Girl at the Rock Shows

When was the last time you were in an old-school diner? For me, it was when I was in college. My school and apartment wasn’t far from the legendary Mickey’s Diner (RIP). I remember going with friends, homework in hand, and sitting at the greasy counter eating greasy breakfast food at 4 AM while we all tried to get our work done because we has spent the night at a concert rather than studying. It was an odd time in my life but one that I look back on fondly. There’s something about Lauren Mian’s new single “In the Diner Where We Met” that took me back to this time. It’s more than just the title and more than the lyrical content of this track, it was the way Lauren presents this song. It’s raw and soft but full of emotion and fire at the same time. It’s beautiful and created this world of nostalgia and comfort that I never wanted to leave.

I am beyond honored to say that Lauren took some time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions I had about diner life, birds, and “In The Diner Where We Met”. So, without further ado, please enjoy this super fun (and quirky) interview with Lauren Mian.

What’s your go-to coffee order?
My coffee order changes pretty frequently, but right now it’s an iced oat latte with pumpkin spice!

What’s your go-to purchase at a gas station (outside of gas) when on a road trip?
My go-to gas station order on a road trip is a can of salt and vinegar Pringles, a bag of beef jerky, a peach snapple, and peanut M&Ms.

Everyone says that every crowd is their favorite but, what city has the best audience and why is it Minneapolis?
I haven’t played Minneapolis (YET!), but if Minneapolis has the number one best audiences then New York City comes in a close second.

If you could compare yourself to a bird, what bird would it be and why?
If I were to compare myself to a bird, it would definitely be a duck. They’re easy going, like to swim and waddle around, and they’re always being fed snacks.

Favorite lyrics of all time?
My favorite lyrics of all time are: “There’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be” from “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles. They’re quite simple words, but I’ve always been a firm believer of the idea that everything happens for a reason.

What’s your favorite menu item at Taco Bell?
This is my favorite question. CRUNCHWRAP SUPREME!

If you could have dinner with any musician, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
If I could have dinner with any musician it would be Joni Mitchell. I really resonate with Joni Mitchell’s music and writing style and I’d love to ask her about her experiences in her writing process and in working with so many other incredible musicians. Something I admire about Joni’s catalog is that each one of her songs stand strong with just her voice and a guitar or piano, but they also sound incredible when fully orchestrated. That’s something I aspire to achieve within my music and I’d love to ask her about the artistic choices she’s made.

What’s the worst concert you’ve ever been to and why?
The worst concert I’ve ever been to was the Cheetah Girls when I was about 5 years old. I went with my mom and we had great seats but I was too little to see over the stage monitors.

What’s your favorite method of listening to music?
My all time favorite method of/place to listen to music is in my car while driving around.

If you were to rob a bank, what would be the song playing in the getaway car as you escape?
My getaway car song would be “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. I listen to this song before every major show/event in my life.

What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
The best concert I’ve ever been to was Madison Cunningham, Jacob Collier, and Chris Thile at Lincoln Center. It was a life changing show.

What’s one thing I should know before listening to “In the Diner Where We Met”?
One thing you should know before listening to “In the Diner Where We Met” is that I do actually drink my coffee black, but exclusively in diners. In all seriousness, it’s a departure from the style of my previous work, but I had a ton of fun producing the song and bringing its ideas to life, and hope the message and experience is something many people find comfort in and relate to.

What diner is the best in your opinion?
The New Rochelle Diner in New Rochelle, NY.

What do you typically order at a diner?
My go-to diner order is: 2 eggs scrambled, a side of sausage and home fries, whole wheat toast with strawberry jam, and my coffee black.

I found so much comfort in this song, can you tell me where your head was at when you wrote this?
Thank you so much! I’m really glad you found a sense of comfort in it! My goal was to write a breakup song that didn’t feel like the typical, sad heartbreak story. I really wanted to create a song that acknowledged the end of a relationship without it feeling like the end of the world. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the serendipity of it all, where you’re so excited about this new person that you tell your friends and family and everyone you know about them. And then it doesn’t work out. But that’s all right! In writing this song, I was voicing a pretty universal feeling of embarrassment and confusion after something ends. But at least we can all own it and dance-cry to it together.

Where were you physically when writing this bop?
I was in my college dorm room sitting on my bed when I wrote this song.

Obviously, I feel like this song in particular fits in the indie-pop vein of things but, listening to some of your other older tracks, I get more of a classic singer-songwriter vibe– is this a sign of what’s to come for you? Why the change in style? Or am I reading too much into that?
The song is definitely a departure from the classic singer-songwriter vibe of my debut album. I think as an artist something I’ve always loved is really leaning into each song I write and letting it live in whatever style caters to best represent my emotions. Even within my other works, I’ve explored jazz and bluegrass influences, in whatever form that takes on in my own sound. I’ll always be a singer-songwriter gal at heart because my primary instrument is acoustic guitar when writing new music, but I will say that I’ve recently started incorporating electric guitar into my latest live sets, and I can definitely feel myself leaning into a new vibe and sound. To be determined…

I know you just released your album ‘Thoughts in the Air’ last year but can we expect another full length from you soon?
I’ve been working on a series of singles that to me stand best as independent projects, which will be out within the coming months. That being said, I have had the blueprints of a sophomore album in the back of my mind for some time. You’ll have to stay tuned to find out more 🙂

Say a shock rocker (i.e. Marilyn Manson, Gwar, Alice Cooper, etc.) had to cover “In the Diner Where We Met”, who would you want it to be and why?
I think it would be astronomically awesome to see the band Kiss cover “In the Diner Where We Met” because it would be so vastly different from anything I’d imagine for it and the theatrics would be over the top cool. I also have the image of them walking into a diner fully decked out in costume in my head and I find that hilarious.

Is there anything else you would like everyone to know about this song or you in general?
I am really excited to share “In the Diner Where We Met” with the world and I hope it’s as fun for everyone else to listen to as it was for me to make.

You’re sold, aren’t you? You absolutely should be. I love that Lauren seems to dangle between this world of being an old school and having a playful childlike energy about her. I love even more how that translates into her answers here and into her music in general. Although it’s super fun to think about Kiss covering this band, “In the Diner Where We Met” is a single that stands on its own and absolutely showcases Lauren’s pure talent so give it a listen, show her some love, and go visit your local diner!

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