Who is Lauren Eylise?

Who is Lauren Eylise? She would describe herself as a woman, singer, storyteller, mother, daughter, lover, creator, scholar, poet. A manifestation of passion, creativity, love and fearlessness. In many ways, I'm still just a little girl from Ohio with a big song to sing. In many other ways, I'm much more than. Relentlessly pursuing my vision. Walking in my Truth unapologetically. I create in hopes to uplift myself and inspire you inspire. Yielding the power of music to provoke change in hearts and in matter. I am whoever the hell I want to be whenever I want to be. I'm an open book. I'm a love song. I'm a healer. I'm an artist. I'm found in the melody when you need a friend, a message, or reminder.

I had the pleasure of sitting down and talking with Lauren Eylise on a cold and cloudy Wednesday,

Downtown a bar for some hot tea and caramel latte. Eylise walks in and apologizes for her tardiness. she sits down and quickly started the interview.

Lynn: Lauren, How long have you been doing music?

Eylise: I’ve been singing since I was two( so I was told). I started writing since I was 13. When I start listening to Jill Scott trying to imitate her…. And (what not as a kid), but I started writing poetry around then.. Lol

I fell in love with poetry and naturally I blended poetry and music together. I’ve began my music career my freshman of college (that’s when I got started business wise)

Lynn: okay… cool… cool.. Who inspires you to do music?

Eylise: ummm. Love, Life ,and everything in between that’s my motto. I would write about anything and anybody at any point in time.

Lynn: okay NEW ALBUM!! Life, Death, LIFE

Eylise: LIFE, DEATH,LIFE…

Lynn: so explain the concept behind life, death,life

Eylise: so I um… there's this book called “ Women Who Run with Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. It’s about intuitive nature of women that she draws from different myths stories, cultures and times. There is a section where she talks about life,death,life cycle.. How things must die and go through the death new things come to life. You learn things,experience things and new situations things die off and new ones come into new fruition (that just kicked me) when I read that, because I was in that sort of situations myself. I've been through some things in such a short a moment of time. That I felt like I never properly healed from or reflected on. Life , Death, Life each song is based off of experiences , point of time, relationships, fragment of time something dies and; something new was being born in my personal experiences. It’s very personal to me.

Lynn: I was there… I heard.. I was at the listening party, I was like Ohhhhhh… Speaking of that let’s talk about the listening party.. Explain Voodoo, and Black Magic.

Eylise: Ahhhh … ohhhh.. Voodoo.. Voodoo .. Voodooo...( doing a dance with her shoulders)..

Lynn: when people think of Voodoo they think of Witchcraft or evil.. Mystery… etc ,but when you explained it .. it made sense..

Eylise: the inspiration behind it comes from two different places. I’m a seeker, researcher, and I try to figure things out coming from two different angles.. Different states of belief .. Lol So you know the whole phenomenon behind hashtag black girl magic and this whole empowering black women ( that just sprung up) I’m all for it, but I'm a straight forward person and two I just be thinking about shit! So I thought to myself.. BLACK… GIRL Magic. BLACK.. GIRL..MAGIC. Hummmm.

That naturally lead me to think about voodooing. I don’t do voodoo or practice it .. no judgement on those who do; but to my understanding what we believe what voodoo is.. Like you said when we think of voodoo we think(( oh my God Witchcraft.. Black magic..)) but voodoo isn’t what we think it is! a lot of what voodoo is has been demonized. It goes back to our ancestors they were brought over here as slaves and they had their own belief and practices. A lot of slave owners had demonized our spirituality. I can’t sit here and try to explain voodoo, because I don’t practice it,but I did a parallel comparison to black girl magic.. So when people talk about black women,mention black women or see black women on t.v. They're stereotyping, and characterizing us in negative ways. That’s not who we are, and that’s where voodoo was born. I wrote voodoo for my mom,grandma , and, my ancestors who runs through my bloodlines (you feel me)…

Lynn: What’s different about this album than any other music that you put out previously, beside relationships,and problems. Something had to awaken inside of you to say this is who I am. I’m not this anymore,but I’m this?

Eylise: That's a good question right there.. A couple of things that happened. Honestly for one it began on strictly business.. As an artist I have goals that I want to accomplish. I was like I don’t have a project out. Initially I was going into the studio to talk to my producer and we were coming from a business place ( I want this.. I want to do this.. I want main stream success ). As life took place all that I wanted as an Artist went out the window. That was no longer my focus. It all became about healing. I knew I wanted a studio project. I had to provide a space for myself. I know a lot of people see me live, and see me with my guitar which I love ..(that’s music, that’s the foundation of what I do),but that’s not all that I do. I really wanted to showcase that I write all my music it doesn’t have to be acoustic I could build to it and create a sound. It doesn’t have to be confined to one sound. “ just a singer ,songwriter” it’s pop, it’s rock, it’s soul, it’s blues (You feel me). I definitely wanted to do that, that sort of growth and desire to show myself in that type of way. It definitely inspired "The Element Project", but again it goes back to that healing on a personal element. I just wanted to get some shit off my chest. Even the initial track list that I had change drastically. Once we got in the studio stuff that I had to heal from for sure.. And then more things were happening that I had to give my attention to, and begin healing from that as well. It really became a healing thing.

Lynn: Speaking of elements “ What are the elements of Lauren Eylise”? When they say your name or when you see your name in the lights what makes you.

Eylise: You know what?

1. The feel- I believe that I provided my own way( when you come to my show your getting it raw and unfiltered. I believe I carry a feel. When I sing( music is a soul thing) I feel like I’m a filter. I have to feel it or I can't deliver it right!

2. vulnerability

3. Honesty - that I don’t too many people can do.

Lynn: This last question is very important.. I want you to look in the camera and answer this.

If you can leave a message for the next generation what will it be?

Eylise: LOVE.. LOVE is the beginning.. The Middle.. And the END. point blank period.. If it doesn’t start with love or end with love then I don’t know what you are doing. Love is the foundation. Love is all. That’s my message FOR EVER AND EVER! Love on yourself. Love on each other. Love on this earth. LOVE.

-- I strive to be the best that i can be, while doing the lords will.