About That Song: Lauren Calve
About That Song #6
In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them.
Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives.
Our sixth guest is Lauren Calve, a singer-songwriter from the D.C. area whose first full-length album, Shift, comes out September 1.
Lauren Calve. Photo credit: Sarah Danelli.
Sarah: Hi Lauren, it’s nice to meet you! And congrats on Shift—it’s a truly lovely album. I’d love to learn more about it, as well as formative songs in your life. First off, do you remember hearing a song that made you want to be a songwriter? Tell us about that song.
Lauren: I’m not sure if there was one particular song that made me want to be a songwriter, but I can definitely point to a singer-songwriter who inspired me. Patty Griffin’s music was a guiding light when I first started writing. In fact, she embodies everything I love about music: Her voice is dynamic, emotive and soulful; her writing style is smart, compelling and vulnerable. Her songs tell stories of the downtrodden, the ignored and the misunderstood. Her point of view and the way she looks at the world deeply resonate with me.
Sarah: I’m a huge Patty Griffin fan too! I remember hearing “Rain” and it stopped me in my 23-year-old-just-arrived-in-Nashville tracks! Do you remember a particular song of hers that sealed the deal for you?
Lauren: Actually, “Rain” was probably that song for me, too! It was the first Patty Griffin song I learned, and one that I would play over and over again in college. “Rain” also features a really cool open tuning that I still use to this day! Between the gut-wrenching lyrics and spacious, open tuning, this song captured my imagination and propelled me toward writing my own songs just a few years later.
Sarah: Once you began writing, did you feel like a writer immediately? It took me a few years of writing before I believed it—was there a song that gave you that “a-HA! I am a songwriter!” moment? Tell us about that song.
Lauren: I would say “Sweep” is the first song that felt true to me as a person and as a songwriter. I was in the middle of watching a documentary featuring Josh Garrels, another singer-songwriter I deeply admire, and I actually paused it midway through to write the opening lines of “Sweep.” It was the first time I had seen the writing, recording, and collaborative process as a spiritual practice. I felt like a portal had been opened, allowing me to access a truer version of myself. It’s the first song that came out of this awakening that started my career as a songwriter.
Sarah: It looks like you’re embarking on some touring soon. Where can we hear you sing that song (or any other song for that matter) in the near future?
Lauren: I’ll be on tour this fall to support my forthcoming album Shift, but of course I’ll be playing the oldies like “Sweep” too. You can find out where I’ll be playing on my website.
Lauren Calve’s Shift album artwork.
Sarah: One last question! You describe your second single, “Everything At The Same Time,” as “the guiding light, the North Star of the album.” Can you tell us about that song?
Lauren: I consider it to be the North Star of the album because of its aspirational message. It incorporates the “both/and” concept that helped me through a major paradigm shift in my life. The both/and concept inspires me to accept all of my contradictions and complexities as the inherent qualities of being human. “Everything At The Same Time” reminds me to maintain a more expansive view of myself, and to embrace the mystery of being alive.
Sarah: I love that—I’ve written ‘both/and’ on post-it a time or two as a similar reminder to myself. Congrats on your album, Lauren, and thank you so much for your time!
Listen to “Everything At The Same Time”
Credits for Shift
Recorded in Nashville at 3Sirens Music Group with producer, engineer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Dex Green (Margo Price, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Allison Russell) along with a stellar line-up of musical talent including Fred Eltringham on drums (ACM Drummer of the Year, Drumeo Country Drummer of the Year, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson), Audley Freed on guitar (Sheryl Crow, The Black Crowes), Robert Kearns on bass (Sheryl Crow, Lynyrd Skynyrd), Marlon Patton on drums (Larkin Poe, Lera Lynn), Jared Reynolds on bass (Ben Folds) and engineer Joe Costa (Ben Folds).
Sarah Morris. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Sarah Morris is a superfan of songs and the people who write them, and a believer that certain songs can change your life. A singer-songwriter / mama / bread maker / coffee drinker who recently released her fifth album of original material, she’s been known to joyfully sing with people in her Big Green Bathroom.
