Nashville-based folk-pop singer-songwriter Lauren Balthrop announced this morning the August 12 release of her sophomore album, Things Will Be Different via Olivia Records –
“Piece of Shit” was written at the beginning of the pandemic when Balthrop felt detached and uninspired. “It’s a very vulnerable song about low self-esteem,” she shared. “It’s about feeling like you have to prove your worth to everyone and at the same time knowing that that’s bullshit and it’s all in your head. The snarky first line, ‘why do I feel like a piece of shit all the time,’ encompasses the duel between self-rejection and self-acceptance.
A folk-pop singer-songwriter in the lineage of Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell, and Carole King, Lauren Balthrop makes captivating, candid music propelled by her crystalline voice and has been acclaimed by Stereogum, Paste, Under The Radar, No Depression, and more. A continuation of the title of her debut solo album, THIS TIME AROUND, Things Will Be Different is a dynamic folk-pop collection of 11 songs that examines nostalgia in all its brutal and benignly beautiful forms. Featuring open tuning, haunting string arrangements, and delicate vocal melodies, the songs reflect the depths of love lost, revealing Balthrop’s growth as an artist along the way: “This is the first record that feels entirely, fully my own. It’s about anxiety and heartbreak, and the millions of little moments that make up both. It’s about being stuck in the present but fixated on the past… and moving through to the other side.”
Prior to moving to Nashville, Lauren lived in Brooklyn for over a decade and was a member of numerous bands (Balthrop, Alabama / The Bandana Splits / Elizabeth & the Catapult / and Dear Georgiana). She sang on notable records by Bob Weir, Kevin Morby, Benjamin Booker, Elizabeth and the Catapult, amongst others. She has also toured and performed with Kevin Morby, Lucius, Sara Bareilles, Bob Weir, Benjamin Booker, and Michaela Anne over the last few years.
Produced by Nick Kinsey (Waxahatchee, Kevin Morby), Things Will Be Different features musicians Ellen Kempner (Palehound), David Lizmi (Innov Gnawa), James Paul Mitchell, Matt Combs, Jared Samuel (Invisible Familiars), Matthew Douglas (Mountain Goats), Kevin Copeland (Lightning Bug), Steven Bernstein and Maya DeVitry.
“The album cover photo was taken in France last summer at a songwriting retreat,” adds Baltrhop. “Yes, you’re seeing double. These ladies represent my past and current self. So many songs on the album began as one thing and started to take on a different meaning. These songs feel like a conversation you could have with yourself at any point in your life. Everyone struggles with self-doubt, anxiety, or impostor syndrome at one stage (or many) of their life, right? We talk ourselves up and down as we try to get through. These songs follow that conversation.”
