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{"id":26801,"date":"2019-01-22T12:35:49","date_gmt":"2019-01-22T17:35:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/?p=26801"},"modified":"2020-02-21T10:26:22","modified_gmt":"2020-02-21T15:26:22","slug":"playing-cincy-meet-lauren-eylise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/playing-cincy-meet-lauren-eylise\/","title":{"rendered":"PLAYING CINCY: Meet Lauren Eylise, the Vocal Powerhouse Who Will Soothe Your Soul"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" — photo by Kevin J. Watkins (@ohthatsdubs<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
“Peace and blessings onto you,” Lauren Eylise says to the barista bringing over her dirty chai, seated in a crowded cafe surrounded by people escaping the chilly January afternoon. I don’t know if it’s her smile, her voice, or the bourbon in her latte, but this soulful Cincinnati singer exudes enough warmth to counteract the snowstorm going on outside.<\/p>\n
Lauren Eylise<\/a> is all about truth, transparency, and love. Her latest album, *Life \/ Death \/ Life<\/em>, is the perfect showcase of her ability to weave storytelling, openness, and unapologetic authenticity with hypnotic vocals over bluesy-R&B-soulful vibes.<\/p>\n*
The album was born from Lauren’s fearless post-grad decision to move to New York for an internship and the new challenges she faced coming home with less money, a baby on the way, and a million stories to sing.<\/p>\n
*We had the pleasure of chatting with Lauren about motherhood, spirituality, the healing power of her music, and more. Her next show is March 1st at The Woodward Theater.<\/p>\n*
AF: *Tell me about your latest album <\/em>Life \/ Death \/ Life?<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n*
LE:\u00a0<\/strong>Life \/ Death \/ Life\u00a0<\/em>was my healing project. Between the time that project dropped and when I began it, a lot of shit went down in my life. I had a big breakup with a guy I was with for like two and a half years through college. We broke up like a week before I found out I was pregnant. I had just moved to New York two years before, living my best life, and then just had to drop all of that. The events leading up to me going to New York weren\u2019t the brightest. I graduated from University of Dayton, which was a PWI\u2014predominantly white institution\u2014and there is a great deal of struggles therein. I mean, the African American percentage was like 2 percent, so that speaks volumes, and we were the highest percentage of minorities. It was a very heartbreaking reality-check – things that you would believe happened in the 1930\u2019s or something, but to live it and have those things happen to me.<\/p>\n
I went to New York when I graduated because I couldn\u2019t find a job – I double majored in public relations and women and gender studies. Life was great. I got pregnant, and I moved back with less money than I went out there with. So, long story short, Life \/ Death \/ Life\u00a0<\/em>was all of that. All of my wounds and experiences and my release that I never really gave myself an adequate amount of time to process. And some of that healing wasn\u2019t even finished with that, it was just the beginning. Life \/ Death \/ Life\u00a0<\/em>was for me, and holding up a mirror to myself and a lot of women who have had similar experiences, even if they\u2019ve manifested in different ways. It was the catalyst for my healing, in a very open and raw way. For that, I\u2019ll always love\u00a0Life \/ Death \/ Life<\/em>. It was inspired by a book\u2014my bible\u2014Women Who Run with the Wolves<\/em>. That book is an exploration of the female spirit, and the concepts she was presenting I was finding within myself.<\/p>\n
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>Do you have a couple favorite songs off that record?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>Right now, \u201cThe Most (Madonna-Whore Interlude).\u201d It’s still one of my favorites.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>What made you choose that title?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>I\u2019ll tell ya! That has always been something I\u2019ve struggled with. I grew up in a very loving household. We didn\u2019t have much money, but I was spoiled in love. My parents didn\u2019t talk to us about sex so I never really had any real communication about sex. All I knew about it was very religious\u2014don\u2019t have sex until marriage. My mom, she\u2019s a nurse mind you, she tried to teach me when it came to my period about all that\u2014but that\u2019s not really sex, that\u2019s not what it\u2019s about and what it means. And I have problems with that, how women are taught about sex at a young age. Because what it does, is stifle a very natural instinct and makes it dirty and we, as women, have that experience while our counterparts, men, have a whole different experience.<\/p>\n<p>So in life there’s just this natural-ass drama because you\u2019ve been taught about it in your own toxic way, as a man, and we\u2019ve been taught about it in our own toxic way, as a woman. That concept, in \u201cThe Most (Madonna-Whore Interlude),\u201d is the idea that women are either pure virgins or just prostitutes, extreme, there\u2019s noting in the middle\u2014it\u2019s just crazy. The song is about the amazing expression of female sexuality. I just got into my own world and let the words create a canvas of beauty\u2014because it\u2019s a beautiful thing. I mean, we are the gateway to life, how dare they tell us these lies! I really wanted to drive my point that I\u2019m going to talk about sex how I want to, and I want every woman to do that. And it is okay for women to express themselves anyway they want to.<\/p>\n<p>I also love \u201dVoodoo,\u201d that\u2019s my baby. I\u2019m in the process of re-recording it at Gwynne Sound, best studio in Cincinnati. Great artists like John Legend, CeeLo Green, have come here to record there. Long story short, I\u2019m re-recording \u201cVoodoo\u201d and it is a moment, sis. \u201cVoodoo\u201d is an ode to the women before me, women I don\u2019t even know personally, but to my lineage, to my bloodline, because blood has memory. Sometimes things present themselves in our lives, which we don\u2019t understand. The spirit world is real. So that being said, \u201cVoodoo\u201d was my song where I was like how do I give remembrance to the gift that I was given to those who paved the way for me to be here? I do believe that in our society today, black women, especially, are not always presented in the most eclectic and diverse of lights. There are these very concrete stereotypes and I don\u2019t fuck with that because women of all colors come in all shapes, sizes and beliefs. We don\u2019t all move the same and I think that really has to be respected and spoken about. I like the pun, because when people say voodoo they have certain things in mind.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>I love how you did that because it\u2019s commenting on society\u2019s labeling of something it doesn\u2019t understand as scary.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>Exactly! The same is said to black women. When you think \u2018black woman,\u2019 these images come up that aren\u2019t always the best. So, I was thinking voodoo, black magic, black <em>girl\u00a0<\/em>magic\u2014I thought it was very clever.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>How are you changing it in the re-recording?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>I wanted it to feel like a tribal thing, like we are a tribe of women. This is our anthem. Wake up in the morning and sing it everyday, it\u2019s an affirmation. I feel like on <em>Life \/ Death \/ Life,\u00a0<\/em>it\u2019s a suggestion. Now, it\u2019s an affirmation. It’s gonna move you. You don\u2019t even have to be black for it, I feel like you hear it in your heart: who am I? Who <em>am\u00a0<\/em>I. I love it.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26840\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26840\" style=\"width: 6016px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DSC_9053.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-26840 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DSC_9053.jpg\" alt=\"Lauren Eylise\" width=\"6016\" height=\"4016\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26840\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">photo by Kevin J. Watkins (@<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ohthatsdubs\/?hl=en\">ohthatsdubs<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>How did your time in New York affect your music and career?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>New York is my second home. I always say, Cincinnati raised me, New York made me. It brought me into my womanhood in a whole different way. I go back often – the city always welcomes me back. So much of my growth happened there, it\u2019s all of my music, it\u2019s all of me. I play a lot of shows in New York, it\u2019s like home.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>Tell me a little bit about healing people with your music.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>The concept of healing, it wasn\u2019t an intentional thing for me. I want to sing; it\u2019s a natural instinct, its like breathing. My energy, I\u2019m aware of, is very infectious. I became aware of the healing power of my music from people telling me. People messaging me, like, \u2018I just want you to know your performance really got me through my day,\u2019 or \u2018I\u2019m going through some shit, this helped,\u2019 or \u2018you healed me tonight,\u2019 and I can\u2019t judge your truth. I get chills about it. In that respect, it’s serious. And all I can do is walk in my truth and if walking in my truth heals you, then I guess I\u2019m a healer and that\u2019s that. I\u2019m grateful to have the opportunity. And the same way that I affected you, somebody else has affected me. It’s an honor; I don\u2019t take it lightly, I don\u2019t take it for granted. I hesitate to call myself a healer, but I can\u2019t argue with your truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>So you\u2019ve been playing instruments and singing almost your whole life – what\u2019s the first instrument you learned to play?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>My first instrument was my voice. I\u2019ve been singing since I was two. I went my whole life, no lessons. I couldn\u2019t afford them. My mom sang in a choir, my dad just loves music. He can\u2019t sing but he loves it. When I got to college and I got the money I did take lessons for a year, a lot of classical training. I had to drop out of those because of money. I would like to be trained, if anything, for vocal maintenance. I\u2019m seeing that now. You\u2019ve got to keep maintenance for your instruments. I picked up the guitar summer of 2009. I was working at Coney Island. My friend taught me like three chords and I taught myself the rest. When I was 13, I started playing the piano, self-taught with that as well. Songwriting is what helped me learn those instruments. I hear a chord, find it. That\u2019s how I built my knowledge.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26806\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26806\" style=\"width: 1196px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-26806\" src=\"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM.png\" alt=\"Lauren Eylise\" width=\"1196\" height=\"1180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM.png 1196w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM-324x320.png 324w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM-416x410.png 416w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM-300x296.png 300w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM-768x758.png 768w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM-1024x1010.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM-66x66.png 66w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM-200x197.png 200w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM-400x395.png 400w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM-600x592.png 600w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM-800x789.png 800w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM-500x493.png 500w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-22-at-1.59.19-AM-700x691.png 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1196px) 100vw, 1196px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26806\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Laura Kinney.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>Who are some artists you\u2019re inspired by?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>I love the Isley Brothers. I currently am listening to a lot of Steely Dan. Some new artists like Jacob Banks, Jordan Smith. I love Rihanna and Beyonc\u00e9, more so as entertainers and the kind of career I want. I love Rihanna because her authenticity is undeniable. She\u2019s so unapologetically herself. Bishop Briggs\u2014that girl is bad! She can sing her ass off.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>So what\u2019re you working on right now?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>I\u2019m so glad you asked! I am working on my next project. I don\u2019t know if it’s gonna be an EP, a full album, I don\u2019t know. All I know is I\u2019m waist deep in emotions, in lyrics, working with some new writers. I really want to stretch myself, dabble in different genres. I\u2019m going to be doing a lot of touring. But my focus right now, is this.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>Will this be a continuation of <\/em>Life \/ Death \/ Life<em>?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>I would say so. There\u2019s one song called \u201cPeaks and Valleys\u201d that I wrote as the conclusion of New York. \u201cPeaks and Valleys\u201d is like, this is happening, this isn\u2019t happening to me, I made a choice, how am I going to act like a responsible grownup about this. So, it\u2019s a transition form <em>Life \/ Death \/ Life<\/em>. It connects the two. I might call that shit <em>Life \/ Death \/ Life<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>Part 2!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>[Laughing] We\u2019ll see!<\/p>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>Do you think you\u2019re going to be done with it this year?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>Yes. I don\u2019t know if we\u2019ll release it this year. But it\u2019s definitely going to be done this year. By the end of this year, I\u2019m probably going to have like three projects under my belt.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>Tell me a little bit about how being a mother has impacted your art, your career, and your life?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>Aeon Ezra is a force. He\u2019s three now. He is a part of me. It\u2019s like I do things without even having it consciously in my brain. The moment my body detected life in me, I started moving differently. I knew I wasn\u2019t ready for a baby when I got pregnant. I\u2019m never gonna lie about that. I spit on shame. I don\u2019t think women should ever feel ashamed of how they feel, especially during motherhood. Some of us do not want children, and that\u2019s okay. Some of us get children and we do not want children, and that\u2019s okay. I was one of them. I was living my best life by my goddamn self. I struggled. I wanted to get an abortion\u2014part of me. And the other part, didn\u2019t. The other part that was just like, I know this baby will be loved. If I was from a different family and I thought that he wouldn\u2019t be, or I knew myself and thought I’d resent him, then maybe that decision would\u2019ve been different. But I knew he\u2019d be loved, and that\u2019s what\u2019s most important to me. I know my family, I know myself, and I was right\u2014he\u2019s loved as fuck.<\/p>\n<p>When I talk about my early stages of motherhood, I\u2019m unashamed and I\u2019m unapologetic about how that felt. It was hard. But he was loved through it all, and that love grows everyday and some of that love was learned, and that\u2019s okay. Every woman is different. I applaud women who come forward and speak about their experience because awareness is key, you can\u2019t lie to yourself. The way I nurture and care for my son, I try to treat the world that way now. My lover, I choose to forgive him, love him, and nurture him\u2014as long as it doesn\u2019t sacrifice my own peace or self-love, because that\u2019s something else. You can\u2019t love someone else if you don\u2019t love yourself and I think you should love yourself first and most of all. When you\u2019re on an airplane, they tell you to put the mask on before your child. My son has taught me how to love. He\u2019s made me a better person. A better warrior.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AF: <em>Beautiful! Final thoughts?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LE:\u00a0<\/strong>Know yourself. If you don\u2019t know yourself, learn yourself, because in learning yourself, you learn love.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26842\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26842\" style=\"width: 6016px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DSC_3267.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-26842 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DSC_3267.jpg\" alt=\"Lauren Eylise\" width=\"6016\" height=\"4016\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26842\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">photo by Kevin J. Watkins (@<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ohthatsdubs\/?hl=en\">ohthatsdubs<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>“Peace and blessings onto you,” Lauren Eylise says to the barista bringing over her dirty chai, seated in a crowded cafe surrounded by people escaping the chilly January afternoon. 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