Words By: Taylor West
Special thanks to 1824, Universal Music Group, and Renforshort
Lauren Isenberg, known as Renforshort, recently released her debut album, “Dear Amelia.” Her music is an honest reflection of her own experiences with growing up and the mental challenges that come with it. The album opens with “i miss myself,” a self reflection about the desire to return to yourself after a seemingly life shaking event, which sets the tone for the rest of the album. From songs like “we’ll make this okay” to a slower ballad like “let you down,” Lauren works through her own emotions through her music, giving fans a genuine outlet for their own emotions. While “Amelia” is mentioned throughout the album, and even has her own song, she is a character created by Lauren. “She is a character, but she's also me. Sort of the personification of this part of my brain,” when asked who exactly Amelia is. When writing, Lauren hopes that by talking about her own experiences, she is able to help others by leaving it up to the listener to relate to her words in any way they need. Her city of Toronto has also become more than a home but also a source of inspiration, “I find so much inspiration in the city, there are so many people with different stories, culturally it is super inspiring.”
Such is the experience that is all too common in the music industry as a young woman, Lauren has faced many hurdles. Getting taken seriously as a woman in any industry has proven to be difficult enough, but being younger than your male counterparts makes it even more challenging. “I feel like people should start listening a bit more, and I feel like a lot of people feel intimidated by powerful women. Just look at me like I’m a person.” Lauren says on her path through the industry. She talked about how she uses the offhand comments to fuel her fire toward creating a more inclusive environment. She also practices what she preaches with her touring crew being made up of almost entirely women. “It makes such a difference, having these women on the road with me is what I needed.” Having women in these roles is not only empowering for the women on the team, but also for those trying to break into this industry. To see that it is possible and it can be done is helpful for anyone who is struggling to see.
After recently opening for The Band Camino, Lauren is going on her own headlining tour this fall. She talked about how she is looking forward to curating her own show as far as lighting, pace, and just overall having more control over her live performance. To see how she uses this opportunity of visual storytelling is something you won’t want to miss. Even when her music is as personal and touching as it is, having this in-person experience with fans makes it so much deeper and allows this mutually beneficial exchange between fans and artist. Her desire is to make everyone feel like family in the audience and make them feel a part of something while at her show. As live music fans, we understand how powerful and unifying shows can be and it is affirming to have an artist take this much care into creating a real experience for everyone in that room.
Lauren says some of her future goals include being able to create music for her entire life, play an arena, and just to help as many people as she can through her music. I think that while her lyrics are certainly cathartic and helpful to listeners as a mental outlet, she is especially inspiring just as a young woman proudly taking up space in a male dominated field and creating work that is so personal and genuine to herself.
Taylor West
Renforshort
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