The semester has come to a close, professors have posted final grades, and student loan accounts are about as low as the Colorado River. For those starting the summer season penniless and pinched for cash flow, do not fear. The possibility to partake in the evening entertainment that defines the summer nights of the “Live Music Capitol of the World” remains open to all — even broke, college kids. ORANGE Magazine presents “Live for Less,” a feature dedicated to the sweet combination of a cheap show and a talented band. For this month, we suggest Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk. Hailing from Canada, the band will make a stop on their tour at the Mohawk in Austin this Tuesday. Check out ORANGE’s exclusive interview with this up and coming folk group.
By Jane Claire Hervey
— THE 5 Ws —
Who: Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk
What: Folk/Indie/Pop Music
When: May 21 @ 9:00 p.m. for $8
Where: Mohawk Austin, 18+
Why: If you like Arcade Fire, you’ll like Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk.
If you’ve never bumped them before, listen to:
1. “I Lost Myself”
2. “Love I Lost”
3. “Let’s Make Our Escape”
ORANGE: You’ve pretty much been on tour since you fully committed to your music career. What do you like about being on the road so often?
LM: We’ve done a couple of tours in the U.S. before. We’re still meeting a lot of new people, and it’s really exciting. Most of our good friends are not in one place, so we usually get to see them when we’re on tour. We meet people at shows that we would never come in contact with in regular life, so it’s a really cool opportunity to meet people.
ORANGE: Which song of yours do you enjoy playing the most?
LM: The single for the record, “I Lost Myself,” is one of my favorites to play live, and it has a lot of personal meaning, so it’s one of my favorite songs on the record. My favorite is the last one. It’s a slow jam. It’s a cool song. I like playing it.
ORANGE: You became a full-time musician in 2010. What fueled that decision?
LM: I got married, and my husband has a very good business. I’ve always wanted to tour, but I never thought it was possible. However, he has the know-how to make it happen — to book shows and manage it — and that kind of made it possible. We just went for it and haven’t stopped. We’ve been touring full-time since then.
ORANGE: Does it ever surprise you that people actually come out to hear your music?
LM: On this tour, a couple of people will come to shows sometimes, and we don’t know who they are, and we’ve never seen them before, and it’s kinda crazy because we’ve mostly been playing for friends and friends of friends. It’s bizarre.
ORANGE: What do you have to say about your new album “Over Land and Sea?”
LM: It’s been a lot of fun to get to share it with people, and it’s been a long time since we recorded it in 2011, but it’s about a journey and traveling and it’s kind of been a journey in and of itself to get it in people’s hands and in their ears. It’s something we’re really proud of, and hopefully we inspire people through it.
ORANGE: Will this be your first time in Austin?
LM: We were there for SXSW in 2012 and we were there later that year in September to play at Stubb’s.
ORANGE: Anything weird about the band that sets y’all apart?
LM: We’re kinda weird. We’re kinda quirky, too, I guess. What’s weird about us? We like to go on adventures together and hang out. Well, I guess it’s not weird [laughs], but that’s kinda cool.
ORANGE: What’s special about this tour?
LM: We love what we do, so we try to show that and get people involved in the show, too. I don’t want to spoil it too much, but we get a few people to play with us. We try to bring them along with us on the musical journey.
ORANGE: What does your music do for you?
LM: Playing music is my escape. It’s how I can express myself, and all of the songs on the album are written about different experiences, and a lot of the songs bring me back to my experiences in my life. Playing shows every night is kind of a relief – it’s my happy place. I feel totally myself.
