Lauren Elizabeth Jenkins (born September 16, 1991) is an American singer-songwriter. Throughout her teenage years, Jenkins performed regularly at nightclubs in various states, before settling in
New York City to study acting. While involved with the film industry, she landed the role of Trey Campbell in Deadline (2012).
Big Machine Records would sign Jenkins as a recording artist in 2013 and release her debut
extended play (EP) The Nashville Sessions EP in 2016. This was followed by her debut studio album, No Saint (2019), which ranked on Billboard'sTop Country Albums and
Heatseekers Albums charts. After being removed from Big Machine's roster in March 2020, she
independently released her second EP Miles on Me, Part 1 in July 2021.
Life and career
1991–2012: Early life and career beginnings
Lauren Elizabeth Jenkins was born on September 16, 1991, in
Arlington, Texas, and raised in
South Carolina.[1][2] She has a younger sister which she considers one of her role models.[3] When Jenkins was six years old, her father took her to her first concert and around the age of eight, she began writing songs.[4][5] As a child, she often attended concerts with her father. Jenkins stated that her musical inspirations include "acts like
Tom Petty and
The Allman Brothers Band".[4] During high school, she was a competitive swimmer and participated in the
AAU Junior Olympic Games.[6] At age 15, Jenkins bought a car and an acoustic guitar and moved to
Memphis, Tennessee.[7] Jenkins also briefly resided in
Charleston, South Carolina, and
Charlotte, North Carolina.[8][9] She began
homeschooling so she could travel and pursue a career in music.[4] Around that time, she earned money from modeling for
Mello Yello and
Coca-Cola, and co-hosting
Jerry Lawler's wrestling television show Jerry Lawler's Memphis Wrestling.[6][10] Jenkins sang in
nightclubs using a
fake identity document on the
East Coast following her relocation to Memphis.[2][7] She also attended
open mic nights and sought out coffee shops and airports where she could perform throughout
North Carolina.[5] Jenkins left Memphis and moved to
New York City to follow her acting career "more seriously".[11] After performing regularly in the latter city, Jenkins would settle there to attend the
William Esper Studio school for acting.[2][4] While splitting her time between New York City and
Los Angeles, Jenkins worked on the set of Cigarette Girl (2009) and starred as a bartender in both N-Secure (2010) and Tough Trade (2010).[2] In 2012, she played Trey Campbell in the mystery drama film Deadline (2012).[12] It received generally negative reviews from
film critics.[13]
Big Machine released "Give Up the Ghost" as Jenkins's debut single in October 2018, however it was not serviced to radio stations as she wanted to "give people a chance" to see if they would like it.[20] On November 16, Jenkins announced that her debut studio album, titled No Saint, was set for release on March 15, 2019. Big Machine released the single "Maker's Mark and You" on the same day.[21]Bobby Bones selected Jenkins as part of his "Class of 2019" artists in January 2019.[6] Upon being chosen as
Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month in February, she made her debut on Today on the seventh of that month.[22] Jenkins performed at country music festival
C2C: Country to Country in March.[23] Two days before her first album's release, Jenkins premiered its accompanying short film Running out of Road (2019), which she co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in, at the Violent Crown Cinema during the
Austin City Limits Music Festival.[24][25]No Saint was issued on March 15 by Big Machine.[26] The record consists of an Americana, country, indie, pop and rock sound; she co-wrote every song on the album.[27][28][29]No Saint was released to positive reviews, and peaked at numbers 7 and 18 on Billboard's
Heatseekers Albums and
Top Country Albums charts, respectively.[30][31][32] Jenkins performed songs from the album at Billboard's and
CMT's "Billboard Live Featuring CMT Next Women Of Country" event on June 3.[29] Also in June, she was one of the performing artists at the
CMA Music Festival.[33] On September 15, Jenkins sang at
O2 Academy Glasgow.[34]
2020–present: Departure from Big Machine and Miles on Me
In early 2020, Jenkins was the supporting act for the European leg of
Brett Eldredge's tour.[30] She appeared on
Ricky Ross's Another Country with Ricky Ross radio show on
BBC Radio Scotland in February to perform songs from No Saint.[35] On March 5 Jenkins learned from a Big Machine staffer that the label had dropped her.[30] Additionally, Jenkins was going to embark on a European and United Kingdom tour in the same year, which was ultimately canceled.[36] Her first
independent release was "Ain't That Hard", which was unveiled in May 2020.[37] Jenkins revealed in July 2021 that her second EP, Miles on Me, would be released in three parts, with its first part being released in the same month. She told American Songwriter that when the
COVID-19 pandemic began, she abandoned work on her second studio album and instead conceived Miles on Me over three studio sessions throughout 2020.[38]
Artistry and personal life
Reed labeled Jenkins a "natural country-pop star" and MusicRow's Liza Anderson described her as an "Americana singer-songwriter".[7][39] In reviews of No Saint,
music critics highlighted Jenkins's vocal delivery.
AllMusic's
Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that her voice is the "first striking thing" when listening to the album.[28] According to Tom Roland from Billboard, Jenkins's voice makes use of "multiple personalities". He regarded her lower
resonance as "haunting and spooky" as well as her
upper register being "biting and forceful".[40] Marissa R. Moss of Rolling Stone stated that Jenkins was "never afraid" to showcase her vocal delivery on No Saint.[41]Billboard's Annie Reuter noted that the album has been recognized for her "smoky vocals and vivid storytelling".[32] Jenkins's vocals have also been compared to those of
Norah Jones,[28]Sheryl Crow,[42] and
Stevie Nicks.[42][43]No Saint comprises themes of romance,[41][44] self-doubt,[28] and alcohol.[28][43]
Throughout 2020, Jenkins performed live on social media platforms to help sustain herself and had given over 100 concerts by October. According to her, the tips she received from the viewers were "paying [her] bills".[36] In 2022, she had
hip replacement surgery as she suffered from
chronic pain which was caused by extensive touring.[45] During a songwriter's event at
Napa, California, in 2021, musician
Patrick Davis proposed to Jenkins.[45] The pair had previously performed at charity events together.[8][46] They wed on October 15, 2022, at
Lookout Mountain, Georgia.[47] Jenkins moved to Nashville in 2013, where she resides with Davis.[48][49] The couple sang at
Bret Saberhagen's cancer charity event "Strike Out" in September 2022.[50]
Discography
Studio albums
List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
^Betts, Stephen L.; Freeman, Jon; Hudak, Joseph; Moss, Marissa R. (June 4, 2019). "CMA Fest 2019: 25 Must-See Free Shows". Rolling Stone.
Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
^"10 Things to Do Today". The Sunday Times. September 15, 2019. p. 26.
^
abHorowitz, Hal (March 12, 2019).
"Lauren Jenkins: No Saint". American Songwriter.
Archived from the original on September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.