Lauren Watkins: ‘Introducing: Lauren Watkins’ – Debut EP Review

Big Loud Records’ newest signee, Lauren Watkins releases her debut EP, Introducing: Lauren Watkins out now on all streaming platforms. Listen to the brand-new project here.

Equal parts storyteller and songwriter, country newcomer Lauren Watkins is ready to introduce herself to country music. The Nashville native has just released her debut EP, a collection entitled Introducing: Lauren Watkins, featuring 7 new tracks she co-wrote.

For her Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters debut project, Watkins enlisted songwriters like Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally, Tofer Brown, and more, to bring her musical vision to life. Produced by heavy hitter Joey Moi, Introducing takes listeners through all of the things that make life unique, magical, and messy.

“Sleeping in My Makeup” may be your first taste of Watkins’ music, and what an introduction it is, her smoky voice punctuating classic country instrumentation as she deals with a breakup by drowning her sorrows at the bottom of a bottle. However, the lyrics here are exceptional, as she’s “too drunk to care ‘bout the smoke in my hair,” and “way too gone to take off my Luccheses.”

“There’s tequila on my breath // And a pounding in my head // I’m a dive bar shit show // Downward spiral lately // And I’m even more a mess when I wake up // He’s sleepin’ in her bed //  And I’m sleepin’ in my makeup”

Meanwhile, “Ole Miss,” “Grain of Salt” and “Shirley Temple” offer some of the EP’s most clever lyrics, as she finds herself dealing with her own heartbreak and jealousy as an ex is moving on. “’Shirley Temple’ is one of my favorite songs I’ve written,” Watkins shares. “It’s just a classic song about jealousy. You want someone you can’t have. As much as we don’t wanna admit it, I think most of us have been there.” 

Likewise, “Camel Blues,” “Dark Places” and “Anybody But You” have her doing things she shouldn’t with people she shouldn’t. “Camel Blues” is a surprisingly bittersweet ode to the nostalgia found in coping by lighting up a cigarette, while “Anybody But You” has her desperate to move on. “The only way to fall out of love is to hate you,” She sings here. “I’d do anything with anybody but you.”

“Ole Miss” is a 90’s-infused midtempo ballad that provides a moment of country greatness that finds her longing for her college days and the heartbreak that went along with an old love. “Four years and a few more beers ago, Two kids fallin’ in like they didn’t know,” She sings nostalgically.

“It’d end up in the rearview fadin’ slow // But dammit I’m still seein’ // Those powder blue eyes looking into mine // You breaking my heart at the twenty yard line // Said I was fine guess all this time ain’t healin’ // The same Ole Miss you feelin’”

While much of Introducing: Lauren Watkins finds Watkins dealing with heartbreak, this isn’t a sad album. Instead, it’s a celebration of clever lyrics and country instrumentation as she mixes unique phrasing with 90’s-inspired riffs, truly making her a standout female star on the rise.

Introducing: Lauren Watkins EP Tracklist:

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For tour dates and more, visit the singer-songwriter’s website here.

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Introducing: Lauren Watkins EP is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.