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Lauren O’Connell
Acoustic / Alternative / Folk

"Music!?!?"

Fairport/Binghamton, New York
United States

Profile Views:  44185




Last Login:  10/13/2008
View My: Pics | Videos

   Contacting Lauren O’Connell

 MySpace URL: 
  http://www.myspace.com/irishloc  

   Lauren O’Connell: General Info
Member Since7/18/2005
Band Websiteyoutube.com/laurenoc12
Band MembersLauren O'Connell- vocals, guitar, occasional haphazard keys
InfluencesIron & Wine, Ben Harper, REM, Warren Zevon, Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Simon & Garfunkel, Nick Drake, Guster, Citizen Cope, Wilco, Radiohead, Fiona Apple, Neko Case, anyone and everyone
Sounds LikeBasement Ambience
Record LabelNot today.
Type of LabelNone



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   About Lauren O’Connell
SINGER/SONGWRITER: Lauren O'Connell's Sweet Lament By Frank De Blase on Jul. 24th, 2007

You've probably never heard Lauren O'Connell's "Sweet Lament." And a mere 24 hours before she sang it for the first time a few days ago, neither had she.

"Usually I don't get things done this quickly," the 18-year-old singer-songwriter says. "This one, maybe an hour, hour and a half."

The quickness in which "Sweet Lament" showed its face is matched only by the brevity of its composer's career. Barely on the scene two years, O'Connell has made a dent in the coffeehouse circuit with her insight and unconventional guitar attack.

O'Connell's dad's guitar had been collecting dust in the basement for years when she stumbled upon it in the seventh grade.

"I can't remember what provoked me," she says. "I certainly wasn't listening to good music at the time... Backstreet Boys... I think LFO was one of my favorite bands."

Dad showed her a few chords and she was off. Soon after she got a Washburn electric - "The greatest axe in the history of all guitars," she says - and started taking lessons. By 15 she had written her first song.

"I was pretty proud of myself," she says. "Looking back it wasn't a very good song. It was just a really good feeling that I could get something down like that. I guess I had just kind of assumed I wouldn't be able to do it. Musically I didn't know how to compose, I didn't know how to put chords together or anything."

But being a self-appointed "AP English geek," the thoughts and a concise, clever way to string them together were already there.

"I've got a stack of epiphanies collecting dust But the change never got too far Cause revelation and revolution ain't nothin' but miles apart"

O'Connell was initially convinced she couldn't sing. She would even sit "Happy Birthday" out.

"It was always something I was really embarrassed about," O'Connell says. "I didn't like singing in front of people at all. But then I started writing and nobody else was going to sing my songs."

A little quid pro quo brought her out while jamming with a fellow songwriter in her basement.

"He played a song he wrote so I in turn had to play one that I wrote," she says. "And he was like, ‘Shit, you can actually sing. That's not fair.' I guess that kinda boosted my confidence."

O'Connell began producing some lo-fi demos that made it into the MySpace ether before Saxon Recording Studios' Dave Anderson got hip to her. O'Connell's elegant debut, "Sitting In Chairs," was recorded in one day.

Confidence, gender, genre, age, and crowded medium aside, O'Connell's music is outstanding. She exhibits a strong, punchy finger-style that makes her curious, eviscerated chords pop. For lack of a better word it's jazz...sorta.

"I don't know where that really came from, honestly," she says. "It's one of those things I never liked listening to but once I started playing it, I really got into it. I've tried writing a few more jazzy tunes but they're not good enough that I'd want to play 'em anywhere necessarily."

This could be a clue as to where she's going; bridging singer-songwriter thoughts and words with jazz deeds, augmenting - perhaps even modernizing - the woman-with-a-guitar routine.

"I'm trying to do something different," she says. "I try to write things in either a different way or talk about something I haven't heard somebody talk about. I don't like to get bored when I'm singing." This, from a young lady who, before she picked up a guitar, had no performance inklings, desires, or experience.

"I played Lucy once in a sixth-grade production of ‘You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown,'" she says. But in order to keep it fair, the teacher had the whole class sharing roles.

"There were at least eight other Lucy's," she says.

But now there's just one Lauren O'Connell. She won't pull the football away, but she will knock you out.

WANT A CD?

Send $10 money order to:

Lauren O'Connell Music

57 Kings Lacey Way

Fairport, NY 14450

OR


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Lauren O’Connell's Friends Comments
Displaying 50 of 453 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
Bambiiee





Oct 13 2008 5:07 AM

Hi Lauren
I LOVE Your music
my favorite songs from you are:
Levers and gears, Departure, Tangled Up Kites, Things I Panic about, and I Dont Mind

haha its alot but they are all AWEESOME

*Hugs*

Bambiiee
Pardon the Altitude.





Oct 8 2008 7:46 PM

come to new york city and i'll give you a dollar

i'm serious

maybe i'll bring
confetti
Walri





Oct 7 2008 2:03 PM

that acoustic guitar sounds so full...nice sounds,
Cu-Cu





Oct 6 2008 4:28 AM

<<< NEW UPDATE!!!
Miss Kristin ~ Christmas


Is Online


Oct 4 2008 5:32 AM

Hey, you have cool style !
I want you to have some free tracks-
Click download and then the green button(click here)
Also check out my cool new video on the video tab!

Go Button
ZOMBIETEETH - Clothing for ZOMBIES





Oct 2 2008 9:37 AM

hey thanx for the add...you have a really great voice ..keep up the good work
Monü trinkt Tee. ♥





Oct 2 2008 3:43 PM

I would love to have 'Things I Panic About' in my profile ;)
I just love your album, you're great. Keep going.
Greets.
Anthony





Sep 28 2008 11:30 PM

you are amazing
Grant





Sep 26 2008 4:37 AM


if you had any idea how awesome i thought you were.
i think you'd hyperventilate.

i did,
twice.
a b i g a i l


Is Online


Sep 25 2008 2:07 AM

woo!
awesome
jose arnaldo





Sep 24 2008 3:39 AM

tks for the add,
i dond speak englis very well, but i'll try...
i like your music!, i know u bye the video "the end of the wordl as we know it", iwould like have your music, is nice and cute, i don know the word to expres myself...well take care, bye bye
a b i g a i l


Is Online


Sep 24 2008 1:00 AM

so like, you should make in the trees an mp3
Amber





Sep 21 2008 8:49 AM

How are you?
Carrie





Sep 18 2008 4:04 AM

Hi Lauren!
Just wanted to say that i think it's very fitting that Kaki King is on your top. You both are amazing guitarists.
Oh, and if you ever think about playing a show in Florida, I can think of a lot of people who would so really happy :]

Have a nice day!
Piegel Seven





Sep 17 2008 6:55 PM

Ty kindly. Your music is as lovely as you are.

Heaps of love

Steve
xoxo
Jeremy[has a really long display name]





Sep 17 2008 3:09 PM

The REM cover you did with nunes was great
a b i g a i l


Is Online


Sep 17 2008 1:33 AM

your cover of okkervil river is reeally good!
you are inspirational
mK





Sep 16 2008 6:29 PM

YOURE AMAZING!!!
Anemic Annie {LIVE @ Dominican University 11/8/08}





Sep 16 2008 3:16 AM

Thanks for adding us! Your music is fantastic... hope to see you playing in the Midwest sometime soon!
Monü trinkt Tee. ♥





Sep 14 2008 6:34 PM

Hey over there, I just wanna say that I really love your music. Keep going. I already ordered your CD, hope it arrives soon. ;)
And by the way, I like the way you look. I would say, beautiful.
Greets from Germany.
;)
Nachtschwester





Sep 11 2008 9:59 PM

Really? Oh, that are good news :D
Thanks!
Nachtschwester





Sep 11 2008 9:36 PM

Your songs calm me down after a hard and stressful day, above all "Levers and Gears".
It..s a great pity that i live in Europe and can..t order your CD :(
Rhett Aycock Music





Sep 11 2008 2:17 AM

Thanks, Lauren! Hope everything is great your way. I hope you like my songs. Have a great day.

Rhett
Roger





Sep 11 2008 8:53 PM

I love your music, I listen every day. Levers and Gears thats my favorite. Keep up the good work and good luck.
Jessica [♥]





Sep 11 2008 2:48 AM

I would absolutely love it if you could put "Things I panic about" as a downloaded song so I can put it on my profile...
if that's not too difficult of course
=]
Bella.





Sep 10 2008 7:26 PM

After seeing you in
Rochester about a month
or so ago, I've been a faithful
fan every since!

Absolutely amazing love!
Lee Howard





Sep 10 2008 1:40 PM

Thanks for the add.
You have great songs
Cheers Lee
DIOGENES REIS





Sep 8 2008 9:15 PM

Lauren,
I just want to thank you, again.
I can't wait for those songs to come out, girl!
Peace



Peace
Derrick Brown (reppin 1081)





Sep 8 2008 6:25 AM

hey thanks for the add.
keep singin, youve been blessed with a great voice.

much love,
D
L♥ve, Marlena


Is Online


Sep 7 2008 10:10 PM

Hey
:)
So I was thinking, you should have a contest where your fans make banners for you so they could put it on their page. I would love to put a banner supporting you...to bad I have limited photoshop skills...actually, I have none.
haha
With Engines





Sep 6 2008 8:28 PM

Hi,
We are With Engines from Boston and we thought you might enjoy some of our new stuff we have worked on over summer.
Have a listen and tell us what you think!
Tara Rook





Sep 6 2008 2:30 PM

thanks! i like your stuff too. carly morg got me hooooked.
Mathew





Sep 4 2008 3:27 AM

So when are you going to make your iTunes debut??
MYSTERY ROB.C





Sep 2 2008 10:26 AM

yaaa,,C.D came today,loving hearing some new songs...been listening over and over to the ones on you tube...it's a shame i'm in the uk...would love to see them played live...cheers
Magnesium





Sep 3 2008 1:10 AM

You're super way amazing cool.
hispanic! at the disco





Aug 29 2008 11:49 PM

laughing is a good thing
Tongue Tied Lightning