Quarantunes: A playlist by Lauren Ruth Ward

Kevin Bronson on May 7th, 2020

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The COVID-19 lockdown arrived the very same weekend as Lauren Ruth Ward’s sophomore album. Even with her tour pushed back, fans are hearing a lot from the L.A. favorite, thanks to her Instagram Live sessions. In today’s QUARANTUNES on Buzz Bands LA, she talks about gushing over fellow creatives, and shares a playlist featuring some.

THE LATEST FROM LAUREN RUTH WARD

Darn the timing. Just as Lauren Ruth Ward released her sophomore album “Vol. II” in mid-March, the live music arena — one in which the vocal dynamo excels — ground to a halt. With her singing having been compared to some of the greats, the album’s thematic content reflects the unvarnished honesty that has made Ward a favorite since she arrived in L.A. She explains the story this way:

“I wrote poems as a kid. As my friendship grew deeper with my first guitar, I turned them into songs. My poor teenage heart drenched those journal pages in pathos. Fast-forward to my early twenties, and I realized I needed my writing. It had been the most effective therapy, and I had no choice but to make it something of it. Perhaps others could heal through my healing? I chose to not only take my writing more seriously but perform my songs as often as I could for whoever would listen. My intention: to be seen as a hyper-creative musician. “Well, Hell” [the title of her debut album] … I was in L.A. and there were people picking up what I was putting down. I felt accepted. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 in double-time. Diving into the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ that I ignored became my go-to approach. My never-appeased-curiosity has now become my process. Wow, I am a ‘musician’ and I have a ‘process?’ The feeling of peace being reachable no matter the pain, I continue to dig. My second album, “Vol. II”, was born. My intention for the listener: to accept, reject, heal, feel, to fill in any cracks that need filling, be your bible or to serve as background noise. It’s yours.”

Ward, who has been busy doing Instagram Live interviews, was supposed to have celebrated the album release in late April at the Teragram Ballroom. That show will be rescheduled. The U.K./Europe dates on her tour have been reset for late November and December.

HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MANAGE THE ‘STAY AT HOME’ EDICT?

Week 1, I organized so many things I wouldn’t have had the time to otherwise. After that I planned one to three IG Live interviews a day with creatives in my community. I was supposed to be on a three-month tour promoting the release of my second album, so I felt a calling to find a way to connect and share with my fans. Gushing about all the inspiring creatives in my life me is one of my favorite pastimes so it only felt right! I’ve interviewed 70 people so far and plan to continue as long as we’re quarantined.