Lauren Marsh started off 2016 in the best way possible by unleashing her brand new EP, (available via iTunes). Check out “Promise” here. Get to know some of Marsh’s influences and favorites below via this mix tape she made for MAGNET readers.
“Lauren Marsh-mallow MAGNET Mix Tape”
Coldplay “Us Against The World”
I’ve always been a big fan of Coldplay, but there’s something about seeing a band live, especially a band like Coldplay. I saw them live in Boston during their 2012 tour, and their true essence hit me. The overall intimacy of “Us Against The World” is a factor that I can’t escape; most songs that I’m absolutely in love with have a raw mixture of heart and honesty. The build of this song combined with the rough-yet-smooth nature of Chris Martin’s voice creates a sonic world I’d love to live in. “Through chaos as it swirls, it’s us against the world”—lyrics that will never lose their impact no matter how many times I listen to this song. There are many songwriters who inspire me to write songs that create immeasurable impact on audiences, and Coldplay is definitely one of them. Video
Dave Matthews “Some Devil”
I’m just going to say it: I love heartbreaking music. I love when you can feel artists laying down all they have and tearing out their heart for their music. “Some Devil” is a song that I deeply needed during a dark time in my life. I lost sight of who I was, and Dave Matthew’s performance of this song made me feel like I wasn’t alone, I wasn’t the only one in this world with a pain that I didn’t know how to see through. This is what I hope to accomplish with my own music, like a hand reaching out through the sound, “You’re not alone.” Video
James Bay “Need The Sun To Break”
On that note, I also love songs where artists lay down all they have for love. It’s heart-wrenching, but there’s so much hope; there’s a chance their love might be reciprocated. I’m definitely a hopeless romantic; I believe in the whole “running through city streets to tell someone for the first time you love them” thing. It’s heart-pumping, and the story doesn’t have a conclusion. You’re simply lost in your feelings, floating and waiting for the person you love to either ground you or let you go. James Bay is an amazing artist; he lives in his performances and gives us his all. It’s something that I have so much respect for. Video
The Beatles “Blackbird”
“Blackbird” was written in response to racial tensions escalating during the civil rights movement in America. It’s the kind of song where you press play and you’re caught in it. I love how raw the texture of this song is between the vocals and acoustic guitar, it bares such honesty. “Blackbird” has a lot of personal meanings for me, but as Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters once said, “That’s one of the great things about music. You can sing a song to 85,000 people and they’ll sing it back for 85,000 different reasons,” and within those 85,000 different reasons, the original intent lives on, and as soon as I press play, I’m caught in it. Video
Ryn Weaver “Here Is Home”
Ryn Weaver is one of my favorite new artists to hit the scene. She has such a unique sound and many great up-tempo songs, but I love “Here Is Home” for how downtempo and delicate it is. Weaver’s voice also has a delicacy of its own, and the mixture is magic. “And if we’re still living when the earth stops spinning, you can fall into my arms” are lyrics that captured me as soon as I heard them. There’s such a carefree nature to this song, and yet strong promises are being made: a combination that has made this song of hers my favorite. Video
Sara Bareilles “Basket Case”
Once “Basket Case” starts playing, everything else goes quiet. Sara Bareilles will forever go down in history as one of my favorite and most influential artists, not only in my music, but in the way I live life. Bareilles lets down her walls in her music. She has such an out-of-this-world way of saying something simple and yet so poetically. I catch myself saying, “Damn right,” during her songs. Her lyrics have always inspired me to live more honestly than I thought I could. As soon as I say to myself, “I can’t say that … out loud … to that person,” I make myself say it. I’d rather be living fully and honestly than to save things for when it’s over and too late. Video
Led Zeppelin “Thank You”
Robert Plant wrote this song for his wife, and it’s the first Led Zeppelin song for which he wrote all the lyrics. Led Zeppelin has been one of my favorite bands since middle school. I don’t think there’s a song of theirs that I wouldn’t be excited to listen to, but “Thank You” has such a unique tone in comparison to much of their work. To me, it’s a whole other side to the band, and it has such sincere heart to it. (I’m like a moth to the flame when it comes to these kinds of songs, as this mix tape is making very clear.) I wanted to end this mix tape with “Thank You” because it’s very close to where I started my journey in music as a performer and as a writer. Listening to songs like “Thank You” and the ones on this mix tape made me realize what I wanted to do with my life: write songs that impact people—songs that reach out and give more to this life. Video
