Lauren Elder, stage and screen star with credits including the Broadway revivals of Hair and Side Show, the West End revival of Hair, Boardwalk Empire (HBO), Louie (FX), and more – will release her first solo self-titled debut album on January 25, 2017.
Haven Burton (Kinky Boots), Allison Guinn (On The Town), Kaitlin Kiyan (Hair), Maya Sharpe (Hair), composer-lyricist Bobby Cronin and others will appear in a special concert with Elder at The Slipper Room on January 25 at 8pm to celebrate the album’s release. 
The album features all original music written by Elder with the exception of a slowed-down cover of Paula Abdul’s 1980’s hit “Straight Up.”
Elder plays various instruments on the album including her ukulele and said most of her album’s inspiration comes from real-life experiences.
“I was trying to work out some feelings I had for a guy and realized the best way to do it was through a song. I picked up my uke and started plucking different strings until I liked what I heard, and wrote my first full song, ‘What Is This’, which appears on the album,” Elder said. “Then I learned actual chords, but continued to work my out emotions, mostly related to love or heartache, through songs.”
With a whimsical, folk sound that hasn’t been heard in her Broadway credits, Elder’s album is a departure from her musical theatre background as she enters the musical world as a folk, jazz, bluegrass singer-songwriter. While drawing inspiration from other female artists including Jenny Lewis, Elder’s sound is original and a reflection of her lifelong passion for music.
“I’ve been whistling almost my whole life, my dad taught me when I was four,” Elder said. “It has become a big part of my music, and is almost like another instrument on the album.”
Elder’s self-titled album was made possible through a crowd-funding effort on Rockethub.com. With an initial goal of $6,500, Elder’s friends, family and fans helped raise over $10,000 for the album.
The album will be available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and CDBaby.
Special thanks to Dan Crowley (producer, sound engineer, mixer, keyboards and percussion), Bobby Cronin (producer, keyboards), and vocalists Maya Sharpe (HAIR), Kaitlin Kiyan (HAIR), Allison Guinn (On The Town), Haven Burton (Kinky Boots), Josh Walker (Side Show), Steve Gilewski, Cris Slotoroff, Max Tholenar-Maples, Steven Lipschutz, Coyote Anderson, Andy Jobe. The album was recorded at Motel Room Studios in Long Island, NY.
Lauren Elder will present her first solo self-titled album at The Slipper Room on January 25 at 8pm to celebrate the album’s same-day release. Doors will open at 7pm. The venue is located at 167 Orchard Street. General admission tickets are available for $15 in advance and $25 at the door. Click here for additional information and tickets.