With her new album ‘BOXING DAY’, Lauren Minear steps further into the spotlight as a voice for the complexities of motherhood, womanhood, and emotional honesty. A Nashville-born, New York-based artist, Minear’s path to music has been anything but conventional. From teenage songwriting sessions in Nashville studios to earning a master’s in social work from NYU, her journey winds through therapy, finance, and grief before returning to songwriting.
Her third full-length release arrives amidst growing recognition: she was recently invited to join the Recording Academy’s 2025 New Member Class and announced that her stunning single ‘Lightweight’ is officially in Grammy consideration. ‘BOXING DAY’ continues the narrative arc started with 2021’s ‘Invisible Woman’ and 2023’s ‘Chasing Daylight’, turning the lens on anger, codependency, and the unspoken tensions within our closest relationships. It’s a record shaped by retreats in Woodstock, moments of freezing creative clarity, and the courage to speak hard truths with grace.
We caught up with Minear to talk personal stories, and how she’s navigating her rising success while staying grounded in vulnerability and self-expression.
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Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?
I have been making music my entire life. As a little girl, I got in trouble for singing at the dinner table. I grew up in Nashville and had a lot of very cool opportunities to write, record, and perform in high school, but then left music behind professionally until the COVID pandemic in 2020. I had my second child two weeks before lockdown, so it was a difficult and reflective time. I realized that I would regret it if I didn’t release an album, so I started writing songs every day and haven’t stopped since.
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
My biggest creative influences are people who follow their instincts, even when it means going against the grain. Joni MItchell, Taylor Swift, Prince, and Doechii come to mind.
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?
This sounds dramatic, but it’s true. During COVID lockdown, I was walking through the woods with my now-five-year-old in a baby carrier, and was overcome with two seemingly competing feelings – grief that I wasn’t writing songs, and profound inspiration. I texted an old friend who is an artist, and she said, “It’s not too late”. On that walk, I could see my music career unfolding ahead of me and decided to answer the call.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
The process is very fluid. I keep a running list of ideas,
How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?
Inspiration is everywhere. Finding it is more about discipline, I think. I try to make something every day. Many days, it turns into nothing. Every now and then, I catch a good idea.
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?
Authenticity and vulnerability.
What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?
I’m a mom, so my schedule generally conflicts with that of the entertainment industry. However, one of the upsides of social media is that I can reach my audience in unconventional ways. I try to lean into that.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?
Making music every day is an enormous gift. I try not to take that for granted.
How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?
I experience the pressure that all artists face, and sometimes it gets me down, but the truth is that as a forty-year-old mom of two boys, I simply don’t have time to be anyone but myself.
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?
I have some unreleased music in the can that I will release when the time is right, and I’ve already started writing my next album. I’ve got a few tours in the works for 2026.
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?
I will be playing bigger rooms and releasing multiple albums.
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Listen to Lauren Minear’s new album ‘BOXING DAY’ below.
