Lauren Sanderson is a force. Her music is raw, honest and leaves an impact. The Los Angeles-based LGBTQ+ artist has toured the world, opening for Finneas and as a headliner, and received attention from every major music media publication you can think of.
To launch her forthcoming 3rd album (due summer 2024), Sanderson dropped her latest single “They Won’t Like This”, and was kind enough to talk to us a bit more about the new track.
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The Indy Review: What was the initial inspiration for “You Won’t Like This”?
Lauren Sanderson: I wanted to make a song that was kind of like rejection exposure therapy – we all have this fear that someone somewhere isn’t going to like what we do, so we don’t do it. What if we consciously thought, worst case scenario, what if they didn’t like it? We can’t let that stop us from being ourselves. Cause at the end of the day, someone misunderstanding you doesn’t really mean anything.
IR: Lyrically, you talk about sliding into someone else’s gf’s DMs, doing drugs, etc – how much of this behavior is true to life versus part of the track’s narrative?
LS: Hahaha. I would say some of it was referencing things I would do in the past – Times in my life where I haven’t been afraid to do the thing you’re “not supposed to do” and emphasizing you only live once, so why not? My girlfriend laughed when she heard the song like “Oh reallly…”
IR: The song sounds like it’s birthed from insecurity. Despite the success you’ve had, do you find yourself still battling doubt and insecurity about yourself as a musician and songwriter?
LS: Absolutely. I got bullied in high school when I first started making videos on YouTube & I don’t think that little voice in the back of my head ever went away. Alot of the most successful musicians or songwriters I know have that little voice too. I think the ones who succeed through the doubt are solely because you pushed past it. So I tried to make this song an ode own my insecurities and focus on staying authentic through them anyway.
IR: You get inspirational at the end, speaking over the “I don’t know” chorus with some hopeful words to listeners. Did you know when you first started writing the song that you wanted to end it on a hopeful note like this?
LS: I had no idea!! I finished the song and it wasn’t until weeks of thinking “It’s missing something” til I realized an inspirational outro would be the perfect ending. Since I used to put inspirational outros when I first started making music (And this album is a nod to my younger self meeting my present self), nothing made more sense than that.
IR: Stylistically, there’s clearly a hip-hop influence. Are there any specific rappers who’s delivery style you’ve emulated in your writing?
LS: My two favorite hip hop artists are Tyler, The Creator & Mac Miller. I like that Tyler is a bit unhinged and unapologetic, and I like how Mac is too but says it in a chill way. They are both definitely influences to me.
IR: With all that you’ve done in the last few years, what from those experiences has influenced you as a songwriter and performer?
LS: I’ve learned the more confident I am, the more confident my audience is. To never listen to the doubts we create for ourselves, and instead listen to the voice that says “No… you can do this.” I’ve also learned I have extreme imposter syndrome, so I never really feel successful til I do a live show & see everyone seeing the lyrics back or getting asked for a photo at a restaurant. It’s all pretty cool honestly.
IR: Is this planned to be a stand-alone single, or part of an unannounced EP/LP? What’s next for you?
LS: This song is the first single off my next album coming this summer. Stay tuned… lots more to come.
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So you heard Lauren – be prepared for lots more to come. Until then, you can listen to her latest single in our A Single Sit-Down Playlist!
The Indy Review 