Maryland-based artist Lauren Calve has released her first single, “Shift” (May 26), from her upcoming debut album of the same name, to be released September 1.
“Will it take me or break me under its weight? Will I take it and break away?” Calve sings in “Shift”. This song about enduring change contains impressive instrumental and vocal elements that come together for a catchy peek into the story being portrayed throughout the new album. The title track contains dramatic imagery of a literal tectonic plate shift and asteroids colliding in space that illustrates her state of mind when it builds into an expression of what it feels like to her in the middle of an emotional shift.
Shift is the follow up to her 2020 Wildfire EP: “My prior releases were collections of songs I wrote around the same frame,” she says. “This album is way more thoughtful and intentional; each song has its purpose and place. It’s the first record that really sounds like me.”
Through the ten tracks on Shift, she invites the listener to come along on her journey of self-discovery and change, longing for something more, demonstrating her proficiency in the art of music-making and storytelling. It was a catalyst for change in Calve’s life: “Ultimately, I made this album, but it remade me,” she says.
The sounds on Shift reflect the environment in which the songs were written, in quarantine, mainly, and therefore in periods of silence and self-reflection. “At the time, I was more drawn to the softer qualities of my voice than the aggressive, blues-rock side,” says Calve. The instrumentation followed suit.
Calve will be performing at The Carroll Arts Center in Westminster, MD on June 17 at 7:30pm. Find more information, including upcoming tour dates, at laurencalve.com.
Find more exciting new music on our Alchemical Multigenre Mixdown playlist on Spotify.
Emma Page, a recent Journalism graduate of The George Washington University, possesses a passion for music journalism and storytelling in all its forms. Originally from Baltimore, MD, when she is not writing, she can be found at a local concert or making music of her own.
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