Lauren Mitchell hails from Bradenton, Florida, but in 2021 Ms Mitchell relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana to expand her musical knowledge and influences. Most recently, in August 2022, she recorded as a guest vocalist with the Count Basie Orchestra for their upcoming album “Basie Swings The Blues”, alongside vocalists Keb’ Mo, Carmen Bradford, Bobby Rush, and Bettye LaVette, among others. Scotty Barnhart, Director of The Count Basie Orchestra, has said that “Lauren is one of the most important blues artists working today.”
Prior to 2020, Lauren was sharing her gifts with audiences all around the U.S., and even internationally for a January 2019 performance at the Havana Jazz Festival in Cuba! From 2016 to 2019, Lauren and her band travelled the country on several lengthy U.S. tours that had her sharing the stage with Buddy Guy, Danielle Nicole and Lurrie Bell. Her 2017 release, "Desire" was recorded in Los Angeles with Grammy Award Winning producer Tony Braunagel (Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Robert Cray). That album garnered her two Blues Blast Award Nominations, and was ranked the #6 Soul Blues Album on the Roots Music Report for 2017. “Desire” also earned high praise from the Blues/Soul/Roots community, including a comparison to the late Etta James by Grammy Award Winner Josh Sklair, guitarist, producer, and music director for the last 25 years of Etta's career.
Ms Mitchell has been on the rise since the release of her first album, "Please Come Home" in 2013, which was followed by a 2014 win to represent the Suncoast Blues Society in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge. Lauren's second album "Live! From the Bradfordville Blues Club" (2014), was also chosen in 2015 as the entry for Best Self-Produced Album at the 2015 IBC by the Suncoast Blues Society. Ms Mitchell has been a featured artist in several industry publications including Blues Music Magazine (Memphis, TN), The Morton Report "Bentley's Bandstand" (Los Angeles, CA), Blues Blast Magazine (Chicago, IL) , Munich Talk (Munich, Germany), Mayhem Magazine (Tampa, FL) and more.