How 'The Voice' star Lauren-Michael Sellers channeled her trauma into her music
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA: Lauren-Michael Sellers is a singer and songwriter from Birmingham, Alabama. She just auditioned for Season 26 of 'The Voice' and will appear in the most recent episode of the NBC show, which premieres on September 30.
Lauren-Michael finds that music gives her a safe place to express all of her feelings and experiences, a voice for the weighty ideas and sentiments she can't express, and a way to get over the uncertainty, grief, and sadness that come with being a trauma victim.
Trauma survivor Lauren-Michael Sellers thanks music for shaping her life
Lauren-Michael defines herself as Georgia-born, Birmingham-bred, and the "powerhouse sound of heartbreak" on her Instagram page. On Spotify, she says she's been performing since she was six years old, plays numerous instruments, and makes her own songs.
She is inspired by musicians such as Grace Potter, Ingrid Michaelson, and Emmylou Harris. She started singing at a young age in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
Lauren-Michael has been polishing her abilities as a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and storyteller since a young age, drawing on her own life experiences to create compelling melodies and lyrics. Music provides her with a safe space, allowing her to express all the weighty thoughts and feelings that go unspoken, as well as a way to negotiate the uncertainty, loss, and heartache that come with being a trauma victim.
She, like everyone else, has experienced regrets, but she chooses to view them as learning experiences that have formed her into the artist she is today. Each note she sings conveys the weight and fragility of her experiences, both positive and negative, making her music a true expression of her journey.
'The Voice' Season 26 star Lauren-Michael Sellers goes solo leaving behind band
Lauren-Michael headed the band Jump Function during her first year in Birmingham and is now touring the southeast, performing intimate, heartfelt music with finger-style guitar plucking and honest vocals.
Music from 2011, while she was playing as a solo artist at Birmingham-Southern College, may be found on Bandcamp and Soundcloud. In 2013, she joined The Heavy Hearts, a band made up of two other Birmingham musicians, as the lead singer and primary composer. In 2014, they released ‘Keep Your Lights On’, an album.
Lauren-Michael Sellers released multiple singles ahead of 'The Voice' Season 26 debut
Lauren-Michael's artistic approach is straightforward: she wants to inspire and engage with people on a profoundly emotional level, reach as many hearts as she can with her honest music, and provide her listeners the reassurance that they are not alone. This year, she has already released four singles: ‘The Shelf’, ‘Holding Out Hope’, ‘Fallin’ All In’, and ‘Take Me Back’.
Check out Lauren-Michael Sellers's audition when 'The Voice' Season 26 returns on NBC on September 30
