[PREMIERE]: Lauren Strange Covers Iconic 90s Song ‘Zombie’
If you’re looking for some songs to add to your Halloween playlist (and you happen to be obsessed with “The Walking Dead” and everything “Zombie” ) Lauren Strange has you covered with her new amazing cover of “Zombie,” available for download now.
Originally made famous by The Cranberries on 1994’s “No Need to Argue”, Lauren’s cover is beautifully haunting, capturing a more eerie vibe of the classic tune.
In addition to working on a new original EP for us all to hear this Fall, Lauren has collaborated with Passion Pit and Jennie Vee, from Courtney Love’s band. She’s definitely one to watch if you love lady rockers with a dash of glam-goth vibe.
Check out the single and teaser video below, and then peep our Q&A with Lauren! and for more information on Lauren, visit www.laurenstrange.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rA3JCHK7iE
First of all, we need the origin story — where did you come from? How did you realize you could make music?
I was born & raised in Memphis, Tennessee, and I’ve always been surrounded by music. My mom sings and plays guitar and piano, and my dad loves audio equipment and collecting music. My family introduced me to so much great music growing up – from Veruca Salt and Al Green to Tom Petty. I grew up with a love for singing and writing, so when my mom encouraged me to combine the two and let me borrow her cassette recorder, I wrote and recorded my first song and discovered my passion for songwriting.
What are some of your influences? If you were to describe your sound, like Cyndi Lauper meets metal, what would it be? If you were to tell someone about your music that hasn’t heard it – how would you want it described?
Some of the bands I love most and draw influence from include The Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, and Veruca Salt. I love bands with well-written lyrics, catchy hooks, and walls of guitars. I’ve had my music described as if “Garbage and Veruca Salt had a baby” and also as “Taylor Swift thrown in a blender with Kurt Cobain’s skull and a pound of sugar.” I take those comparisons as huge compliments!
What made you decide to do this awesome cover of The Cranberries’ “Zombie”?
“Zombie” is one of the best songs of the 90s. I connected with it so much as a teen and I still do. My band and I started playing it randomly during a rehearsal one day and then I started to be able to hear how I would want my own cover of the song to sound. Once I had that idea in my head, I had to record it!
You’ve collaborated with some pretty cool artists including Passion Pit and Jennie Vee, from Courtney Love’s band. What was it like working with them?
The session I did with Passion Pit for VEVO was a blast. I especially loved working with Michael on the background vocal arrangements for their cover of “Carry On” by Fun because he’s so effortlessly creative. I remember he left the apple he was taking bites of on top of the piano while he was playing in between takes and was like, “Just leave it there,” to the crew, but they wound up moving it. After two takes he nailed the song after figuring it by ear and we recorded that way.
I also had the pleasure of touring with Jennie Vee’s band last year in the UK and it was a great experience. She’s such a hardworking, talented writer & musician, and I look up to her as a role model, so it was an honor to tour beside her! We played some great shows including Rockaway Beach Festival in Bognor Regis alongside Johnny Marr, Spiritualized, and Echo & the Bunnymen.
If you could meet any celebrity or musician alive or dead — who would it be and why?
I would really love to meet Dave Grohl. I’ve heard he’s so nice! Times Like These by the Foo Fighters is a song that I’ve held onto since I first heard it as a teen. The lyrics are so powerful and have really gotten me through some of the darker moments of my life.
Do you think it’s easier to be an artist in the day and age of digital music and Spotify? Do you think it’s harder to connect with people in terms of getting the music out there?
I think getting noticed as a DIY artist might be easier now since the internet is where people consume most of their media, but making money from music sales as an artist is definitely a greater challenge than it used to be. The way the internet and social media enables artists to interact with their fans (and vice versa) is awesome, though. It’s so fun to be able to interact with my listeners who live everywhere from Finland to Japan.
Do you believe that every song is about something? Or do you think songwriters just write what sounds cool?
Every song I write comes from my personal experiences and emotions. I have a lot of both, haha! I think songwriters who are just experimenting with what sounds cool can still have a genuine core from which they draw creatively, but there are also composers who write specific-sounding pieces for commercials etc. and there’s no shame in that game either. I hope to delve into that side of songwriting in the next year as a side project.
Do you think there is an absence of females in the rock world compared to the 90s?
I miss bands like Garbage, Veruca Salt, The Cranberries, and Hole dominating the airwaves. I think it’s time for a big comeback in women-fronted rock and I want to be a part of it.
When can we expect to hear a full album from you?
I’m releasing a new single called “Good Person” in October, and will be releasing an EP shortly after that. You can look for a full-length record from me in 2017.
What’s next for you? Is there an upcoming tour?
The full music video for Zombie (there’s a teaser up on my website and YouTube channel now) will be released in the next couple of weeks, but right now I’m taking a break from live shows for a little bit to focus on recording. I’ll be hosting a live acoustic Concert Window show in a few weeks to catch up with my fans, do a live Q&A, and play some new songs, so be sure to follow me on that site if you want to catch the show! You can easily log in using Facebook.
Where can we find out more about you? Social media links?
You can find my cover of “Zombie” (and also my EP “Say Yes”) on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Bandcamp, etc. via my Official Site.
New merch will be listed on my Bandcamp page soon, too.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurenstrangemusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenstrange
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenstrange/
