What makes artists in music last?
Nashville natives know good and well bars and stars come and go in this town faster than a New York minute it’s hard to feel like anything is truly classic; however, Lauren Watkins is a natural star who is here to stay. Lauren and I go way back, and she’s always been rooted in country music destined to shine. She’s as if Hannah Montana knew she’d sing, but she wanted to follow her dream of attending Ole Miss first. Lauren did what many of us do: went to college, had fun, and learned those hard lessons about life, love, and herself in the world.
When she faced life’s dead-end streets in her mind, her pen, paper, and guitar were always an Uber home from Rafters away. She let life carry her through and let music walk beside her. A few tequilas, Camel Blues, and heartaches later, Lauren gained more roughness around her edges from the toughness that comes with women growing up in the South. She went to her hometown of Music City and put on her country music star boots.
Lauren’s one of my hometown heroes, and she’s about to be yours too!
With a target hair clip holding back her long thick messy hair, a cheetah print halter top tied around her neck, wrangler jeans a little bit too big, and boots, Lauren on stage looks as if little Lauren from 2005 picked out her outfit from the costume box for this exact moment. But this time, she’s not singing from a scratched-up Chick’s CD from her Hello Kitty CD player, but she’s got the grit, humor, and effortlessly cool stage presence of Sheryl Crow. It’s June 2023, and Lauren is on the reverb stage outside of Bridgestone Arena, fulfilling her lifelong dream of playing at CMA Fest. She’s playing songs from her five-song EP, Introducing Lauren Watkins, looking as strong and confident as ever. She exudes an admirable vibe of grit and rawness, and I can’t keep from dancing.
She’s blown up on TikTok singing with Morgan Wallen, performing on stage with Hardy at her alma mater’s football stadium, and more. I could go on and on for reasons to listen, but let me tell you why:
Lauren is country down to her toes, but she’s got this aching soul creeping up through the cracks that runs deep and comes from a place only the true greats can find. When she sings you remember what it’s all about.
What does make artists have lasting power in the music world?
The secret ingredient to great lasting music is good songwriting, and that’s Lauren Watkins. Her wonder in crafting this art wouldn’t be whole without the influence of her talented older sister Caroline Watkins, partner and crime and singer-songwriter at Smack Songs in Nashville. Lauren wants people to feel like she’s talking directly to them, and she creates this close human connection through good storytelling and clever lyrics.
At CMA Fest, she declared Shirley Temple her favorite song ever written.
“I’ll shoot you straight,
I’ll call you out,
But you’ll acquire a taste after a round or two
or ten…she’ll get over it surely…temple!
…..while you’re sippin’ Shirley Temples,
and wonderin’ why you can’t catch a buzz!!”
That’s confident brutal honesty like Miranda Lambert and the clever lyrical genius of Kacey Musgraves. Her voice does all the rest. She has a raspiness to her voice that jerks tears from my eyes every damn time because you can hear her heartache.
My favorite covers of hers are Time Will Do the Talkin’ and Rain both by Patty Griffin. I grew up going to summer camp a stone’s throw from the city, and Caroline and Lauren came back in the day and sang at my summer camp’s barn party up at Camp Marymount years ago and sang both of those sacred camp songs. Patty Griffin is a hidden gem. She wrote multiple anthems for the Chicks’ as their biggest musical hero, as well as Emmylou Harris.
She has a voice that reminds me of home. Soak Up the Sun by Sheryl Crow is another one of my favorites because she reminds me of Sheryl Crow.
Nashville may be constantly growing and changing, but Lauren’s here to bring it on home. Her wisdom chased with dark humor makes you feel like your mistakes make you who you are. Listen at your discretion because she calls it like it is. I can’t wait to follow along on her country music journey as she’s making new music. Lauren’s got the deep roots planted for lasting music and I can’t wait to see it grow wild. Cheers!
BOOGIE WITH EMMA 