Album Notes

Lauren Zettler’s favorite article of clothing is her Joan Jett and the Black Hearts t-shirt. It is a cozy slipover that illustrates a musical pioneer – a woman who broke musical barriers, influenced a diverse audience and delivered a hard-edged sound. Lauren is just as impassioned. With a subtleness about her that is hard to define and a peacefulness about her nature, her modest persona takes a back seat when she delivers a song. A little more Patty Griffin than Indigo Girls, Lauren’s sound blends influences ranging from current artists Brandi Carlile and Tegan and Sara, to songwriting legends Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell.

Lauren's earliest childhood memories involve a love affair with the Midwest and what existed outside of it. A straight-A child who spent years taking classical piano lessons, Lauren received her first guitar, a used Epiphone, for her 14th birthday. The rest is history. With a cheap tape recorder and a longing desire to sing and play, she held her own after-school recording sessions.

It was a chance visit to Berklee College of Music in Boston that shifted something in her gut, and she became more fearless with each passing day, realizing that perhaps it was possible to create a successful career around music. Still uncertain about her true desires, she pursued a degree in music business and secured a job at Universal Music Group immediately after graduation. She moved to New York City with 10 days notice, and it was there, in her small cubicle, that she realized it was now or never. She gave her notice, got a tattoo and recorded seven songs that take her listeners through the maze of figuring out life’s true intentions.

Call Me Out is Lauren’s first release. Her ability to observe and digest life with such intensity creates some effortless songwriting and music. Thank You demonstrates Lauren’s skillful acoustic guitar playing and rich sound, and on When, she gently bellows, “When do we give it all away/ Say that we won't make it; that it’s too late?/ When do we give it all away/ Chalk it up to fate while we just give in?” These are the words of a woman who is calling herself out, refusing to let go of her dreams and using every fear as fuel for the road ahead.

The image of a pretty girl with an acoustic guitar conjures up many musical clichés. Lauren dispels them all. In her mind, it’s not about trying to sound pretty; it’s about getting a point across. There is music that exists to entertain, to make the listener feel good and happy – and then there’s music for the true lovers, who want to be moved to extremes. The ultimate purpose of an artist is to portray the truths people are so often unaware of otherwise, which is what Lauren sets out to do in her first release.

If you’re lucky enough to catch one of Lauren’s intimate performances, be prepared to leave with something more than what you came with.