Lauren Watkins
INTERVIEW

Saturday at Boots and Hearts was a busy one, between photographing and interviewing, I ran to meet with Lauren Watkins and have a chat. We jumped in chatting about the athletic ability required to sing and do the level of cardio she does on stage, as well as what life’s been like on the road with Morgan Wallen. We talked about her record The Heartbroken Record and how she would define a good song.

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I never understood how artists can do a full set while jumping around and dancing. The

cardio work to prepare must be intense.

It’s a lot of work and it’s insane but I know I gotta do it to stay sane. It keeps my mind in check.

Yeah, I've had to learn. I'm like, this is very humbling. You’re thinking oh man, we’re one song in and we have ten more to go.

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This is your first time at Boots and Hearts, how’re you feeling?

Yeah, It is! I'm so excited. I keep telling everybody that we felt so left out every year not getting to come until now but it's at the perfect time because my album just came out, and so we're gonna play new songs. We just kinda updated our set. We got a fresh set list, and so I'm excited. I'm really happy to be here.

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It's gotta be nice to play some new songs, I imagine.

Yes! I actually don't get tired of playing the same songs. I love playing the same songs over and over again, funny enough, but it's good to freshen it up. Like, we've got all these new songs. I've been dying to get to play them, and so it's fun. It's so fun to throw new stuff in.

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The audience knows when you're having a good time too. Would you say that's the best

part of performing?

Yeah, the crowd totally plays off of your energy. I think that’s my favourite part, or I guess the

interaction. You know? You can just tell when they're liking it or not, and so my favourite thing is when the crowd is just super into it and, you see people singing the words. The goal is just to get people to have a good time and wanna come back.

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I can't even imagine how good it must feel, to perform and hear everyone having a good

time. Then you come off stage and have to settle. What does after a show look like?

Honestly, I try not to think about it much. I'm always surrounded by good people, which is really nice. My manager comes out with us a lot, and she's one of my best friends. My band is all just good dudes. My husband comes out on the road a lot, as well as my sister and my family. I just like to be surrounded by good people, and we just hang out after the show, talk about it, and laugh about if I forgot the words. We just sort of chill. Maybe have a glass of wine to help.

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Who are you most excited to see? If you get a chance to watch any of the acts this

weekend.

Thomas Rhett. I'm a big Thomas Rhett fan, so I'm excited to see him tonight.

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I talked to Nate Holler yesterday, and I believe he was most excited to see you.

What! No way. Aw, that is so sweet. Thanks!

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It's nice to see a couple of rock bands here as well.

I know, that too. I love the mix of all of it, though. It's just all universal. It's cool.

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I know you've been opening, and been on a few tours. Morgan Wallen, Maddie and Tay,

Cory Kent. How has that experience been?

So fun. The Maddie and Tay, and Cory Kent, that's coming up in the next couple of months. It's gonna be so fun and those are two acts that I haven't got to tour with yet, so I'm excited. I'm a fan of both, but the Morgan Wallen stuff has been so fun.

It's also fun to tour with somebody when you're a fan of their music because every night I stay and watch his show and learn a lot from him and his band and and how they perform. It's great to just watch how he interacts with the crowd. I'm really grateful. I can't believe that I get to have an opportunity like that. So I just try to not take it for granted and just keep going.

It must be crazy to work with people that you've looked up to and you've always admired, whether it be them or their music, and suddenly they're in front of you and they're real people.

It's one hundred percent crazy. Especially, to have someone that you look up to who wants to support you and take you on the road with them. With Morgan, I've been a fan of his for a long time and when I signed at our record label it was just the craziest thing.

I was like, how am I on the same lineup as this person? Getting to be on the road with him is so cool. 

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With your album, the Heartbroken Record, it’s beautiful and you put out vinyls to match.

Thank you! It's literally in the name, so I was like it has to be a record. But, yeah, I'm really

excited about that. I believe in albums, like, listening top to bottom and so I think that's a good way to do it. So I'm excited about that.

What would you say makes a good song? I know it's kind of a broad one to end on.

Oh my gosh. I guess honesty. You know? Like, if it's real and it's true to you, then, that's really

all you can do. I think music is so subjective. Everybody's taste is so, so different. But if you're

being honest and telling your true stories, then that's good.

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Her record The Heartbroken record is out now on vinyl.