Lauren Minear isn’t afraid to call it how she sees it. The Nashville-born, New York-based singer-songwriter and therapist returns with her explosive new single 'Bullshit', a fiery anthem born from a breakthrough therapy session, and announces her forthcoming album 'BOXING DAY', out on the 17th October. Bold, defiant, and deeply cathartic, the track showcases Minear’s signature storytelling and crisp, emotive vocals, while also marking a pivotal step in her artistic evolution.
This year has already been a milestone one: Minear was invited to join the Recording Academy’s 2025 New Member Class, and her single 'Lightweight' has just been accepted for Grammy consideration. With a background that spans songwriting mentorships in Nashville, a social work degree from NYU, and a pandemic-driven return to music with her acclaimed debut Invisible Woman, Minear’s career has been anything but conventional. Yet, through it all, her music has remained a vessel for honesty, healing, and self-discovery.
So with the new single out now, we sat down with her to find out more about her origins and what has been inspiring her most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
I studied piano as a child at the Vanderbilt school of music, but to be honest, I fell in love with singing first. I remember getting in trouble for singing at the dinner table - specifically, “Castle On A Cloud” from Les Miserables.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
My dad raised me on a lot of legends like Roy Orbison, K.D. Lang, and Patsy Cline and my mom introduced me to musical theater. I also remember listening to and memorizing Eric Clapton, Brooks & Dunn, and Garth Brooks albums on family drives between Nashville, Tennessee, where I grew up, and New Orleans, Louisiana, where my grandparents lived. I worshipped female superstars like Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, and Shania Twain in middle school, and had a serious Take That obsession at one point.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette, followed by The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
This is an impossible question because I have a very long list of songs I wish I had written. For now, I’ll say “Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I write every day. I think the only way to get to the good ideas is to write the bad ones.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I have been listening to a lot of Imagine Dragons lately. My five-year-old fixated on one of their songs for a month or two and we ended up revisiting their catalog. It’s so great. I’m listening to Jade Bird’s new record, Who Wants To Talk About Love?, and I’m loving the new Sabrina Carpenter. I’m very late to this party, but I just discovered and love Sombr.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Taylor Swift.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
I feel most like myself when I am performing. To be completely vulnerable and have people receive and connect with your offering is a huge honor.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Getting heard is frustrating, but if I’m honest, I enjoy the challenge. Maybe the most frustrating part is not being taken seriously - particularly as a woman over the age of 30 who has children. I’ve learned to assume that people won’t take me seriously until I prove them wrong. That allows me to focus on the work that I put in, which I can control, rather than on the opinions of others, which I cannot. I figure that if there’s always going to be someone out there who doesn’t get what I do, I might as well do what I want.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Dare to suck.
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Lauren Minear's new single 'Bullshit' is out now. Check it out in the player below.