S2: E10: Lauren Marshall - An Evening in New Zealand (REMASTERED)

Lauren Marshall Mixdown Master

Tue, 3/22 8:10PM • 1:21:52

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

music, new zealand, lauren, people, ship, backstage pass, musicians, audition, melbourne, song, singing, performer, musical, guess, sing, kid, aerialist, play, listeners, bit, Lauren Marshall, Loveta, Amy Winehouse, Loveta Music, Christchurch, Christchurch New Zealand, Randy Hulsey, Backstage Pass Radio, Backstage Pass Radio Podcast, Randy Hulsey Music, Randy Hulsey Podcast

SPEAKERS

Randy Hulsey, Lauren Marshall, Adam Gordon

Randy Hulsey  00:00

Hey everyone, thank you for dialing into the show today. It's Randy Hulsey here with backstage pass radio. My guest today is as far away from me is I will probably ever have on the show again. She is an actress, model dancer and a musician with one of the most angelic voices I've stumbled across since starting the show. She is coming to us all the way from New Zealand today. And we will jump into a much anticipated conversation with Christ Church own Lauren Marshall when we return.

Adam Gordon  00:29

This is backstage pass radio, the podcast that's designed for the music junkie with a thirst for musical knowledge. Hi, this is Adam Gordon. And I want to thank you all for joining us today. Make sure you like subscribe and turn alerts on for this and all upcoming podcasts. And now here's your host of backstage pass radio, Randy Halsey.

Randy Hulsey  00:58

Hi, Lauren, welcome to the show from I guess, over 7000 miles away.

Lauren Marshall  01:05

Hi, I am very far away. But thanks for having me. It's really exciting to be here.

Randy Hulsey  01:11

Well, are you far away? Or is it me? That's far away? I don't know. Maybe both of us are far away? I don't know.

Lauren Marshall  01:17

Yeah, I'm gonna say me just because there's more ocean. Yeah, I mean, you know, are sure I'm at the complete bottom of the world to anyone.

Randy Hulsey  01:26

Well, I was gonna look at a globe and see exactly in relation to the to the US like, are you literally on the other side of the world? Or are you so I'll have to look at that later. But anyway, I have to first ask, Do I have a funny accent?

Lauren Marshall  01:45

Ah, it's not too funny. Like, I mean, I've been around with a lot of Americans and you've got one of the more mellow ones I would say

Randy Hulsey  01:53

okay. I think maybe even in the in the States, you know, if you say while you're gonna talk to somebody from New Zealand, they I guess in their mind, if they don't know, it's hard to wrap your head around? What kind of accent will that sound like? It's so it's it's interesting that the the English is very clear and very proper, almost like an English accent from the UK.

Lauren Marshall  02:18

Ah, okay. Yeah, I guess. Um, yeah, we get kind of a mixed response without our accent because, to me, it sounds very muffled and lazy, like a muffled version of a UK accent. But yeah, I like hearing what other people have to say about it. Yeah, I don't know whether it's good or bad, or oh, it's perfect.

Randy Hulsey  02:38

It's perfect. It'll sound great. So it's nice to finally get a chance to sit down with you. I know that we've had quite a bit of correspondence through social media and messaging over the last two or three weeks. But for the listeners, we're doing this interview, it's seven o'clock. central standard time Monday, and where Lauren is. It's two o'clock, right Lord two o'clock ish. Yeah, Tuesday, so you're 19 hours ahead. It's quite the time difference and it threw me off a little bit. When we were conversing through text. I was thinking originally that I think it was 17 hours so I had told you midday or 12 o'clock, so I had my times completely wrong then but anyway, we had that conversation before we started recording and in we we both agreed that there can usually be a mix up when there's that much gap in the timezone like here, you know, if you're an hour ahead or an hour behind, that's easy to calculate in the brain. But when you get too far, like 19 hours you have to sit and think about that for a little bit.

Lauren Marshall  03:51

And I'll tell you what, like you're not completely wrong because when we first talked about it, and we first made the you know, the day we were actually in a company we were in like winter time, like timezone and what happens with us here in New Zealand when we go into the summertime zone, we go for two hours. So there is actually like a get that. Yeah, that makes quite a big difference. So in that respect, I was thinking about it. I was like Ah, now we're in daylight savings time so that is two hours another two hours difference so

Randy Hulsey  04:25

interesting. I didn't think about that. And of course I wouldn't have I would have never known that. Had you not told me? So you're in summer right now then Right?

Lauren Marshall  04:35

Yes. So we're coming into summer yeah summer season is like November to kind of November to January but ends up being like February March. We have very late Summer's here. But yes, it is very sunny. Now we're getting the sunshine and getting the the warmth which is very exciting. I love. I love that.

Randy Hulsey  04:54

When you talk about warmth. Give the American listener here. What warm is considered and in New Zealand? I mean, are you in the triple digits? Does it get that hot there or?

Lauren Marshall  05:07

Talk to us a little bit about that? Yeah. So New Zealand, we don't really have humidity. So if if it's hot here, it's quite dry. So I would compare it to kind of California. Sort of, hey, it's not it doesn't get ridiculous. Like, I mean, we might have sort of 3030 Something degree days, which I guess is sort of around 100. Yeah. And yours, but nothing too crazy. And we really do just get a mixed bag right? Even in the summertime, you still have cold days, and you're still have rainy day. Interesting. thar? Yeah.

Randy Hulsey  05:46

Well, I guess we're not here. Well, I'm in Houston, Texas. And it gets pretty brutal here in the summertime. And in the August timeframe, the humidity is through the roof. And it's close to 100 degree some days, even hitting 100 degrees. So you can you could only imagine like, it can get, I guess, pretty tropical, pretty nasty. But But then, you know, this time of year is really nice. 70 degree days and sunny. So we're in a good time of year, I'm pretty sure that I stumbled across you on Instagram. And it was probably by way of one of the videos. And I don't know if you've ever given it much thought, but I always wondered like, what would it have been like when when we were kids? Had we had these types of mediums to get our music out? You know, with the internet and social media? Have you ever thought about that, like, you know, the popularity of people now versus what it was 30 years ago, when there was no such thing as the internet or people weren't on the internet, like we know it today.

Lauren Marshall  06:55

I've definitely thought about that. Because, you know, I'm a, I'm a 90s kid. And I'm very fortunate that, you know, I did have some time before we had, you know, our smartphones and social media and, and I actually really liked it back then and thinking about the music industry. And I mean, coming from New Zealand where we didn't really have access to like, all the music that's out there. We don't have the internet. So I kind of think I have no idea how as, as a New Zealand that I would have really had any sort of outreach or any sort of connection, unless I went overseas or went over and made connections, like social media is just incredible. And I My mind is blown, the people that I connect with. And they are literally other side of the world like you like, I have no idea how I would do it.

Randy Hulsey  07:48

We will you know, Lauren, it's Yeah, and it's interesting, because for so long as a kid, of course, I'm older than you are. But as a kid, you know, we we grew up on this music, and you didn't see videos of these bands. And half the time, you didn't even know what the band look like, you know what I'm saying? Like you knew the music, you sang the songs, and you loved it, but you never got to see the band, because video was almost outlawed at concerts back in the day, you know, on the ticket stubs, it would say, no recording devices, no, no photography, like they wouldn't allow that and a concert back in the in the 70s and 80s. And now if you don't if you're not video and or you're not taking pictures at a concert, then you're the weird one. So it's interesting how things have come full circle, and it's a different state of mind and the talent on the internet on YouTube. You look at the kids out there that are five, six years old, that are just seasoned beyond their years on the guitar or the piano or, or kicking a soccer ball. It doesn't even have to be music. It's just unbelievable. And we get to we get to partake in all of this talent. You know, it's just amazing.

Lauren Marshall  09:09

Is I you know, I stumbled across some especially kids and so counted kids who was a little boy that I came across randomly who he produces music, he plays a guitar he plays piano or any is literally like five years old or something and I couldn't handle it. This is this the new generation of talent is just the light is a head you know? Yeah.

Randy Hulsey  09:37

Well, the powerful thing is if you think about just mine in your connection, and like 20 years ago, I would have not known you from a hole in the ground. Right? Like I've never would have heard your music unless, unless of course you you know signed a major record deal and your records were in, you know, every record store in the world. right then you hear of people like you and I, but it's just so cool that that now, you know, there'll be an audience of people that get exposed to Lauren Marshall and your talents and the new stuff that you have coming up. So I think that's a that's pretty amazing. Take us back a little bit to Lauren Marshall growing up in New Zealand what kept you busy? Like as a as a young teenager maybe? And you know, what were you into? Were you a sports kid? Were you always a music kid? Were you into you tell your story like from the teenage years?

Lauren Marshall  10:37

Yeah. Well, to tell you the truth, I was definitely that kid that liked a lot of things. I definitely played sports, sports was something I absolutely loved. And I ended up having to kind of choose Music and Performing Arts over sport. But I've always been musical. I've always been interested in performing arts and ever since. And I always knew that was what I wanted to do with my life, even though I was from a very small town in New Zealand, where nobody did what I wanted to do. So I guess there was a lot of like, ups and downs of being like, Wow, am I even ever going to do this? Is this actually going to be a reality for me and I kind of just, you know, got through high school, did all my, you know, school productions and singing groups and just whatever I could get into just to keep performing, until I could actually leave home and move somewhere else. And luckily, I got into a performing arts school after I finished high school. And that just kind of solidified like, Yes, I can do this. It is possible. But yeah, as a teen, I was sort of going between man I need to just like get through school and get out of this town. And also just trying to, you know, like, have a normal teen experience and try new things. Absolutely, bro. And, and that but yeah, I think I only really kind of came into myself once I left home and moved cities and bless my parents love them. But But yeah, I definitely had to leave home. To feel that freedom. Yeah, yeah.

Randy Hulsey  12:25

Well, you're multitalented to say the least, but share with the listeners. Like, what were you into first, because of what you know, I think you danced as a kid. You were into music, but what what kind of came first for Lauren?

Lauren Marshall  12:42

Definitely singing, I don't remember a time where I wasn't singing in some way. It was quite funny. Because I think one of my earliest memories was me as like a toddler in the bath with my my grandmother, and we would sang church hymns and just really cute really sweet in such a DME MRI, for me. And then I sort of, you know, was like, I want to keep saying, this is fun, I loved us and would sing in church and found myself singing my first, you know, solo in primary school when I was like five years old in front of the school. And that was huge. And from then on, it was just like I had, you know, it was just like, the most natural thing to me. And so as I've kind of followed my singing journey, you know, you end up doing a bit of dance, you end up doing some acting, you know, picked up a guitar, my mum was playing guitar. So basically the duration of my childhood, my dad plays drums. So there was always music, and I just kind of like, Oh, I'd like to try. They're like to try there. And just, yeah, just kind of pick things up and put them down sometimes and then pick them up again. Yeah, yeah. But also singing altar through music.

Randy Hulsey  14:00

Would you say that your grandmother was maybe the inspiration for singing? Or do you think they're the inspiration from singing came from somewhere else?

Lauren Marshall  14:10

I mean, the encouragement was definitely through my grandmother. Like she very much nurtured that and love to love to get involved with things like that. But the inspiration to tell you the truth, I feel like it was maybe outside of myself because it felt like it wasn't a choice. It wasn't something that I was like, I couldn't do this, right. I couldn't it was like the i This is part of me part of my identity. And so I just always did it. It wasn't even a question. I never really when I don't want to sing anymore, or do I want to sing anymore? It was like this is part of who I

Randy Hulsey  14:49

am. Sure. Well, you came from a very musical family. It sounds like and a lot of the musicians that I that I get a chance to talk to they didn't have that that background like they're Parents were not musicians. They spent no time and and in school like in band or choir where they got a good, let's call it a theory background, a little a little more educated on music than just playing by ear. But it sounds like you had that kind of coming up. You had people that I mean, music was going on in your house is what I was saying. It wasn't just you making the noise. But there was other people making the noise in the house to correct.

Lauren Marshall  15:27

Yeah, that's, that's very true. And it was like a safe space to to make make noise. And, yeah, it wasn't something that was like discouraged or just completely not there. So that was helpful. And I think yeah, I mean, I guess everyone has a different journey. And there are people that I know musicians and whatnot that didn't pick up music really until sort of later in life. They just kind of fell into it. Yes, he ended up being amazing. So yeah, it's everyone's different. Yeah. But as long as you sort of get there, that's kind of the the main thing that's easy find it

Randy Hulsey  16:09

right. Yeah. Doesn't matter how you get there, as long as you get there, right. Or how long it took you to get there. So just to go a little technical here on the singing. I think you're considered a mezzo right? Soprano. Correct.

Lauren Marshall  16:27

I yeah, I guess I prefer to sing in that range. Because we're i i like to have some lower resonance stuff, as well as some, you know, some high stuff. I definitely feel like I could fake my way as a soprano. Maybe not definitely not a classical soprano. Right. But yeah, Mizar I would definitely. Well, I

Randy Hulsey  16:47

think there's two I think in and you can you probably know more about this than I do. But I think I'm trying to remember back from my even my choir days in school, I think there was a a mezzo, and then there was what they call a country alto, which is the higher soprano voice. And I think a lot of people think that it's Alto and soprano and choir there. I think Alto is more of a choral part and not a voice. But if alto was a voice, you would be more of an alto voice than a soprano, because yours is a little on the lower end of the register, right?

Lauren Marshall  17:29

Yeah, yeah. I like to sing in that resonant place. And just kind of Yeah, pop some high ones here and there. About stuff as opposed to Yeah, living in Georgia. He voice

Randy Hulsey  17:43

Yes. Yeah.

Lauren Marshall  17:44

I think that'd be a cure.

Randy Hulsey  17:45

Well, there was certainly some famous mezzos that that sang in your range. I think. I'm trying to think of a few I Karen Carpenter was one that was I think Patsy Cline and Katie Lange, maybe even Lorrie Morgan, fabulous country artists when they were in that, that range. So you're in good company there.

Lauren Marshall  18:08

Yeah. Oh my gosh. And you say, you know, Patsy Cline and definitely Karen capita, incredible, resonant, gorgeous voices. That just, I think to me sometimes that's more impressive. Yes. When you can look down there with so much richness. Yeah. I definitely appreciate some beautiful high voices and all the articulation you can do up there. But definitely since I've got an older and my voice is gained a bit of depth I can, I can appreciate that more.

Randy Hulsey  18:42

I've always said and all seriousness, I've always said that Karen Carpenter probably has one of the most angelic voices ever. Like I've always it's kind of weird coming from a guy like wait, you listen to the carpenters. Like I grew up on the carpenters, like my mom was a huge carpenters fan. And who sings them better than Karen. You know, what, what a what a what a great voice and certainly missed. Now over the years, you've been in a lot of musicals, share with the listener, some of you know maybe some of the productions that you've been a part of over the years that are that come to your mind is some of the cooler ones that you've done.

Lauren Marshall  19:23

Hmm. Ah, yes. So musical theater was a massive part of my life and definitely a huge influence on on me as an artist now, but I've done some quite a few I've done grace, which was obviously tons of fun. We love grace. It's kind of a, you know, standard musical that everyone does. I've done things you know, are older things sort of like music men, and I've done like sound of music like the closeups. Gosh, I mean, I can't even think of all of them. I've done like Beauty and the Beast. Okay. Just honestly a wide variety. But every one of them I've definitely like taken something amazing from. And it's kind of been something that I've wanted to keep doing. I haven't actually done a musical in a while and it's on my list. We're actually about to do well early next year. Here as a relationship sometime next year here in Christchurch. Our local professional theatre company is looking at doing beautiful the Carole King musical. And I've got my eyes on because I love Carroll grant is that. So I will say but apart from you know, musical theater, I've I've done a lot of sort of concerts and tribute shows, spent a lot of time on cruise ships has been about five years on cruise ships, doing the production shows, which were certainly a mix of musical theater and pop music as well. So it's all so much fun, like, I love pop music, but also musical theater has, has that other element of storytelling and, and I love that I love living within a story. I love living as a character. Right? And which is what kind of made me want to do musical theater so I could sing and I could also really love as someone else.

Randy Hulsey  21:22

I've watched a lot of your stuff. And you You've definitely had some alter egos over over time, right, a lot of costumes and things like that, which it sounds like you really love that. So that's really cool. But this company that you're talking about, for the role, would you have to audition? Is that something that you would have to audition for?

Lauren Marshall  21:43

Yeah, definitely. Gotcha. Yeah, it's, you know, like anything else really. In the theater world or actually in anything in the performing arts? That's it's an audition based thing. So there's never any guarantees, but it's always amazing to get a chance to, to have a go and see what people think.

Randy Hulsey  22:03

I agree how you would fare. I agree.

Lauren Marshall  22:05

I Yeah. To enjoy auditions. Yeah. Which is saying something because they're not always fun.

Randy Hulsey  22:12

Well, I could see, you know, it's there. Probably a lot there. I mean, well, they're exactly the same as going to a job interview, right. And, and I think so many people are just like, they're a deer in the headlights when they go into these things that are so nervous. They're so wound up. And I think if you talk to anybody that knows me, like, an interview me, I mean, that's just time that I get to go in and talk about how great I am. So So I mean, who who better to do that than me to talk about the things that I do? Well, and so that's the and I say that tongue in cheek of course, but I've just never had a problem with with interviews or auditions so to speak. They they don't stress me they don't worry me, I just go do what I do. And if it works out, it works out if it doesn't, you go on to the next thing, or delay does lie

Lauren Marshall  23:01

exactly the editor, because a few so worried about I need to get this or like, you know, then that's gonna completely just ruin it for you. And it is just about bringing what you do best and then going cool, I'm just gonna leave it

Randy Hulsey  23:16

absolutely. Because then you're over analyze again, maybe and then it's just a different you're not you're not being you, you're you're trying to be something else and not you. And anyway, in these productions, though, I know that you've been featured from a vocalist perspective, but was there also acting involved? In these are some of them? Was it a mixture of acting and singing? Or has it always just been singing? Because I think some of the videos that I've seen, were primarily you doing vocal? So I didn't know if you you took on lead roles in these things as well that that had talking parts versus singing parts.

Lauren Marshall  24:04

Yeah, so mainly, what I did on ships was basically being a featured vocalist, where, depending on your contract, depending on the shows, you sort of have different things that you do. I wasn't really part of, I guess any like musicals as such on ships, so they do have them on some cruise lines. But there really was it was mainly the tracks that I usually had, so that the roles that I had were mainly just like the, I guess the over the top vocals, you had sort of the mess of songs, the very like dramatic moments, there was definitely acting, I would say more, you know, nonspeaking but there was definitely times when you had to embody a character, and there was definitely a lot of dancing involved as well. A lot of movement based things but As far as the vocals that I had to do, there was a lot of different types. So it really, I think the focus really was for us on nailing vocals of every style, being able to smash out musical theater, being able to sing, you know what he Houston or a huge pop song, but also being able to, you know, single your harmonies and do a lot of random rhythmic stuff, there's a lot of blues music, as well in some of the shows that we did. And some opera at times as well. So you really just had to know how to get your voice to translate across lots of different amounts, and everything else kind of came with it. As part of the production, that makes

Randy Hulsey  25:41

sense. Now I know that you were into, you know, the tap and the jazz and the ballet at some point in time. Has the dancing lent itself to any of these musicals? Or has the dancing been a very minimal part of the musicals that you've been in?

Lauren Marshall  26:02

I would say it's been more of a compliment to the acting and singing and the musicals. I haven't really been a part of a dance musical is so good. I don't, I wouldn't consider myself at that level. Where I could say, Cool, I'm like, equally as good at all three things that I could justify being a dancer, however, just being like, I've always considered myself a very good mover and very, a very natural mover, in whatever style. Free. Yeah, just whatever anyone can throw at me. And I can, you know, I've always aim to be good in auditions so that I can get through a dance call. Gotcha. And sort of, you know, fake some parrots and whatever they need, yeah, kick my head. But, right. Yeah, I wouldn't consider myself like a dancer dancer. It's not, it never really grabbed me as much as everything else. But it's definitely always been a part of of my musical theater.

Randy Hulsey  27:05

Well, it doesn't hurt to have that. What do they call it? That arrow in the quiver, right like that, that? It's another tool that you can use if you need to, if you need to pull out that tool. Right. And you know, you studied you mentioned something earlier about studying musical theater. Here, we would say in college, but you would call it at university, right? Yeah. What would you be studying if somebody went to university? And were studying musical theater? Like, what? What is some of the stuff that they would be learning? Or what were what would some of the classes be that they would be taken in musical theater?

Lauren Marshall  27:46

Hmm. So definitely vocal lessons, vocal tuition, vocal coaching, you usually have like one on one, one on one coaching throughout the three years. So the, the degree that we have here is three years, you'd also be doing acting training. So usually, like Stanislavski, or like method acting, or some sort of acting and voice, like actors voice coaching, we also would have tap jazz ballet classes every week, which is really cool for for technique, especially because you want to be able to, I mean, keep looking like you can be a dancer, even if you're not. We did some theory, like music theory, theater studies. So the origins of theater, the origins of certain genres of music that contribute to musical theater. And we'd have sort of like group, I guess, company choir sessions, we do our musicals at the end of the year and our plays. Yeah, it was mostly practical stuff. Sure. But it was a lot of fun. And it was it kind of covered all your bases. I guess the only thing that we didn't really have in our degree was industry training, as far as getting an agent going overseas, the business side of things, which was I think it's now a bigger part, but I had to figure out a lot of that on my own, and just through trial and error and, and stuff, which was a bit tough. But yeah, that's sort of what everything can't really do it without that knowledge. You know,

Randy Hulsey  29:28

there are certain things that you can't learn in a classroom, right? You have to live life. You just have to live and you you learn these things as as you go. And you had mentioned about being a performer on a cruise ship a couple of years ago, I was on a cruise and I met a feature performer on on Royal Caribbean. I think that's the cruise line that you are on. Is that Is that correct? Or were you

Lauren Marshall  29:52

on a different? Yes, yes, I worked for Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. Okay, so the same thing.

Randy Hulsey  29:59

Gotcha. Yeah. And so the guy's name was Travis clover. And he actually played I think he played Frankie valley in the hit Vegas production called Jersey Boys and this this was like the number one production forever Travis was, you know, a great singer and and you know kind of you like Travis we're feature you know, we're a featured entertainer on the cruise lines, but share, share that experience with the listeners and maybe what a day in the life is like on a on a cruise ship like because I think that that we see the you know, the cruisers see the glamorous side of you know, Lauren, the entertainer or Travis, the entertainer and you know, it's wonderful, but talk to us a little bit about the day in the life like what are your living arrangements like and things like kind of behind the scenes like, but you could keep it concise if you like, you don't have to go into the gory detail. But I think a lot of people would be interested to hear, like, what the life of performers like on a cruise ship?

Lauren Marshall  31:07

Yeah, so I guess you're right. Like, it does probably seem one way to the guests. And another way to ask who's living it. But yeah, we usually have our, you know, our own Kevin, which is, you know, our way very lucky usually as, especially as vocalist or featured vocalist, we get, you know, sort of a guest sighs, Kevin down somewhere in the bottom of the ship. And that's sort of where we base ourselves. But as far as my journey, I was part of a cast for the most part where we would go and rehearse for a couple of months before we joined the ship, which was normally in Miami, we spent quite a bit of time there, and then joined the ship, you'd sort of have an installation process where you took, you know, a week or two to get rehearse, onboard, get the show's ready, and then open them. And then after that, it was sort of you do maybe like two or three different types of different shows. And you'd usually have like, a technical rehearsal, the day off your show day, which was sometime in the morning or mid morning, you can go off and do whatever you want to do in the daytime, whether it's get off the ship and port if your import or go to the gym or Sunday or sleep, whatever you like. And then you do two shows in the evening. And it's sort of just ran like that. Basically, throughout your contract, we were lucky, we did have quite a few days off, where we could just go off and explore and pull if we were somewhere exciting. But for the most part, it was everything's kind of centered around your shows. We also had some safety duties as well, as you know, being a crew member on a ship, you do have to do that. But yeah, it was sort of like a just a bit of a cycle that went round and round for you know, eight or nine months. And it was amazing. You got to see incredible places like for me from New Zealand, I would never think I'd get to go to Alaska or Antarctica or, you know, South America. So yeah, that's sort of, uh, you just you do your showers, you do rehearsals you need to do and around that you kind of can do whatever you want to really within reason.

Randy Hulsey  33:29

How did you did you have to? I don't know what the proper terminology in the cruise industry is. But you know, for example, if I'm a guest on the ship, let's say it leaves wherever Miami on Saturday, and it comes back on Thursday. Do you board at the same time as a featured entertainer because I know I talked to one of the musicians that happened to be eating and Ken Kuhn at a restaurant sitting at the table next to me, we got into the conversation about you know, I played last night I was in the band, blah, blah, blah. But it seemed to me like they flew him in like to say, Ken Kuhn, he got on there and maybe played the show. And then he got on an airplane at the next port and flew out is, is that kind of how it worked for you? Or did you have to do the whole duration of the trip?

Lauren Marshall  34:29

Yeah, so I was on a contract where I was kind of on the same ship for eight or nine months. So there's obviously the, like the guest entertainers who go from ship to ship bringing the particular show and they can kind of they might only be on board for a day or two and then they're off somewhere else. But with us what's sort of within the production cast, we yeah, we were kind of on that ship for the long haul, which was kind of nice because You don't have to run around like a crazy person trying to go from ship to ship. But at the same time, it was definitely, it was, at the time, one of my goals to be a guest entertainer and one of the people who I just came on board, essentially, as a guest did my shows and then left, got to kind of go somewhere else. And I had that kind of lined up. But But unfortunately, when I finished my last contract, which was technically March 2020, COVID hit and so everything kind of went out the window, I had to try and get my way home. And that was kind of my main focus. So yeah, everyone's kind of got a different journey, and a different contract length and stuff like

Randy Hulsey  35:43

that. So So is that literally like your contract was at nine months, and you literally like got on a ship and stayed on the ship? Well, you didn't technically stay on the ship the whole time. You port you what you got off at ports and stuff like that. But you literally went to work one day, and you didn't come back home for nine months. Is that basically what it equated to?

Lauren Marshall  36:06

Yeah, wow, exactly. And I think the longest I was away was 10 months total. And that was two months rehearsal in Miami on land. And then yeah, and then the rest of it on the ship.

Randy Hulsey  36:21

I have to I have to make an educated, educated assumption that to live that life, I don't think would it be tough to be married and in a relationship and have kids? I mean, you, you literally almost have to be a single person. Am I Am I correct? Or my way off base?

Lauren Marshall  36:42

I definitely think you'd have to be single. I yeah, I don't, I never was really in super serious relationships, just because it was just too hard. And I think if you are someone who wants to do hips, it's helpful to have a partner who's a musician or performer as well, because then you can sometimes get on the same contract, which is helpful. But as far as trying to have, you know, a serious, serious relationship on land like, it's just too hard. I think it would hurt you more than it would help you.

Randy Hulsey  37:17

Absolutely. Well, it'd be like having a long distance relationship. And those are never fun. Right? Those are, those are pretty rugged. Well, it seems like I had looked into maybe performing on one of the I don't remember which company it was, but maybe it was Royal Caribbean? I don't know. But don't you have to go to like, say Miami and audition and person for those roles, or or do they kind of do it by way of like video and stuff these days?

Lauren Marshall  37:50

Well, I guess when I was kind of into it, I don't 100% know now in terms of Nelson's COVID, but when I I auditioned, I was living in Melbourne and Australia, when I auditioned for Royal. So there is as a singer as a performer, there's usually worldwide auditions and main cities that you can audition. As far as musicians. As far as I know, all the musicians that I've worked with have had an agent, who was usually based out of Miami or somewhere in the states that would kind of get you or your band or your jello or whatever, onto a ship. So that was the easiest way for them. Musicians as far as I know, it didn't have to audition, you might just seem in a real or

Randy Hulsey  38:41

sure that makes sense. Now as a singer, and a guitar player, do you have a preference on? Do you prefer to play and sing? Or do you prefer to sing only? Because I think that you know, there's this thought process that you have to do. It's easier to do one thing than it is to do two things. So I didn't know if you had a preference because I know you play shows where you play the guitar and sing. But then you're also in productions where you only sing you don't play an instrument. So does Lauren have a preference? One way or the other?

Lauren Marshall  39:17

Yeah, to be honest, I'm definitely a performing artist before I'm a guitarist, I would say so I would I feel free. I feel like I can relax and really give some energy to what I'm doing. If I am not behind a guitar, that makes sense. I guess I kind of really picked up playing guitar and singing in the last like year or two just so that I could keep singing. And so that I could be versatile and I could kind of sing what I wanted play what I wanted. I could move around. And that's sort of been my thing recently and it's good because while theaters are not operating or they're getting shows cancelled and whatnot left, right and center. There's always bargains and there's always people's private functions that they want to book you for. Right? And it helps to be an COVID times at least here in New Zealand helps to be one person as opposed to two people or five people in a venue. So it's really been an asset to do that correct. But it's given me a lot of freedom. And it's kept me singing, and it's kept me connecting with other people through music. In a live way, yeah, where I don't have to be on this massive stage or have a huge band behind me.

Randy Hulsey  40:38

I gotcha. Well, I think I, I had seen a couple of your videos, and I'm like, Oh, my gosh, he's a left handed guitarist. But then I realized that it was the it was the video because then I saw another because I'm left. I'm not a left handed guitar player, but I'm predominantly a left handed person. And I'm like, Oh, cool. Another lefty, right? Then I'm like, and I started looking. It's like, Wait, was she playing? Right? And wait, she's playing left handed, and I'm confused. Okay. Is she right handed or left handed? So you're a right handed player, right. Okay.

Lauren Marshall  41:10

I don't even know where to stop lifting. Or not even a left handed person. So yeah, no, it's just a trick.

Randy Hulsey  41:18

It was a true yeah, it was the trickery of the camera. Tell me and the listeners a little about and you can correct me if I pronounce this wrong, but your love Lavida project? Yeah, love better love better. Okay, can you can you share with me in the listeners, what that project is?

Lauren Marshall  41:41

Yeah. So I've always my whole life wanted to release original music. And I wanted to do it in a way that separated what I do as a performer in my normal life as Lauren Marshall. So probably in the last year, I've since I've been back on land and established here I've been able to kind of figure out what I want to do with it. And I kind of came up with levator as as sort of like a reflection of a part of me the part of me that you might not get to see when I'm playing a character on stage or singing someone else's music. So it's been a really cool journey. I've been working with my partner who's also my collaborator, who's also brilliant guitarist and excellent music producer. Funny story, we actually met on an Abba tribute to a really and ended up together so that's our story. Yeah, so we've been working on music with Lupita it's, I've been able to really channel a lot of different genres of music that people probably haven't heard from me, I definitely consider myself a soul singer with with pop influences, but a jazz but a funk so I've been able to kind of put my vocal stamp on some of my own writing and my own music which is definitely very influenced by I love like the David's of the 60s and 70s I love you know our ADA James and I love you know people like that that have really just like raised me vocally and bringing that style into 2021 being able to put in some you know our smell electronic music influences and funk some house some yeah just basically everything I love together in one and present myself as is made but as levator so it's been really exciting it's been such a heartwarming journey and very excited for my first feature and song release coming up so

Randy Hulsey  43:46

so it's almost like a fusion then I mean it's it's you're pressing multiple multiple genres together. Now where did is it all original stuff? There's it's all original, right? Yeah. And and where did the name come from?

Lauren Marshall  44:03

Oh, it's a funny story. Because I was after nine for a long time. I was trying to find something that I felt fit me. I wanted it to start with L because my name is Lauren and I just really like having the L Lita. I don't know why. But basically, my my partner, my collaborator, his artists name is Wolfie, which is obviously like, it's kind of got wolf like connotations and I was searching for different names. I was like, oh, I want an L and maybe something with love or something with I don't know, something that sounds like really classy, but kind of mysterious. And I looked up, I found the word love it. And I looked at what it meant, and it meant a woman who was wolf like, ironically alright. And or something, you know, a female wolf or randomly and I didn't even plan That word like I like the word by itself already, but then I saw that it meant that and I was like, wow, that's, that's amazing considering, like my partner's Wolfie. So anyway, I just clicked into place and I just thought it was really pretty name that had some really nice meaning behind it and it felt just like yeah, like an alias that really matched me as a person as well.

Randy Hulsey  45:24

And so then he was Wolfie before you before you knew him right? Yeah, okay. Yeah, interesting. Yeah.

Lauren Marshall  45:34

So and I wasn't trying to you know, copy him or be like, Oh, I'm attached to and because of our names but I just it just like resonated with me because I love nature and I think wolves are beautiful and oh yeah, I love anything that is a strong has a strong message and something connective. So I worked out and people have given me compliments on it on the name so it's quite original they've doesn't seem to be really anyone else in the music industry called Lavida or so it's quite exciting.

Randy Hulsey  46:08

I Well, you're right, I haven't heard the the name either. So you're you're the original. You're the OG is what they say. Right? You're the original. Yeah.

Lauren Marshall  46:19

Okay, I'll take it. Yeah,

Randy Hulsey  46:21

you currently have a new song that's out. That's entitled Love won't run away. And I'd like to share a clip of that song. And then you know, we'll share the song with the listeners and then we'll come back and chat a little bit about it fair enough. Sounds great, great cast. So So I love the song Lauren, and I was gonna ask you about the song, is this? Was this recorded as a single? Or is it a song that's part of an EP or an LP that you're that you worked on?

Lauren Marshall  48:06

Yeah, so this is actually a song that that my collaborator, Wolfie wrote quite a while ago, he wrote for a female vocalist. And kind of wanted to get the right voice for it. So I would consider I'm just more of a feature on the track. And it's his song, which I believe is going to be released as part of an EP or a two song EP, and a little while. So it really is just sort of my debut feature on on a track. And my own music project is, is kind of in the works for next year. So this is just a nice introduction and kind of a nice way to collaborate, which with my partner.

Randy Hulsey  48:56

Do you know what inspired the song like the the lyrics in the song for him? Did Have you had those conversations? Can you share that with the listeners? Or do you plead the fifth or Okay, sure.

Lauren Marshall  49:07

Yeah. So I think it was always about a reflection of finding the person that you've always kind of been looking for the person that really fit into a life perfectly and, and stayed around and wasn't. You know, I guess running away, and it's sort of, I guess the song itself is, it's a bit of a modern Love Song, if you could, and like a celebration of the one that you're with and how happy you are with them after sort of a journey of ups and downs and trying to find yourself and trying to find that person that really captures your heart. And so and I think both of us, definitely, I mean, he wrote it, but I definitely connected with the song a lot personally as well. I've spent Yeah, so much of my life, everywhere else in the world and kind of, you know, being here, there and everywhere, and it's hard to keep connections alive when you're living that sort of life. And since I've been able to ground myself back here in New Zealand and meet him and things have been incredible, it's sort of Yeah, it's definitely a celebration for both of us of how far we've come, and our separate journeys to be where we are now together and able to create. So it's very exciting. And it's just a special song for me to be able to release and put my vocal stamp on.

Randy Hulsey  50:38

And was the was the song recorded there in New Zealand, or was it recorded somewhere else?

Lauren Marshall  50:46

No, it was recorded here in New Zealand here in Christchurch. My partner's got a his own studio here in town. So we recorded it there. It was earlier in the year actually, it's been quite a while since we did record it. And the journeys kind of got us here to near the end of the year. So yeah.

Randy Hulsey  51:09

You had mentioned earlier that you had spent some time in Melbourne. And was it? Was it the, the I guess the the career that took you to Melbourne? Is that correct? Basically, yeah,

Lauren Marshall  51:24

I, I've been working professionally here in New Zealand for a few years since leaving drama school. And I kind of felt like, there were a few kind of things that would that were ending here in New Zealand that I that kind of signal me to go to Australia, and it was more of an instinct, rather than I'm going to go over for XYZ, it was like, I want to try something new. And I want to see what happens. So I just followed that really. And yeah, I auditioned, I was doing workshops, I was, you know, living the musician, hustle life working a million jobs and just trying to like be excited to be somewhere near. But yeah, I definitely went over there with the idea that I'd love to perform. And I'd love to original music wasn't really like on the horizon at that very moment. But definitely, there's a lot of theater and things like that in Melbourne. But that's where I ended up auditioning. Yeah, for cruise ships. And that took me I would say is from this right. There was obviously a reason I had to be an elven. And for sure, and that kind of worked out. Do you

Randy Hulsey  52:38

feel like that you were? Do you feel like you were tapped out in New Zealand? Like, is that what led you to Melbourne? Like were the I guess the the opportunities more fruitful there for you? Is that kind of why Melbourne? I wasn't sure. The underlying reason, you know, like, I think I've hit a wall here. I need to go there to to have more opportunity. Is that kind of the mindset?

Lauren Marshall  53:06

Yeah, definitely. I mean, there are a lot of New Zealanders in Melbourne, a lot of people, a lot of performing artists went over there. I had friends over there. Yeah, I guess the scene, the music scene here in New Zealand, particularly in theater is very small. And there's there really, especially at that time, there wasn't a lot of opportunities. You know, I'd audition for a few things. And I was I hadn't got them. And I was like, right, well, I can either stay in New Zealand and work, you know, a crappy job and just kind of wait for something to come up. Or I can go out and see what's going on in Melbourne. And that's kind of just what I did. And I think that's just my personality. Like I sort of know when, when the right time is to stay and like really putting groundwork and put the seat you know, planting the seeds and I know when it's time for me to like go elsewhere and try something else. So yeah, that's kind of the story with Melbourne.

Randy Hulsey  54:07

Yeah. Now there were there were three brothers in a band that came out of Australia that we're probably the greatest singer songwriters on the planet. Can you name them?

Lauren Marshall  54:19

three presidents. I don't know if I can

Randy Hulsey  54:24

I love stumping my guest so you would know them as the BGS.

Lauren Marshall  54:32

Wow, how did I not know? I had no idea.

Randy Hulsey  54:36

So you learned something? You learned something new today. Aren't you glad you're talking to me? I love learning new things. Right? So so now if you're on the next podcast and somebody asked you the same question, you're like, I know exactly who that is. How long were you in Australia?

Lauren Marshall  54:56

I was in Australia for Almost no, it would have been almost two years. Okay.

Randy Hulsey  55:04

How would you say that New Zealand compares to Australia? I mean, they're all kind of over there in the same part of the globe, but like from a culture perspective and whatnot, like, is there a big variation? And you know, Australian culture versus that of New Zealand culture?

Lauren Marshall  55:24

Yes and no, in a lot of ways, we are just, you would almost just say like cousins, you know, we have kind of the same outlook on life the same. How would you call it? Yeah, we're super similar. There's just certain things that are very Australian certain things that are very kiwi. And I think it's to do with particularly our like, Maori influence here in New Zealand. Definitely, there's things that you know, and I'm already culture for is Australia doesn't have that. But to be fair, like, you can jump over to Australia, no one will know you're not Australian until you speak them ago. Oh, you're okay. Like, and it's about as far as it goes. Really? Gotcha. Nothing too different.

Randy Hulsey  56:12

Yeah. Is there any plans or hopes of performing in the, in the US? Or is it is it mainly just, you know, my focus is heads down, we're gonna do this thing and New Zealand and make it happen here? Maybe, maybe Australia will be introduced there? Or? What? What does that crystal ball look like? For Lauren Marshall? Like, where do you see yourself in five years? Where would you like to be?

Lauren Marshall  56:41

I would not like to be in New Zealand. I love it here. But I am, I feel like this section of my life is yeah, definitely putting in groundwork

Randy Hulsey  56:52

to something bigger than

Lauren Marshall  56:55

elsewhere. I've always wanted to, you know, or explore the states, and my performing arts journey there. Also, the UK has always been on the list. As I've taken this original music journey, I'm realizing that there is so much out there. That's not just the states of the UK, there's Europe, there's, like, you know, there's a place for you kind of wherever, wherever you choose to get into. And both my partner and I have definitely discussed, we want to go overseas, kind of as soon as we can. We're a little bit limited here in New Zealand right now, because of the COVID restrictions and things, but that's both of our plan. As much as I love New Zealand, it's a very small scene here. Okay. And I've always thought, I've always thought bigger, I've always had plans, like, I want my music to reach here and here and here. And, and yeah, so that's, that is the plan to, to get out of here and explore other places. It's not really a timeline for it at this point, because just can't plan for anything. Oh,

Randy Hulsey  58:11

you you have to. Yeah, you have to just kind of play it by ear. Right. It's sometimes it's just better like that organically. You know, things happen organically sometimes. You know, we talked about performing in the US like, Have you ever sat and thought about if I ever did get to the US like where in the US? Would I go like Where? Where would I want to perform? Like has that ever entered your mind? Do you have a place in mind? Yeah,

Lauren Marshall  58:38

definitely. I mean, for me, California is probably my scene. I have spent, as I said, I've spent time in in like Florida, which is definitely a completely different vibe to the rest of the country. I've spent some time in New York, you know, it's not really my, my same. I'm not really a country artist. So there's places that I feel like you're probably not right for me in that respect. I have spent a little bit time in California, I guess, like Yeah, summer in California would be my pick just overall with life, with music and with performing and what's the lifestyle and all of that? Yeah, telephone I heard I was I don't really know. I've never actually lived in the state. So I don't really make big calls. But yeah, well, the

Randy Hulsey  59:27

California is beautiful. There's, there's no doubt. I mean, there's a lot of opportunities everywhere, I think but I think it's just where you want to where you want to call home. I think you'll get the same the same opportunities in California that you'd get in New York that you'd get in Nashville that you'd get in you know, it's just what fits your personality the best and certainly California is one of the most beautiful places in the United States for sure. And you know, they're they're proud of land and homes there because it's it's so demand you know everybody wants to live there but for the for the sheer beauty of the of the state so I want to know more a little bit more about the secret the secret passion that you have of being an aspiring aerialist, can you talk about

Lauren Marshall  1:00:19

Wow. Yeah. Okay, well, that's something that I got into while I was on ships because a lot of the shows have aerial elements. They'll have actual trained aerialists that do whatever. But sometimes this thing as well in you know, being flown in or flown out or doing kind of being a part of it. And I kind of on a couple of my contracts I started training with with the aerialists and found it was really fun and get to climb ropes and you know, use the lira and do all these different things. And I just really liked it. So I just tried it for a little while. And yeah, and I found it was great fitness. It was a great skill to have on your CV. I haven't done any for a while now. Probably like a year and a bit. But yeah, it was a lot of fun. It was just another string to add to my bow to say Ah, if you need I can do some basic. And also there's a huge you know, this there's a huge thing with companies like circus Olay and companies like that where they do actually sometimes want vocalists or people in their cast to be a part of the circus elements as well to tie in a little bit so I always thought it was just just a fun skill to have.

Randy Hulsey  1:01:45

Whoa, that's kind of what I mean. I was I was putting two and two together because it seems like some of the productions that you've been in are very what word am I looking for Cirque du Soleil ish that have that have the aerialist and, and that type of thing. So I didn't know if that's kind of where the interest piqued from was being around that kind of thing. And it sounds like that it was Yeah, and do like I was reading something about aerialist, and it's like you they start out by getting a mentor and I guess this mentor kind of teaches them the ropes of whatever it is that they're learning and I didn't know if like what was the extent of the the aerialist training was it was it pretty basic stuff that that that you were doing?

Lauren Marshall  1:02:40

Yeah, cuz I, I mean, I'm, I've never done that before that I'd never done aerial before. And there's a lot of like, I guess basic skills that you kind of need to acquire before you can do certain other things. And with with Royal Caribbean, when I was working with them, they had sort of an aerial training program that they would do in the studios in Miami to sort of help, I guess, start the transition some dancers into being able to do aerial as well. And that also, like leave the sessions open for any other cast members who wanted to train and wanting to get strong and do some basics have some basic skills. So that was sort of, I would just go to training with everyone else, you know, most five days a week, in the morning, and then once you got on board, there were certain things that you had to be able to do to continue training with everyone else on the ship, because it's sort of you have to be certified for safety reasons you have to have been approved to your apparatus, and all those kinds of things. So but it was definitely very guided and there was definitely it was nice that as a as a vocalist, they kind of let me train and and get involved as well. And yeah, it was just a good challenge for me,

Randy Hulsey  1:04:06

and there's no fear of the heights.

Lauren Marshall  1:04:10

I don't love heights, but I never really had to do anything super high. I mean, I had to sit on a on a hoop on a lira quite high up but I wasn't required to do you know, any tricks or anything. Okay. So yeah, it was there was nothing crazy. For me. It's just basic. It's kind

Randy Hulsey  1:04:31

of it's it's an amazing thing. When growing up I did some platform diving 10 meter platform diving, and it was not it was not like competition diving or I'm not trying to say that I was like some superstar diver it was it was more of a hobby. But really where I'm going with this is the you know 10 meters of course around 33 feet you know my would do all these crazy things off of at this height right? And and I find As the older I get, I don't want to be anywhere near that platform. I don't even want to look up at it. Like it's weird how the mind kind of tricks you as you get older, like the things that didn't scare you, as a kid frighten you to death now and I would have never in 1000 years thought that I would ever say I was afraid of heights because it just never bothered me as a kid. So when you said, an aerialist, I have no idea how old you are, nor is it even relevant, but it's just like, there's no way that you're going to like tote me up 30 feet above a stage somewhere and, and dangle me there and hope that I don't fall onto the stage. There's just no way that that's gonna happen. Not at this not at this stage of the game. Right. So kudos for you for having the guts to do such a thing.

Lauren Marshall  1:05:49

Yeah, a lot of people are just like, Oh, yeah. I mean, it's definitely not

Randy Hulsey  1:05:58

for the faint of heart.

Lauren Marshall  1:06:00

Scary. There is a scary Yeah, I will admit,

Randy Hulsey  1:06:03

those performers are amazing, though. You have to take my hat's off to those guys and girls that gee, I've been to, I wouldn't say many, but I've been to my share of the Cirque du Soleil shows. And the performers are absolutely breathtaking, amazing, all of the things that they can do, the physical shape that they're in, and it's just, it's amazing. It's really amazing. Short of the things that we've kind of shared throughout the podcast, are there any other announcements coming out of the Lord Marshall camp that the listeners should know about? Or that you'd like to share with them? Or it's just the very moment

Lauren Marshall  1:06:43

Yeah, it's I'm really focusing on the release of Love won't run away with with the levator project. I can't really announce anything else as such right now, because everything that's lined up for next year is kind of waiting in the wings. But I'm very excited to be releasing an EP next year with Lupita. We're currently working on that right now. Sort of in the, in the stages of putting different songs together and seeing how we like them. So that's very exciting. And that's going to kind of be my focus for next year. But as far as this year, I'm just

Randy Hulsey  1:07:24

just get through COVID.

Lauren Marshall  1:07:28

Just just making it through, I guess the Christmas like the holiday season, doing some gigging. I'm doing a little bit of acting couple of music video projects, for some friends and and yeah, just really finishing wrapping up the year and then starting 2022 with the bang, that's where I'm at. Yep, yeah,

Randy Hulsey  1:07:53

for a start for 2022. Well, I look forward to hearing the new stuff. And I certainly want to make sure the listeners know where to find you and the project and all of the things that you're doing so is there you know, can you share with the listeners where they might be able to find you on social media?

Lauren Marshall  1:08:14

Of course. So my, my main account is Lauren Marshall. You can find me on Instagram at Lauren martial music. And as far as my, my project was levator you can find it on Instagram at La vita dot music. And levator is spelled L O V TA.

Randy Hulsey  1:08:38

You guys make sure to Yeah, you guys make sure that you follow and support and like and share and subscribe and do all of those ding the bell and whatever else that that that we as musicians and artists ask you guys to do with our social media sites. But if you have a couple of minutes, Lauren, I have a couple of quickfire questions for you that I thought would be fun and then we'll get you on to your day. Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston.

Lauren Marshall  1:09:08

Whitney Houston 100%

Randy Hulsey  1:09:11

Yeah, and if you want you could okay, I was gonna say the the quickfire questions are normally like a single answer but if there's any that you want to elaborate on, feel free like I have time and so if you want to tell the listeners why Whitney Houston feel free to do that. I didn't want to like cut you offer anything so.

Lauren Marshall  1:09:31

Okay, for that particular question. I will say I used to listen to Whitney Houston's tapes, like she was probably the first artist over listened to where I was obsessed with her voice and her sound and her music. As far as pop music, so she's very special to me, and it will always be Whitney. So I don't I don't dislike Mariah she's amazing as well. But Whitney is the original.

Randy Hulsey  1:09:54

I went to Nashville. I don't even remember what year it was maybe 2000 Seven seven ish I think in in recorded with a friend of mine on Music Row there in Nashville and we were at a I think it was a PF Changs having dinner one night. And in don't and don't quote me on the date because I'm horrible with dates. If you listen to a podcast I probably say that a million times like I'm the worst date person I can't. I can't correlate dates in my brain but we were eating at PF Changs and like two tables over Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston we're eating in the same restaurant so that that's the closest that I've ever been to Whitney Houston crazy. Yeah, yeah. You never know who you're gonna run into in Nashville, though. You know, those people are everywhere. The celebrities are everywhere and Nashville. Do you have a favorite genre of music? If you had to pick a genre? What would it be for Lauren Marshall?

Lauren Marshall  1:10:50

Probably so music that kind of covers everything. It's where my heart is.

Randy Hulsey  1:10:57

Yeah. So were you did you like the Motown stuff the Earth Wind and Fire the you know? Yeah, though Motown stuff. I love that stuff to

Lauren Marshall  1:11:07

our town is differently. The Funk? Funk, r&b?

Randy Hulsey  1:11:10

Yeah, yep. Yeah. Are you a summer or winter girl? Summer? Definitely summer. How about TV or radio?

Lauren Marshall  1:11:20

I don't listen to radio much these days. But I also don't really watch TV. So I mean, I don't know what, what really I can pick?

Randy Hulsey  1:11:32

You can say neither. There's no wrong answer. There's no right answer. There's no right. You're not getting a grade on this. Right? So whatever answer you give is a perfectly fine answer. I don't I don't even I shut cable off in my house two years ago, like I don't, I don't have cable TV. I don't have time for cable TV, working a full time job. At one time, I was playing 130 shows a year. And then the podcast is just It's like a It's such a time suck. Like all the editing the interviews getting the artist on. I had no idea when I started this how you know entail and how much time it was gonna take. So who I mean, who has time for the radio or TV? So Right? Yeah. What about a perfect vacation for you? Do you have one in mind?

Lauren Marshall  1:12:21

I do. And it would be somewhere very tropical by the beach. I've always wanted to go like to the Maldives or somewhere like that. Somewhere where I can sit by the beach, I can get inspired by where I am. And honestly, just really relax and unwind. Because I find it really hard to do nothing. I'm not very good

Randy Hulsey  1:12:48

at that. Myself. Yeah. I think you could probably tell by the things that I just listed that I do work full time podcast do this. I don't like sitting idle is not what I do. Well, so we're probably wired the same there. Are you a stay in or go out kind of girl?

Lauren Marshall  1:13:06

I used to be a go out kind of girl. But nowadays when I go out I'm playing a gig. So I stay in. I can help the

Randy Hulsey  1:13:16

show. Sure. And are you an early bird or a night owl?

Lauren Marshall  1:13:20

100% night owl? Are you? Yes, I do not do morning I tried my whole life to be a morning person and it doesn't agree with me.

Randy Hulsey  1:13:31

So that's interesting. And I would say that I'm the polar opposite of that some some mornings like on the weekends, I'll find myself here in my studio that you can see editing shows at five o'clock in the morning on a Saturday morning. It's just when my brain is fresh. Like there's something about the nighttime, when it's I look outside and it's dark, that my brain just goes into the shutdown mode like it's okay. It's getting close to bedtime and I you know, I don't know. It's kind of weird, but I'm kind of the polar opposite there of of the early bird, or the night owl I should say.

Lauren Marshall  1:14:09

We're all so different. You know, like it's, it's crazy. But yeah, if you work say

Randy Hulsey  1:14:15

exactly. If you had your choice and you got to pick where would you like to call home? Like this is not career related. This is just strictly this is where I want to live.

Lauren Marshall  1:14:29

Do you know what Hawaii

Randy Hulsey  1:14:31

okay, that tie that back to the beach thing? Yeah,

Lauren Marshall  1:14:35

I went there on my my most recent ship contract and I just was like this is great. I love this. I love that there's an island energy that sort of his resemblance to New Zealand or the Pacific islands here and and it's just beaches and I met a couple actually on one of my ships who The lady was American and her husband was from New Zealand and they earned a mango farm and Maui. And I thought, wow, I'd love to own a mango. in Maui. Like, what a dream. That kind of is something in my head. I think I'd be really creatively inspired there.

Randy Hulsey  1:15:18

How could you not I mean, it's a beautiful place like how could you not be inspired? I want to trip there. With my full time my career job some years back and and I, I took my wife and my mom and dad to we went to a Oahu and spent time in, you know, Honolulu and the North Shore, Waimea Bay, but never made it over to Maui. But what a beautiful place I know that that that islands probably a little more commercial. And then Maui, I think the the raw beauty of Hawaii is probably more so Maui than than a wahoo. But they're all beautiful, nonetheless. Yeah, totally. Do you have a favorite song to play live when when Lauren goes and sits down on the stool with the guitar? Is there all is there that one song that you just you can't wait to get to to play at your shows? Or is it I didn't know if for performer if there was one like that for you?

Lauren Marshall  1:16:24

Yeah, so there's probably a couple. So I play a couple of songs in my set by Amy Winehouse. And I always like they have to be done. I have to sing everyone else. And like gigs, it's just like a non negotiable. So either back to black or, you know that I'm no good. Okay, there were those songs. I love to play and then most recently, it's been randomly. I Heard It Through the Grapevine. I've really loved play. And people really enjoy it. And I feel like I can go like full soul. And I saw

Randy Hulsey  1:17:02

so like this is the same like Creedence Clearwater Revival. I heard it through the grapevine, or is this Oh, you're talking about Amy. Amy Winehouse did a song entitled that?

Lauren Marshall  1:17:12

Oh, no. This this is yeah, like, I guess you know, Marvin Gaye slash slash? Oh, yeah. Sure. Like, fusion. Okay. Yeah. Version. But yeah, I've really seen that. But definitely, Amy Winehouse is very special for me. Because yeah, she's she's a huge inspiration. And I want to keep her music alive when I feel her music a lot. So

Randy Hulsey  1:17:35

yeah, I think I heard or read something you had cited her as a major influence for you. Yeah. As it relates to the guitar is, is there any formal training with the guitar? Or is it just play by ear.

Lauren Marshall  1:17:52

I did take lessons for a while in high school. And then I kind of stopped when I left high school. And I didn't play guitar for like, a good five or six years. And then I kind of picked it I'd kind of played on and off and I picked it back up maybe two or three years ago. And sort of just use the knowledge I had to make it work for me. I wouldn't call myself like a guitarist. Sure. I've certainly. Yeah, I've become more comfortable and accustomed to it, especially when it comes to accompanying myself. Okay. But yeah, so I It wasn't completely self taught. But I've definitely put in a lot of my personal musical knowledge into it.

Randy Hulsey  1:18:41

Yep. Yeah, I think I think a lot of the people that I asked that question of, it's a hybrid, you know, they play by ear and you know, some of them are prefer professionally trained, I guess. So. Yeah. Hybrid hybrids are great answer as well. Would you say that there's a, like, a number one influential musician or even a band that is just the end all be all for you.

Lauren Marshall  1:19:15

There's definitely not one not one, one single No, I, I couldn't. This so many. And it may end. For me. I love stuff from so many different genres. And I'll just kind of go through maybe like my favorite 20 artists and go around and around around but I'm also finding new stuff all the time. That really, really inspires me so I couldn't ever say one. One particular.

Randy Hulsey  1:19:45

That's a tough question. That's like saying, what's the greatest song ever written? Like, I mean, how do you how do you even it's a fun question to ponder but there's no again there's no right or wrong answer behind it. But I want to I want to thank you for being on the show. And for all the correspondents leading up to this. I know your time is valuable, but it's been an amazing chat with you. So thank you for that.

Lauren Marshall  1:20:12

Oh, you're welcome. Thanks for Thanks for, for reaching out to chat to me. I'm really honored.

Randy Hulsey  1:20:17

It's my it's my pleasure. And I asked the listeners to like, share, and subscribe to the podcast. And also make sure that you follow Lauren, on all of her social media outlets. I don't think I don't remember if you mentioned this, Lauren. But you also have a website called Lauren and marshall.com. So so I'm helping Lauren out. Remember all of her social media plan. And in all fairness, I can't remember all mine half the time either. So anyway, make sure that you guys follow and be on the lookout for new projects for from Lauren. I want to thank you guys for tuning in and remind you that you can follow the show on Facebook at backstage pass radio podcast on Instagram at backstage pass radio, Twitter at backstage pass PC, and on the website at backstage pass. radio.com You guys stay safe and healthy. And thank you again for tuning in to Backstage Pass radio.

Adam Gordon  1:21:16

Thanks so much for joining us. We hope you enjoy today's episode of backstage pass radio. Make sure to follow Randy on Facebook and Instagram at Randy Hulsey music and on Twitter at our Halsey music. Also make sure to like, subscribe and turn on alerts for upcoming podcasts. If you enjoyed the podcast, make sure to share the link with a friend and tell them backstage pass radio is the best show on the web for everything music. We'll see you next time right here on backstage pass radio