Health scares have a way of prioritizing things. For Lauren Denitzio, undergoing heart surgery at the young age of 25 brought one key priority into sharp focus: music. Since then, the musician has approached their creative venue Worriers as a form of pure expression, both musically and emotion. The band's earnest, joyful music has earned it a place in the world of punk, including an upcoming tour opening for Alkaline Trio.
Lauren Denitzio 0:12
The band, I do feel really fortunate because the band is self sufficient. I try very hard to not do anything that the band doesn't financially support on its own. And so I think that even just that is a really a really good place to be where I can afford to, you know, compensate all my bandmates and the people that go on the road with us and, you know, do all the things that we want to do, you know, as as a self sufficient entity, for sure. But, but then I don't necessarily focus on paying all of my other bills that way.
Brian Heater 0:54
That becomes a problem at some point. I don't know if you're there yet, but at some point that will come back to haunt you, I think, yeah. What I was going to ask previously, whether, you know, having being in a band with musicians who are in these, like, you know, big, big name bands, whether that makes things difficult, but I suppose there's a there's another another upside to it? Is that, like, they don't have to rely on this specifically for their income. Sure.
Lauren Denitzio 1:25
Well, I mean, you know, I, I think it's more that I'm fortunate to work with people, or I've been working with people who are in other projects, like I'm, I've been the only person in warriors who is like just really just doing worriers. And so regardless of like, the level of the other bands that they're in, or like the activity that people have, in other bands, it's always been much more about the collaboration for this particular project, or for one particular tour, or working on an album together and not as much, well, we're all in the band together and depend on that for not just income, but, you know, creative fulfillment. And, you know, just like, general creative commitment, I don't expect anybody in the band to just just be doing worriers. 100%. Although our though our, our guitarist Frank comes pretty close. He's, he's pretty great. But you know, everybody else kind of comes in and out. And I don't you know, I don't I don't expect people to be like clearing their schedule forever. For warriors.
Brian Heater 2:50
Is an extent, though, to which you do have to kind of work around their schedules. I
Lauren Denitzio 2:55
mean, yes, yes. And no, I mean, for recording, yes. Because obviously, the people that I'm writing with and recording with, like, they, there is some of that, but, you know, people are only available so much of the time, but for touring, it's always been set up where, you know, if if somebody can come on the tour, great. You know, like, there's always kind of the first, the first round, folks that that I asked first, but then if they can't, then we just find somebody else. And, you know, it's not definitely not like disposable in any way, but but they're generally cool with that. And that's how we're able to tour all the time. You know, like, if I think it would be a lot more difficult if I had been committed to a singular lineup this whole time thinking
Brian Heater 3:41
about frauds, especially as I'm sure you are, I'm a big hold city fan, and I like pretty much all their stuff, but man, like, those albums that he's on, it's like, you know what, I mean, like that stuff that he wasn't on, you know, that it was I liked it all, but like boys and girls in America, there's something that he brings to a record that you just can't duplicate.
Lauren Denitzio 4:04
No, I mean, yeah, and that's the thing. It's like, I feel very thankful to have just like, known him for a long time and to finally be able to work with him and, and he contributed so much to the last record and has played some shows with us. I'm hoping he'll he'll play more shows with us. You know, we have some backing tracks at shows when he's not around so that we can still have the piano parts. Yeah. So it's all there. Because that's the thing, it's like this. It's not it's not just something that you can omit from the song and have it still sound like the song, you know, you know, it's like, like, we can't, we can't play some of those songs unless there's keys or like, I don't want to, so we find a way to make it happen.
Brian Heater 4:57
Is it just that it's like difficult to find did another keyboard player for live shows? Or is it just that nobody can do exactly what he does for the band?
Lauren Denitzio 5:07
It's probably a little bit of both. He's definitely I mean, that style of playing, it's not something that everybody can do. And in my mind, it's better to find someone who can excel at that and do that really well. Then try to make it fit for someone who's like not not really great at that, or who that style doesn't really come naturally. So yeah, I don't know, we just we just make it make it work, I guess, got the
Brian Heater 5:44
sense reading something about you that was really in the last, you know, few years or several years that you really kind of took, took it to the next level this band as far as this being like, your thing that you do?
Lauren Denitzio 5:59
Sure. I mean, I think it was definitely in the, in the past few years that I really, I just became more comfortable with it being the fact that like, I am the songwriter of the band, that is my project, that you know, that I could make that more obvious and apparent in it. Because I don't, for a long time, like, I really don't necessarily like my face on things I don't it's not, that's not the point, like I'm not I don't you know, necessarily being the center of attention, even though I am the lead singer in the band. So, I don't think it was until the past the past few years that I made it about my songwriting and less about what the other people I'm collaborating with necessarily wanted, or, you know, what people expected of have a quote unquote, band, or like, what we had sounded like in the past. So yeah, I think that's correct.
Brian Heater 7:07
What does it mean? Beyond again, obviously, being a songwriter and lead singer, what does it mean to center yourself?
Lauren Denitzio 7:16
I mean, I think you can talk about a band, for you know, everyone, everyone who's in it, I think you can talk about a band as this kind of nebulous, creative energy, this, this entity that I just think there's a different language around bands than there is when you talk about a person and, and their story. And their trajectory, like across you know, many different projects or something. You know, I just think there's a different way of, of talking about it. And I think, you know, coming up in the scene that I did, there wasn't a lot of like, it would, it was kind of not looked down upon, but, you know, it wasn't always a done thing to have it be like a solo project. So I think it took me a while to be more comfortable with that, even though that's what it was for many years, but but I think talking about it that way was more comfortable for me.
Brian Heater 8:27
You're talking about punk? Yeah.
Lauren Denitzio 8:31
Yeah. Yes.
Brian Heater 8:32
It's such a fascinating topic. For me, I I'm from the Bay Area, originally, I used to go to Gilman Street. And it's really interesting now having conversations especially with like, people who are quite a bit younger than me about all of these now in hindsight, seemingly, to certain extent, arbitrary rules that we live their lives by, and all of that just kind of out the window now. Yeah,
Lauren Denitzio 8:59
it's very out the window. And I mean, there's certainly still values and ethics that I stand by. But you know, I there's certainly a lot that that was prescribed, that I realized doesn't really make a difference. So I
Brian Heater 9:24
purely hypothetically, you know, if we talk about like licensing music or something like you're not going to you're not probably not going to be in an exon commercial like the you know, but but the mere the mere idea of licensing music now is not, it doesn't have the same kind of well, I guess, I guess I would say that the people are just happy that musicians can find a way to actually make a living doing music.
Lauren Denitzio 9:53
I think I think that that is the thing. It's like once you get over the hump of it being something that you are being compensated for. I think that a lot of people now realize how hard it is to just exist just to exist under capitalism, just as anybody, let alone a musician or an artist. So it's like, Hey, if you can find a way to do this and not necessarily be supporting horrible companies, you know, if you can stay true to yourself a little bit, you're, you're better than a lot of people or you're doing better than a lot. So, yeah.
Brian Heater 10:33
I mean, in addition to the kind of, like I said, punk ethos being an issue, Senator, you're centering yourself early on, it seemed to me you kind of alluded to a bit of maybe insecurity you had about yourself as a songwriter in the early days.
Lauren Denitzio 10:51
Um, I think I don't I don't necessarily think that I was insecure about myself as a songwriter. But I think I was very happy to collaborate with people and make it more of a group effort and not not try to act like I knew everything already. I think it took me a long time to figure out songwriting for myself, you know. So, yeah, I think it was just a different it was a different approach.
Brian Heater 11:26
It wasn't about being deferential necessarily.
Lauren Denitzio 11:30
Not uh, not entirely, because I think for most of the time that we're years has been abandoned has been like, you know, I have the final say, with things like it is at the end of the day, my music, but I think I yeah, it just it, didn't it. I don't even know how to put it necessarily. Because it's not, it's not that I can look back on things and and think like, oh, like, I didn't actually really like this part, or like, we shouldn't have been playing this this way. But I think I was just thinking more about it as a band and a much more collaborative effort than maybe I do. Now. Or I think the people that I have been making music with are our PA people that are that are very confident in what they do, but are also very supportive of what I'm trying to get at. And it's really nice to be in a room with people who you know, just just want to serve the music and serve the song and figure out what it is that I'm trying to go for. And, and you know, we all try to move towards that. But yeah, I don't know. I think it's, it's hard. It's hard to verbalize
Brian Heater 12:55
not to put words in your mouth, maybe what you're getting at is walking that line. And and I'm sure it can be really difficult. I don't. When I do creative things, it's a little less collaboration, but walking the line between trusting yourself but also recognizing, like, there's a reason why this is the person that I chose for this because I very much trust them to make the music.
Lauren Denitzio 13:16
Yes. Yeah. Well, 100%
Brian Heater 13:19
the things you learned over the years as a songwriter, you know, what, what kinds of things do you know, now that you didn't then?
Lauren Denitzio 13:27
Oh, I mean, I think it's it comes from a lot of just taking apart my favorite songs, you know, like playing a lot of covers learning, like spending a lot of time in the studio learning why certain songs sound the way they do in a way that if you're not making music, why would you think about that, you know, like, why would you think about like levels of compression on vocals, or how things are layered or how certain things are EQ and how the bass cuts through more and certainly, it's like really nerdy stuff that I don't I think earlier on I was it felt like the only the only people who really cared about that were people who are just trying to get keep, or trying to be like very, like overly invested in gear. So I think yeah, I mean, it just takes a while it takes experience it takes playing music for a long time and figuring out what you like and why you like it. That that I definitely learned a lot and and and I had a lot more time to sit and make music by myself at home over the past few years for obvious reasons. That like when, when it was kind of forced on me that I couldn't I didn't live anywhere near any of With my bandmates we couldn't get in a room together, that wasn't possible. So I had to, at a certain point, just try to build songs on my own, like without having somebody on other instruments and I sent stuff back and forth. Like, that's definitely how the the newest record started was was sending demos back and forth. So but it was, but it was definitely my having to sit there and figure out, like, Oh, I'm, I'm writing this bait. So I start to finish, you know, like, I'm, I'm layering vocals here, because what else am I doing? Like I can't can't wait to be in the studio. It's not going to happen. So. So yeah, there was definitely a lot of a lot of that, that I think a lot of people now if you're start if you're just starting out playing music, and you have all these tools at your disposal, of course, that's how that's where you're probably starting. But but that's just not where my mind has been for a long time.
Brian Heater 15:57
So is it fair to say that part of this idea of centering yourself came out of necessity of, of having to be the main driver?
Lauren Denitzio 16:06
I think definitely. Yeah, for sure. I don't I don't, I wasn't they didn't have to drag me kicking and screaming, but it was definitely like, Okay, well, I guess this is happening now. Because it just kind of has to the pandemic
Brian Heater 16:22
had that effect on people in a lot of different ways. You know, for me, it was like, Well, I guess I can't not go to therapy anymore. You know, it was it was something of just like being stuck at home and just having to like, yeah, live with yourself.
Lauren Denitzio 16:38
Yes. Kind
Brian Heater 16:39
of miserable, to be honest.
Lauren Denitzio 16:41
Yeah. Well, it was definitely like, Okay, well, if I'm, if I can't, you know, hang out with my friends and make music all the time. What is the what? What's the music that I want to be making? What does it sound like? Like, what what am I actually having fun with? Because at the end of the day, then that was like, that's all that matters. I just got to be really stoked on what I'm making.
Brian Heater 17:09
So is that something that you? I mean, it seems obvious, but is that something that you had to learn that that was what you need to focus on?
Lauren Denitzio 17:20
Um, I mean, I think I thought for a long time that there were certain types of music or certain types of songs that were were like, in the worriers, wheelhouse that I could write music that was for other people, and I still do want to write music that maybe other people play, but I, I think I did need to learn that. Oh, like, No, I can pull this off. Like I can. I, if I'm gonna write music that doesn't necessarily sound like an indie punk band. That's fine. Like, no, no one. No one's gonna freak out. It's fine. Just make the stuff that I think is really fun. And
Brian Heater 18:10
well, that's yeah, that's kind of what I'm getting at is, you know, it's not just like, playing the music and being open to play other things, and not worrying about what people think about it. But centering, having fun playing music, not everybody has fun playing music, and a lot of great music is not particularly fun.
Lauren Denitzio 18:29
Right? Yeah. Fair. Fair. Yeah. And I mean, it's like, I wouldn't necessarily call all of our songs, quote, unquote, fun, but I do really enjoy playing them and want to have that sort of joy in making music even if it doesn't always sound like you know, a bouncy pop song all the time. This
Brian Heater 18:57
is crass. But anytime you talk about, like money and making a living doing something it is but at the end of the day, if this isn't something that you know, is making you a fortune, then I mean, that's enjoying enjoyment as is as good a motivation as any. Sure.
Lauren Denitzio 19:16
I mean, I think it's, it's less that I mean, it I do still rely on it to exist though, like for so like, you're
Brian Heater 19:30
not doing this because it's making you a ton of money, you know, yeah,
Lauren Denitzio 19:34
it's not like, Oh, I hit I hit the jackpot on Tom viral song. And so then, like, people know me for that. So I have to keep doing that. No, it's and that is that's that's true. And I'm kind of glad that that has not happened.
Brian Heater 19:52
The cover song is interesting, because, you know, obviously a lot of bands like that's that's how they start right? Whether it's it like playing direct covers or just being like, so influenced by other artists, that it's that it's hard to shake it, but that, does that continue to be a part of your process, like a dozen or so years in? Sure. I
Lauren Denitzio 20:14
mean, I just I like, you know, just messing around and playing cover songs, even if it's just at home. I mean, in 20, I think it was in 21, a 2021. We put out a covers EP, that was all the covers we had had to record for, basically, for live streams. And yeah, that stuff's still really fun. Like, I think like, especially when we go on tour, throwing in a cover is always something I like to do. I think people really respond to it. Because it's also like, I don't necessarily always cover the most obvious songs that you would think we would cover. So then you kind of learned something about the band you like, or something was like, Oh, they actually all really love this band that I wouldn't have thought, you know. So that's been, that's been really fun.
Brian Heater 21:07
What are some of the more left field examples?
Lauren Denitzio 21:10
I mean, the one I always think of is that like, I, we've covered Fleetwood Mac. And everybody was sleeping.
Unknown Speaker 21:20
Like water.
Lauren Denitzio 21:21
We did a and maybe this was like before. A lot of younger people were we're really talking about when
Brian Heater 21:30
I talk about viral sensations. There was that dude on the skateboard with the cranberry juice that Oh, write that song. Yeah, but
Lauren Denitzio 21:37
see this the thing? I thought it was before that, we did a Fleetwood Mac cover setup fest. And I just thought it would be funny, you know, and I thought I was like, Oh, our friends would like this, you know, this, this, this would be amusing.
Brian Heater 21:55
The contrast of
Lauren Denitzio 21:56
of it all. Yeah. Or just like, you know, I'm sure we all grew up with our parents listening to Fleetwood Mac in some ways, like, you know, some of the songs. So I just thought would be fun. And people just lost their minds like it was. It was just such a strong reaction. That I think, yeah, it was, it was just surprising to me. At that point. I was like, oh, okay, I guess we all like Fleetwood Mac. I didn't. And, but it wasn't something that I expect, like that I think he would have known about. me or my bandmates necessarily beforehand? Yeah,
Brian Heater 22:39
I think it's one of those things. It's like yacht rock. You know, where, like, for a long time, people were very secretive. It's like, yeah, of course. Everybody likes this. This is music for everybody. Sure. So did you? How much of the new how much of the latest record? Did you actually record at home?
Lauren Denitzio 23:00
The latest record none of it? Yeah, none of it. Warm, warm blanket. I recorded all myself at home except for for drum set Adam recorded separately in a studio. But trust your gut. It was 100%. Studio. I had nothing. I had nothing to do with tracking any of that.
Brian Heater 23:22
Yeah. Is there a sense in which that was kind of a reaction to the last album of having to do it all yourself?
Lauren Denitzio 23:28
I'm not. Not in the way you might think. I think I from learning a lot through doing a lot of recording myself, I think I had a better understanding of the value of going to a studio, you know, of, you know, working with specific people in specific studios or just, you know, relying on people who had who had better tools than I do to make it happen. So. So, so yeah, I think I just I knew that if it was going to sound how I wanted it to sound that other people needed to be involved. And that's fine.
Brian Heater 24:15
Would you ever repeat that earlier experience if it wasn't out of necessity?
Lauren Denitzio 24:23
I mean, I think I would. I mean, I certainly continue to record at home, but I think I would, I would probably even even though the feedback about warm blanket has not been like oh, this sounds like shitty home demos. I think I would probably frame it more as demos or at home recording. Because I like being able to have fun with stuff that way and not have it be 100% polished. So I like giving myself that that freedom to kind of mess around and Like, okay, this is gonna sound kind of Lo Fi, but also fine. But just not to be precious with
Brian Heater 25:07
it. For like, a decade, we've been talking about this idea of the internet opening up, you know, distribution and not having to go through like record labels and all that stuff. And certainly there are plenty of bands that do take advantage of it. But I'm, I'm surprised that over the last, I guess, four years now that, you know, after doing all the after doing home recording, and that after doing these live home performances, that more bands aren't continuing to do that, you know, and just in terms of like, obviously, you, you know, you're we grew up at a time when when proper records were important. So that's still important to you, but that, but there is this, there is this immediacy, and there is this Outreach that you can tap into by doing things that way? Sure,
Lauren Denitzio 25:57
um, no, I mean, I think it, it still has changed the way that I make music and think about, you know, recording and releasing songs, I think, probably moving forward, I'll probably end up doing more short form, work. Just in terms of not not necessarily always having a beautiful album. But yeah, there is that immediacy, and having some more tools at my disposal. Now, it's been really fun to figure out what I want that to look like, and, or even just like, we recorded a song for. For this comp, that it was a spinal only, and technically, like, the song isn't released anywhere else. And but I had the tools to do that, like we did, we tracked all of that on our own. And then, and then I had, I think it was Jack Shirley mixed it. And, you know, that was just something that we could do in a week, you know, or like, over a few days, everybody goes to the studio records, their stuff. And then and then we have a song that we can put out. And, and I think that projects like that are really, really fun. I'm glad to do more of that.
Brian Heater 27:22
One thing I think about all the time, because, you know, I was doing the show for a couple years before the pandemic started. But you know, since the pandemic started, and I guess it's, you know, still very much going on. I got COVID, two weeks ago for the fourth time. It that, I don't know that I've had maybe one or two conversations on this podcast that where COVID Hasn't, like, come up in some way or another, you know, obviously, part of the creative process and just our emotional states and the way we live our lives, but I'm wondering if like, I don't know, do we ever get to a point where, to a certain extent, the trauma of the last four years doesn't inform everything we do.
Lauren Denitzio 28:15
I mean, I think that I would like to be able to frame it as having learned, what can be taken away really quickly. And that taking things for granted. Yeah, just being able to make decisions based on like, you know, what, I could not have this opportunity tomorrow, like, we're doing a couple tours this spring that, you know, are not are not the easiest to just get up and do. And, but but it's very much like I have I've no idea what's going to happen. Like you just have like, if this sounds fun and exciting, then then we should be doing it. And, you know, when when projects or opportunities are thrown my way at this point, it's it's very much like, well, do I actually want to do that, you know, like, is that? Really what, how I want to be spending my time and if it's not, then I don't and it's not and I don't think of that as having experienced trauma that's like, like, in a bad way. It's like, okay, I've learned I've learned that. Like, how to prioritize things, I guess.
Brian Heater 29:25
I mean, that's a very pragmatic, pragmatic answer to the question, but you know, you know, I'm sure experienced trauma to a certain extent, like all of us did, it was a really hard, few years, not that things were particularly good prior to that, but, and not that not to say, obviously, for reasons we've discussed, this isn't like your pandemic album, but it's subject matter. It seems to still continue to inform society, right. Yeah,
Lauren Denitzio 29:53
I mean, I think that the I think that the things that I was thinking about politically before the pandemic are things that I that are maybe more obvious to people now. And that I just have continued to be be outspoken about. So, yeah, because that's the thing I don't I don't think that what I what I have addressed in the record is actually like all that different than things I've talked about before. But But yeah, certainly, the past few years have been have informed a lot of my outlook.
Brian Heater 30:44
I was talking to our mutual friend Caroline before this. And, you know, was like double checking that you're not non binary, obviously, like, want this information before, either. So, yeah, you know, just to respect people's identities, but one of the things I said to her was, my weekend project is going to be going, we've got like, 630, some odd episodes is going through and like updating all the names and the pronouns, because something that I realized, recently, like doing some back end stuff for the podcast is how many people since the show started, like 10 plus years ago, have transitioned. It's, it's incredible, like, just the sheer number, and I think, I mean, I, it's interesting, but also, like, not entirely unexpected when you do a show where you interview creative people that like,
Lauren Denitzio 31:44
Yeah, well, especially if you have like, 600 episodes, you know, it's like, there's gonna be a solid person at that, like, maybe you may,
Brian Heater 31:51
I'm sure there are 600 episodes of a lot of podcasts, where, where that isn't the case. But if you're talking to like musicians, and writers and people who are generally like, left of center, then that makes that makes a lot of sense. Is that something? Like, I know, I know, that is a subject that you, you do tackle in music, obviously, because you know, it's a big part of your life, your identity. But is that something that's come more to the front for you in recent years?
Lauren Denitzio 32:19
I feel like this is a boring answer. But no. It's a fine answer, right? No, I mean, I think, yeah, not I think that's the thing. It's like, it's, it's so almost like, not a non entity, but just like, I, I feel like it's so much a part of me and my perspective that I just, I write from my perspective, but I don't necessarily point that out, necessarily. And I think that if that I think anyone's experience with with gender can kind of identify with a lot of what I end up singing about in that regard. You know, like, it's sometimes sometimes more obvious than others that I'm that I'm talking about, you know, my specific relationship with gender or androgyny in general. And but yeah, I think it's, it's Oh, it's like I forget some times, it's like, um, I don't think about it as much as as you would think. But yeah,
Brian Heater 33:39
this is gonna sound real rich coming for me, you know, but that there is a, there is a privilege in that and not having to think about that all the time. Yeah.
Lauren Denitzio 33:49
Oh, absolutely. I mean, you know, I say that also, like living in Los Angeles. And like, when I travel, I'm often with people who, you know, are obviously, on the same page as me and, and, you know, whatever. But no, certainly, there's a ton, there's a ton of privilege there. And it's not to say that I'm not like, conscious of my gender when I'm out in public. But, but I think when I'm making art, it doesn't. It's less about me, and maybe more about the politics surrounding it, or like what else is happening in the world? So
Brian Heater 34:36
that's what I was getting at. And that's why there was that very awkward transition between the pandemic to the subject. I asked because obviously, like, listen, there's never been a point in American, certainly American history where it's been, like, easy to be, you know, consider yourself on the LGP T spectrum, but like, I don't and I don't know how much of have a role to kind of pin Demak played in this to a certain extent just because of you know, that it brought out the extremes and everybody but like, man, it it's like this. That's the battlefield sure how Yeah, I mean, it's like it's like masks and that, you know, I mean, which is,
Unknown Speaker 35:21
you know, insane and makes it yeah,
Brian Heater 35:23
thank god like DeSantis isn't running for president? You know, obviously the alternatives are great, but but like, he made his career with that shed?
Lauren Denitzio 35:33
Yeah. Well, and it's just, and I think I think that's the thing. And what is so frustrating is that, you know, I've, I've been queer and identified as such for the majority of my life and have had various, you know, political experiences with that of, like, acceptance or not, and seeing the, you know, political climate. Regarding that change over time, in general, it was getting better for a long time. And now there's this backlash, this just like, What is even what I just don't. I mean, I know where it comes from, but I, but it's, it's so disappointing and frustrating because of all the work that's gone into creating safer spaces and creating acceptance and awareness. And like, especially for kids, you know, that the fact that now, people are obsessing over things that like, I thought maybe we were past that, and it it's just, it's, it's weird, people need to get a life, like, leave people alone. Like, you know what I mean? Like, it's just so it's so strange to me. And upsetting. So? Yeah, I don't know, phrasing
Brian Heater 37:05
it that way that we that these were things that we had were, we had gotten past. You know, I thought that, obviously, not entirely, but that we had done a right, this took a long time, but a relatively good job of, you know, having more representation, you know, and like And sure, and making things like slightly better for for people of color and the Trump presidency during it. And since then I continue to kind of ask myself, how much of my of that sentiment is because things were moving in that direction, and now there's a backlash and things are progressing, and how much of it is just me again, being in my very, very privileged position, and just not seeing a lot of that stuff happen?
Lauren Denitzio 38:03
Sure, I mean, I think that's the thing, it's like, everybody's in their own little bubble. So you're gonna think it's like, fine, and that's fine. Like I, you know, I live in a major metropolitan area, my perspective on you know, anything really is very colored by like, what I'm seeing on a day to day basis, and you just have to be conscious of, of the fact that like, not everybody has it that easy. Not everybody can walk down the street, you know, safely all the time. And and I think that, yeah, I mean, that's the thing. It's like, you just have to be aware of that, of that privilege of certain point. And and, yeah, it's just it's very, it's very frustrating and sad when when you see people like, actively try to turn back the clock, you know, and it's just, it's not it's not helping anybody. So it's, it's hard.
Brian Heater 39:07
The sense that these battles have to be fought all over again, and that you can't focus on the next thing is extremely frustrating. Yeah. Oh, totally. Are you back in LA? Is that what you said? Okay, when did that happen?
Lauren Denitzio 39:20
I moved out to LA about five years ago. Okay, so So
Brian Heater 39:26
you were in LA. While you were in Brooklyn. At one point, you're in LA, you moved to Philly and then moved back to LA?
Lauren Denitzio 39:34
No, I lived in. I lived in Brooklyn for a long time. I briefly moved to Philadelphia and then I moved to Los Angeles. Okay,
Brian Heater 39:41
got it. Yeah. Got it. Yeah. That makes makes more sense. No, like, listen, I live in New York, and I love Philly, but that that makes more sense to me. I'm saying so somebody who's from San Francisco. Oh, cool. So what brought you out to the West Coast.
Lauren Denitzio 40:01
I just really liked it. Yeah. No, I mean, I, I have not been tied to a city for a job in a long time. And we got to the band got to a point where we were really just touring. Like, we could never really play local shows. So there was no point in my necessarily staying right where my bandmates were because we couldn't, we weren't really playing local shows anyway. So. So I just I decided to go where it was nice and sunny all the time, and where I had some cool friends. And yeah, it was just better. It's better fit for me out here. I think. So.
Brian Heater 40:49
I've seen you allude to this in conversations before. Again, I'm from the Bay Area. So it's very similar. But San Francisco is different in that it's Silicon Valley. And that, you know, they there's this thing of, you know, walking down Market Street and walking past like the Twitter headquarters. And then, like, it's right by the tenderloin, and, you know, people are shitting on the street out there. And it's, it's always been, you know, unhoused people, that's always been something that the city has had to grapple with. But it's, it's gotten so hard lately. And that certainly applies to LA, you know, I haven't been there in few years. But last time, I was there, I had to do something in the arts district and drove through Skid Row. And it's like an entire, an entire city out there. And it's just it's really, mentally it's really hard to reconcile those things of just like, the the good lives that people are living in Los Angeles, and then the number of people who are like struggling to get by.
Lauren Denitzio 42:08
Sure. I mean, but I think I think it's the same situation. In most places in the country, to be honest.
Brian Heater 42:17
Well, the West Coast in particular, though, because I was in I was in Vancouver, a couple months ago. And Vancouver. That crisis is possibly like, worse. Sure.
Lauren Denitzio 42:32
Yeah. No. And I think that's the thing. It just shows itself in different ways. Yeah, I'm
Brian Heater 42:39
just getting out that the weather's really nice. Winter in Toronto, if they can't live inside know
Lauren Denitzio 42:45
for sure. Yeah. So they definitely it definitely happens a lot more in in. Yeah. In Southern California, for sure. Because it's just a lot easier to exist if you if you don't have a lot of resources. So which is sad. So,
Brian Heater 42:59
yeah, yeah. Put kind of put a damper on how nice it is living on campus. Is there any? You know, you said, you said that your job doesn't tie you to a place but in 2024? Are there any benefits? Obviously, LA's an industry town for for movies and film, but I've been also also traditionally music too. Are there? Are there benefits on the music front?
Lauren Denitzio 43:26
Oh, sure. Yeah, really? Yeah. I mean, that's, that's the thing. It's like, there, I have lots of friends out here who are involved in music in a ton of different ways that aren't just being in a band, that aren't just being a songwriter, which I think is is something that I hadn't experienced before. So it's, it is really cool. It's, I mean, it's just such a creative city, that you know, no matter what you're interested in, or you know, what your art form is, there's a place for it here. So that that was definitely that definitely made me feel better. And moving out here that I was like, well, whatever happens, there's always going to be something there that I want, that I want to be a part of. So yeah, it
Brian Heater 44:06
strikes me that you're this this sort of newfound focus this newfound centering is, is really paying off in a big way. I mean, I'm looking at your tours and I'm looking at the people that you're playing with and it really it seems like things are really coming together over the last couple of years. Yeah,
Lauren Denitzio 44:27
I can't complain it's I think that's the thing it's like I just leaning into certain things and just following where where I really wanted to go I think has has let us do some really some really fun things and had some really great opportunities come up so I mean, the tours this spring are just are the best and and it's just a really nice place to be for sure.
Brian Heater 44:56
Yeah, I mean, it seems like a big secret to Your recent success is just like getting popular bands really into your.
Lauren Denitzio 45:07
I mean, it doesn't, it doesn't hurt to just be nice to people, you know, just just to like be friends with people. And it's not it's not like pulling strings or, you know, trying to like rub elbows with people. It's literally just like, the people that we're touring with are people that I've known for a long time at this point. And it just, it just happens that our paths can cross in a fun way right now. So yeah, I'm really I'm psyched that that that kind of stuff can can pay off to
Brian Heater 45:45
any headlining tours in the future. Not
Lauren Denitzio 45:47
not for a while, probably not for a while, but because we just did like two months of that. So I'm a little headlined out, but we'll see. We'll see maybe later this year.