Lauren Ellis

Lauren Ellis is an American slide guitar player with an emphasis on the blues.

Career Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ellis has a rich background as a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter.

She has worked with artists like Rita Coolidge, Nell Carter, Peter Tork of The Monkees, Don and Dewey, Boo-Boo Fine Jelly and The Scarletts

Ellis moved to Los Angeles where she wrote and recorded her first album, Push The River. She was joined on the album by Roy Bittan of the E Street Band, session guitarist Dean Parks, Neil Stubenhaus on bass guitar, and Herman Matthews on drums. This album helped Ellis win Outstanding Guitarist at the 9th annual Los Angeles Music Awards.

Heather Phares of AllMusic gives Push the River 3 stars out of a possible 5 and writes, "Lauren Ellis' debut album Push the River follows the bluesy, heartfelt path of Bonnie Raitt and Melissa Etheridge's work, but her style is less gritty and more pop-oriented."

Relocating to Nashville, Tennessee she worked on her second album, Feels Like Family. This album featured musicians Tony Joe White, Viktor Krauss, Dean Parks, and Kenny Malone.

Pure Music writes, "Her first CD, Push The River, was a more AC/pop oriented effort, with a host of high profile L.A. session player friends. Feels Like Family is more on the roots rocking side (the notes say that Lucinda encouraged her to rock) and points up the R&B, blues and rock chops she's got in spades."

Roger Holland reviews Feels Like Family for PopMatters and concludes with, "Here's the twist: the third track on Feels Like Family is called "End of the Line", and it's almost marvellous. It's a blues piece with the oh-so sophisticated '80s feel that can only come from a man with bad highlights, designer stubble, an expensive tan and the sleeves of his Armani jacket rolled up to the elbow. It's the Eagles' "Witchy Woman" on qualudes. It's Ellis delivering a near uncanny Sade impression. "A woman thinks her man is gonna change/ And a man thinks his baby won't." This song, my friends, this song is why they invented iTunes."

The review at STLBlues says, "Feels Like Family has: Delta, Country, slow songs, Chicago-like electric guitar, acoustic, slide and rock. I liked this CD/DVD combo a lot, the music is pure and touched me. I found the songs to have a great deal of depth – vocally, Ellis is masterful."

2011–present In 2011, Ellis moved to Austin, Texas. When she isn't writing or performing, she repairs and restores stringed instruments. She has toured The States and abroad as guitar technician for The Monkees, The Knack, and the Eagles. She has her own shop at MusicMakers, near downtown Austin. and AllMusic.