LAUREN REDPATH

Like a smile that begins covertly with the slight turning up of the corner of your mouth and quickly spreads to cover your whole face, Lauren Redpath’s music evokes the same reaction. Not only does Lauren Redpath have a warm compassion, which belies her 24 years, she has a voice that possesses both strength and ease. Her presence, her music, her lyrics make you smile. Since Lauren first stepped onto the music scene with New, she has blessed audiences at youth camps, concerts in the park, church celebrations, college and coffee shops, as well as worship services.
Like any kid growing up the 80’s, Lauren velcroed her ‘ROOS and rolled her jeans with pride, but thankfully her musical influence came from her parents. Her childhood home on White Bear Lake, MN was filled with the sounds of Rod Stewart, Phil Collins, and Cindi Lauper, while her dad played a lot of rock and roll on his record player including The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Eagles, and The Wings with Paul McCartney. Occasionally even Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers could be heard swooning from the speakers. Storytelling songs made up the playlist in the Redpath home and she learned from an early age what made a good song. “My Dad made me listen to the lyrics and my Mom made me practice, practice, practice.” This emphasis on storytelling has shaped the way Redpath approaches her own music.
In August 2002 Lauren decided to take her love of music to another level and enrolled in McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul, MN. It was there that Lauren’s love of music became much more. She gained experience and knowledge in the broader aspects of production and producing all the while staying true to the commitment of the story of the song. During her time at McNally Smith she quickly garnered respect from major players in the Twin Cities music scene and collaborated to produce her first album, New, in 2005.
Lauren prefers her music like her food, organic. And after six years performing and collaborating with a host of professionals, she’s embarking on a new journey of song writing and sliding over to the driver’s seat. “This time around I know what I want to say and I’m standing up for what I believe.” Lauren also discusses the paradox between creating Christian music and being a Christian creating music, “I love storytelling and the greatest story of all time is that of Jesus Christ.” Lauren’s desire is to reach those with the story of Jesus and His all-consuming love, but knows that her music needs to speak boldly for itself and in different ways. To achieve this she is experimenting with the themes of Jesus and the love He offers and beginning to broaden her range to folk and country instead of purely praise and worship styles. “I personally try to keep my message positive and at the same time talk about real human experiences and how God works through those experiences. I want my music to be a reflection of my life and how I live it.”
It’s a creative process that involves both heart and soul and mind. For Lauren, her music tells that story which is so closely written on her own heart. When writing songs she loves getting to the place where she’s vulnerable enough to let her emotions come to the surface, but she also knows it’s rare when those emotions come together with the perfect melody. “When I write songs, I have to not only believe in it, but I have to think about enjoying performing it for years”. That challenge is part of the artist Lauren is. She is taking the necessary time to write songs that achieve the vulnerability of a broken, imperfect heart dedicated to loving Jesus and loving others while weaving in the melodies that draw the audience deeply into the lyrics.
Lauren Redpath is sure to be a fixture on the music scene for years to come. And her music is sure to provide that smile everyone needs; the one that spreads all the way to your heart.
Bio Credit: Dana Ward