Lauren Haze is a 3-time FACTOR Canada grant recipient known for her smoky voice, affecting tone, and formidable delivery. Amid her many credits, the Toronto-based singer-songwriter has been named a winner of the International Songwriting Contest, garnered 2 back-to-back wins in The UK Songwriting Contest and 3 Nominations in the coveted Toronto Indie Music Awards. Recently signed to Willow Sound Records, Her single “Hotel” marks the first release with her new label. As she continues to hone her craft, whilst growing a loyal following, we had the pleasure to speak about her career, the single, and more!
Lauren, thank you for agreeing to this interview with Occhi Magazine. Congratulations on your career to date. How did you get into music?
Thank you so much!! Growing up I was introduced to a wide array of music and artists by my dad, and I think it awoke the passion for lyrics and writing. Once I started writing little songs here and there and was getting into Musical Theatre on the dance side, I realized singing and songwriting was what I wanted to do. That being said, it took me a while to find the inspiration and confidence to pursue music, but when I finally did around 2013, there was no going back!
Who have been your industry influences?
My musical influences come from a pretty wide range of artists, but the main ones would be Adele, Demi Lovato, and Sam Smith. Lewis Capaldi also! Out of all 4, Adele is the biggest influence. She was the first artist who sounded different than what I was used to listening to. Adele coming onto the scene is really what propelled me forward in pursuing music.
You’re a three-time FACTOR Canada Grant recipient. For those unfamiliar with the accolade, please tell us more about it and the impact it had on your career.
FACTOR Canada is awesome. They provide financial support to Canadian artists, and with that money, depending on the type of grant you receive, basically you’re enabled to create more great music! I have always used the money towards recording a new single. I always wonder if I might have stopped pursuing music a long time ago if it wasn’t for FACTOR Canada!
To date, your career includes winning international songwriting contests and attending songwriters retreats with Dave Stroud and singer-songwriter Karl Kimmel. Please share your experiences and how these milestones have shaped your approach to songwriting.
I have had great personal successes in my career so far, and these moments have definitely added a layer of motivation to keep creating. I am always reaching for more and trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can. I’m super proud of these accomplishments – but I’m definitely hyper-critical of myself. I’ve realized that even though I have learned a lot and won contests, I have a lot more to learn about the craft of songwriting. It’s hard!!! I hope in the years to come I have even more to be proud of!
Please tell us more about your latest project ‘Hotel’. Note: please provide an overview on how the project /EP started, who you collaborated with/ recording studio/ video production/theme of songs etc
Hotel began as a core idea of being in a toxic relationship with someone and knowing you deserve better. It’s a bittersweet song because the realization that a relationship or chapter of your life is ending can be a hard pill to swallow, but the realization that you deserve better is kind of the light at the end of the tunnel. The song was actually completed when I signed to willow sound Records. We took another look at the song, and we both agreed that it had an incredibly strong hook, but the rest of the song needed a revamp to make it what it has become today! As far as the recording studio, I recorded with Steve Foley at Audio Valley in Ottawa. It was by far the best experience I’ve had recording a song! For the music video, I wanted it to be very performance-based. It’s really intimate because the song pulls heavy on your emotions, and the story can be anyone’s situation. Not just between a man and a woman falling out of love.
What has been your biggest challenge as an artist and how do you overcome it?
I think my biggest challenge so far is just allowing myself to make mistakes, or write a line that might be crappy, or totally scrap a song altogether. It’s just part of the process sometimes! It’s hard to not be so critical of myself, but I just remember that every great songwriter has been where I have been and we’ve probably all had the same thoughts, feelings, and frustrations.
Who would you love to collaborate with and why?
I would love to collaborate with Lewis Capaldi because I think we have a somewhat similar writing style. I think we’d write a killer song and sing an awesome duet!!
Can you share any information on other projects in the pipeline?
I can’t share too much right now – but I can say that more music is definitely on the way!!
Where can our readers find out more about you and your projects?
Any of my socials, or of course my website! https://www.laurenhaze.com ,
https://www.facebook.com/LHazeMusic/ , https://www.instagram.com/lhazemusic/
Thank you for taking the time to interview me!!
Photography by Glenn Rodgers and Ryan Luchuck
About Author
