Summer festival season is in full swing, and as the Coastal Country Music Festival approaches, all eyes are on country artists for that specific boots and denim country summer feeling. One artist who might be missing from your list of hits to play at the beach or during your next road trip is Chicagoan turned Nashvillian Lauren Gottshall.
Lauren has taken the confessional feel of real country and paired it with the diaristic styles that are dominating the pop space lately. Her songs feel personal (and occasionally devastating!). Co-written with Avery and Olivia Evans, Lauren’s new single, “Camouflage,” is a perfect example of this blend. We may or may not have listened to “Camouflage” to the point of heartbreak (that and Lauren’s Instagram cover of Ella Langley’s viral hit “Choosin’ Texas”), so we had to catch up with Lauren for an inside look at the song.
Showstopper Magazine Online: Hi Lauren! We are so excited to talk about your new single, “Camouflage,” but first, we have to know who or what is inspiring you right now.
Lauren Gottshall: Honestly, living life is inspiring me right now! I am trying to embrace my twenties, and the best songs are written from real-life experience. Can’t write good songs without living life! As for music, I am feeling inspired by Megan Moroney and Carter Faith. I love both of their styles and writing. Always rooting for the girls!
SMO: This is a song about what other people might hide, but you’ve described “Camouflage” as your “most me” song. Can you tell us more about that?
Lauren: I think many times I have hidden my feelings behind my happy exterior, and the vibe of this song encapsulates that feeling. The music reminds me of coming home from the beach with the windows down on a perfect summer day, but the lyrics are deep and sad. Overall, the song is exactly the direction I have wanted to go musically: classic country with a modern flair.
SMO: Where do you think songs like “Camouflage” come from?
Lauren: I think all songs come from real-life experiences, whether you are intentionally writing about them or not. You must be able to tap into those feelings to be able to write a song that people can relate to. I think the idea of the song and so badly wanting someone to fully let you in is such a shared experience, and I hope people can relate to it.
SMO: What was your process for writing “Camouflage”?
Lauren: This was the first time Avery, Olivia, and I all wrote together. Avery was wearing camo pants that day, and Olivia suggested the title camouflage, and then the ball just kept rolling from there. Feels like there is magic in the air every time the three of us write together. We have the best writing chemistry and have so much fun together.
SMO: Tell us about your co-writers! What was it like to work with Avery and Olivia Evans?
Lauren: They are the best!!! I have never had such strong writing chemistry with people off the bat. When we write, it is as if we have one brain. We are all really good friends now, too, which is so fun to get to put this song out together. You can expect many more songs from the three of us to come!
SMO: You’re headed to Summerfest in just a few weeks. Will you be sharing “Camouflage” with a live audience there?
Lauren: Of course!! I am so excited for Summerfest. Avery is actually playing guitar for me at that show, so it will be so fun to play the songs we have written together live.
SMO: We’re kind of hung up on the line “Feel like I’m shooting blind, and I’m wasting time, trying to love someone I don’t know. I can’t get him to take it off, his camouflage.” Can you help us unpack why it makes us so emotional?
Lauren: I think everyone has experienced in some capacity the longing for someone to let you in and the loneliness of that type of love. I feel like the chorus is the perfect mix of frustration and heartbreak that pulls on the heartstrings.
SMO: Do you have a favorite line from “Camouflage”?
Lauren: Oh, there are so many!! Honestly, the whole second verse has some of my favorite lyrics ever. If I had to choose favorites, it would be “I know the password to his phone but his heart’s locked like a vault” and “Two-stepping forward and one step back.”
SMO: “Camouflage” moves away from the playful storytelling you had in your other recent single, “Holy Man,” straight to melancholy. What can we expect from the current era of Lauren Gottshall’s country music?
Lauren: A little bit of everything! I am looking to continue making music that is authentic to me. There is a playful, funny side to me, but I’m also a sucker for the deep cuts, so I want my fans to be able to see all sides of me through my music.
SMO: Is there anything else you want people to know about your music and what’s next?
Lauren: Expect lots more songs to come and lots more live performances. I cannot wait to sing all these songs from the top of my lungs with my fans!
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“Camouflage” is out now on your favorite streaming platforms.