Lauren Jenkins

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. 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 Top 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. She has a younger sister whom she considers one of her role models. When Jenkins was six years old, her father took her to her first concert and around the age of eight, she began writing songs. 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". Jenkins also briefly resided in Charleston, South Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina. She began homeschooling so she could travel and pursue a career in music. Jenkins sang in nightclubs using a fake identity document on the East Coast following her relocation to Memphis. After performing regularly in the latter city, Jenkins would settle there to attend the William Esper Studio school for acting. It received generally negative reviews from film critics.

2013–2019: Signing with Big Machine and No Saint Trey Bruce, Jenkins's producer, sent demos he had worked on with her to various record labels in 2013. Bruce received a phone call from Big Machine Records's CEO Scott Borchetta which resulted in Jenkins booking a flight to Nashville, Tennessee, the next day. The aforementioned label released a Mötley Crüe tribute album titled Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Mötley Crüe in August, which includes a country cover of the band's "Looks That Kill" by Jenkins. Chuck Dauphin from Billboard named her in January 2015 one of the "10 Hot Country Artists to Watch in 2015". In March 2016, it was reported that she would be one of the acts performing at the Carolina Country Music Fest held in June. On May 27, 2016, Big Machine released The Nashville Sessions EP as Jenkins's debut extended play (EP) which "captures [Jenkins's] love of country, Southern rock and Americana", according to James Reed of Rolling Stone. She co-wrote four of the songs and included her covers of Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" and "Looks That Kill" on it. 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. Jenkins performed at country music festival C2C: Country to Country in March. 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. No Saint was issued on March 15 by Big Machine. 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. On September 15, Jenkins sang at O2 Academy Glasgow.

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. On March 5 Jenkins learned from a Big Machine staffer that the label had dropped her. Her first independent release was "Ain't That Hard", which was unveiled in May 2020. 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.

Artistry and personal life Reed labeled Jenkins a "natural country-pop star" and MusicRow Liza Anderson described her as an "Americana singer-songwriter". 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. Marissa R. Moss of Rolling Stone stated that Jenkins was "never afraid" to showcase her vocal delivery on No Saint. Billboard Annie Reuter noted that the album has been recognized for her "smoky vocals and vivid storytelling". No Saint comprises themes of romance, self-doubt, During a songwriter's event in Napa, California in 2021, musician Patrick Davis proposed to Jenkins. They wed on October 15, 2022, at Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Jenkins moved to Nashville in 2013, where she resides with Davis. The couple sang at Bret Saberhagen's cancer charity event "Strike Out" in September 2022.

Discography Studio albums + List of studio albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positions No Saint Released: March 15, 2019 Label: Big Machine Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 18 7

Extended plays + List of extended plays Title EP detailsThe Nashville Sessions EP Released: May 27, 2016 Label: Big Machine Formats: Digital download, streamingMiles on Me, Part 1 Released: July 9, 2021 Label: Independent Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles As lead artist +List of singles as lead artist Title Year Album "Give Up the Ghost" "Ain't That Hard" 2020 "Like You Found Me" 2021 Miles on Me, Part 1

Promotional singles +List of promotional singles Title Year Album "Hungry Heart / Stolen Car" 2020

Guest appearances +List of guest appearances Title Year Album "Looks That Kill" 2014 Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Mötley Crüe