Q&A: lauren napier

How did you come up with the name of the band?
I took a nod from e.e. cummings and put my own name in lowercase … to me, it takes the importance away from the individual and emphasizes the overarching mood and message of the music.

How would you describe your sound?
Poetic folk with a tinge of melancholy.

When did you first become interested in playing music?
Early days in the choir and learning the cello from roughly age 7, instilled a knowledge of music theory and composition. The cello will always be my first musical love and I hope to eventually replace the acoustic guitar with cello melodies. Even outside of the classroom, I remember sitting with my father and recording mixtapes and humming along to old R&B tunes.

What’s the strangest or funniest thing that’s ever happened to you at a show?
Oh goodness. Every show has its own stories. But one that stands out to me is an afternoon at the Hama Hama Oyster Saloon, and two young girls joined me on stage and started interpretative dancing to my minor chords. Surreal but so beautiful.

What are you listening to these days?
Kitty Wells, Benjamin Tod, and Butch Walker seem to be dominating my playlists currently.

What are some of your favorite Bay Area music venues?
Favorite places when I drop in to visit include The Chapel or The Fillmore.
Both offer such wonderful experiences – regardless of the show.

What are some of your favorites hangs in the Bay Area and why?
I always have to make sure to stop by the Beat Museum – an endless source of inspiration and knowledge.

What does music mean to you?
It’s my joy and my sanity.

What inspires you to write?
Changes of address. Productive tears. Sips of whiskey. A dash of glitter. Threads of everyday life and the conversations and silences that happen within those days.

What’s one thing that people would be surprised to find out about you?
I might get up on that stage night after night, but when left to my own devices, I’m the girl with a glass of red wine and a book somewhere in the shadows in the corner of the bar.

Is there anything you’d like to plug?
I happen to be playing at the Octopus Literary Salon on May 17th.