Lauren Rose Thayer writes modern-day country anthems that blur the boundaries between genre and geography. Her new album Going Somewhere, out today, combines '90s country, late-'70s rock & roll and modern Americana, breathing new life into the sounds that first inspired her as a young girl in the Rust Belt.
Going Somewhere is full of autobiographical storytelling and honest twang. The album offers everything from feisty, electrified empowerment in songs like "When You Said Goodbye," which finds Thayer flourishing in the wake of a breakup, to hook-heavy songs like "No Strings," a show-stealing duet featuring Americana artist Tom Sless.
Going Somewhere's centerpiece, though, is "Hello My Name Is." It's a song that finds Thayer in motion, boldly reinventing herself without abandoning her past. "It's the bow that ties everything together," she says of the track, which features fiddle from fellow solo artist Van Plating. "It's a reintroduction to me as an artist. I'm paying tribute to my past, acknowledging where I am now, and looking forward to where I'm going in the future."
Years before she began playing nightly gigs on Nashville's honky-tonk circuit, Lauren grew up in a one-stoplight town outside of Pittsburgh, listening to artists like The Chicks, Reba, Shania Twain, Brooks & Dunn and Diamond Rio. She is a songwriter who's every bit as diverse as her sound: an opera-trained vocalist who left a career as a schoolteacher to chase her dreams down south, one show at a time.
When the world came to a halt in 2020 — jeopardizing her new career as a music teacher along the way — Thayer found herself going back to her roots, finding comfort in the music that had always been there. Eventually, original music began pouring out of her, with Thayer strumming the acoustic guitar she'd received in grade school and singing with a voice that had already earned her a Masters degree in opera performance. Her new songs told universal stories of old relationships and fresh starts—those songs became her one-way ticket to Nashville, TN.
During the title track's anthemic chorus Lauren sings, “Hello, my name is going somewhere.” It's a big moment from an artist who has dedicated herself to the long haul. Lauren Rose Thayer is, indeed, going somewhere. Her debut album is just the latest stop on the journey.
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