Lauren O'Connell

With some of the most beautifully understated music of this generation’s country revival, Lauren O’Connell is a burgeoning luminary of the alternative side to that musical world, the folk-inspired heartbeat of songs both intelligent and deeply emotive.

In March 2012, Lauren released her third full-length album Quitters. Growing up in upstate Rochester, New York and making the long PanAm move to California a few years back, Lauren has been on a journey that’s reflected in her music.  Released when she was only 18, 2007 debut Sitting in Chairs was a gorgeous one-track acoustic guitar record that belied her young age; now Quitters is an adventurous and ambitious record from an artist who has matured rapidly enough to earn comparisons with Fairport Convention, Wilco and Neil Young: “She might not be shouting very loudly, but what she is saying is with conviction, and the way she’s saying it is beautiful.”

Fittingly for someone whose rise to circles of prominence came through social network media on that internet they have now, Lauren defied tired “difficult second album” clichés as the success of her mesmeric sophomore effort The Shakes helped her rack up YouTube views that are now touching three million, become West Regional Winner of the 2010 Mountain Stage Newsong Contest, and perform at the wedding of Take That member Mark Owen.  In addition she has toured with Pomplamoose and Tina Dico, and had further success with Pomplamoose’s Nataly Dawn under the guise of My Terrible Friend; their EP Room for Ghosts making its iTunes bow in 2010.

Now with Quitters Lauren is more than ready to propel her success even further.  With her live online shows, album pre-sales and Pledge Music project racking up record figures, she’s set to very quickly become one of the few artists with the talent and the wherewithal to garner huge commercial appeal with nye-on universal critical acclaim.

“It is imperative that you listen to Lauren O’Connell’s new album Quitters...  The album captures perfectly the sound of the ultimate American road trip...  it would be too easy to mentally file Quitters along with all the twee fauxksters but there’s something a lot more authentic about this album.” – Lucy Holt, Louder Than War

“It’s both rare and refreshing to see a solo female artist from the United States stray from the conventional folk-rock influences of previous eras and instead look to the alt-country and Americana genres for inspiration.” – Dan Lucas, Drowned in Sound critic