See? You got this. You can totally do this." It was awesome.
What do you hope to accomplish through music?
I want people to be able to listen to my music, relate to it, and just feel. Whether it's just vibing out, singing to the top of your lungs in the car, or getting those chills all over your arms. I really love the connection people have with music. I just really want to be part of something bigger while doing what I love.
What's upcoming for you in 2019?
Way more music, more performances, and hopefully amazing new opportunities! If you want to stick around and see what happens, you can follow my on Instagram.
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