Jersey Girl Lauren Ianuzzi likes to play with matches and start fires. Good news! She can take the heat. Lauren’s songwriting and unique vocal style reveal what she and most girls think about relationships and boys, but not rarely ever say. With tight clothes, flashy earrings and curls for days, Ianuzzi’s spontaneous and sexy personality match her soul and funk driven music. We recently caught up with this Jersey hot tamale for some Q&A…

Q. You’ve got a great list of influential musicians including James Brown, Marvin Gaye and Nina Simone. How did you come to know these artists?

When it comes to music (and, really, any form of entertainment), I am a sponge! Every book I read, every movie I see, every music review chock-full of references and footnotes — I take it all in, then I go back and find or look up whatever interests me. Also, my mom listened to a lot of vintage soul, funk, and disco when I was little. Whenever we were in the car, she’d tell me about each artist that came on, and which of their songs were her favorites or made her think of a memory from when she was growing up. I never forgot any of it! So before I found more aggressive, more explicit material like Prince and Lauryn Hill, I already had this background of the classics to help me understand where it all came from.

Q. Was there an exact moment that you realized “Yep. Music. This is what I want to do” ?

I was born knowing that! But when I was 3, at my first dance recital, I felt that performance rush for the first time. We were dancing to “Broadway Baby,” and I was just singing my heart out, with my mouth wide open. I didn’t even know what the lyrics meant! All the other girls were out to lunch, picking their wedgies and drooling. I, on the other hand, was in Divaland, jumping around the stage and nailing all the steps. It was love at first spotlight.

Q. Is there a memorable show you’ve played that stands out in your mind?

The Cutting Room show this March was my first one with a band, as a frontwoman; that was a total music-gasm! But the “show” closest to my heart was an open mic during Freshman Orientation Week in college. I played and sang “I’ll Cover You (Reprise)” from the musical RENT, and all these cool upperclassmen came up to me afterwards. At 17, I was really shy socially, so I was happy that my performing made it easier to approach and be approached.

Q. Tell me about the musical that you produced and directed

Looking back, it was truly bizarre. It was about the awkwardness of middle school, but it had all these other weird plot twists: a British rat that talked, an emo kid, a geek in disguise as a promiscuous exchange student. There was a slow-jam called “7 Minutes In Heaven,” a big tap number called “Who Cares, She’s Hot”…ridiculous parody stuff. I wrote all the music, orchestrated it, and played piano in the pit. My friend and I co-wrote the script, co-directed, basically did everything ourselves…at night we’d be writing these monologues and sight-gags, laughing our asses off while everyone else was studying. Our school gave us $7,000 dollars and we debuted it on the mainstage, completely student-produced. Honestly, it was the most fun I’ve had doing anything, ever!

Q. You’ve had a chance to work with some great song writers. How did you benefit from those experiences?

Each writer I worked with taught me invaluable lessons about songwriting. They’d always call me out if I was taking an idea–lyrical or musical–too far, or not far enough. At the same time, they never tried to get rid of what is specifically Lauren about each song. Also, they’d bring this music-industry sensibility and experience — sometimes 3 simple chords, if you play them a certain way, can change the world. I still feel like I have so much to learn! I’d love to work with more writers.

Q. Are there any artists you’re dying to work with?

Who am I NOT dying to work with?! Where should I start… Marc Broussard. Van Hunt. Grace Potter. Lettuce. Javier. Beth Ditto. Jason Mraz. I love the new lead singer of Bomb Squad, but I’d pretty much do anything to front that band for one night. In my wildest dreams: Prince, The Rolling Stones, Christina Aguilera, John Mayer! A girl can fantasize, can’t she?

Q. What have you been listening to and digging lately?

I like to mix it up and listen to a big mush of every genre, and revisit old stuff to freshen it in my mind. I’m loving Busta Rhymes’ single “Don’t Touch Me (Throw The Water On ‘Em),” but it’s almost summer so I’m blasting my Van Halen and my early Incubus in the car, too. That new soul artist Estelle is very cool, and I just saw Les Nubians live for the first time, which I loved. As for records that are coming out, I’m psyched to get Tristan Prettyman’s new one, Kid Sister’s first one, and I think Katy Perry is gonna put out something really raunchy and fun.

Q. Any plans to tour and do more live shows in the future?

Of course! I’m planning some things for this summer, mostly local shows around NJ and NY. When I stop performing live, I get bummed; I’d rather be doing that than anything else!

Q. Where can people go to learn more about your music and what you’re up to?

Check out my website, www.laurenianuzzi.com , and my MySpace, www.myspace.com/laurenimusic . I’ve also got a couple live clips on YouTube. Soon I’ll have a blog section up on my website, so keep your eyes peeled; I have a lot to say!

Q. Besides music, what other interests occupy your time?

I’m big into crafts. I love painting ceramic pots, making pins, sticking sequins and glittery stuff onto cheap t-shirts…this is weird, but I do coloring books to help me relax. I used to be an arts’n'crafts girl at a kids’ summer camp, and sometimes it’d be like “Hey Lauren, stop Puffy Painting that foam doorhanger and get the paper clip outta this kid’s nose.” My other hobbies involve pop culture “research” (books, mags, movies, museums, concerts), hanging out in NJ (long highway drives, diners, running into grade school friends at the bar), and girly non-contact sports (dancing, hiking, bike trails).

LISTEN TO LAUREN FOR YOURSELF:

LAUREN IANUZZI - “A Funk I Won’t Forget”: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/lauren_funk.wma

LAUREN IANUZZI - “Strawberry Poison”: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/lauren_strawberry.wma

LAUREN IANUZZI - “Go-To Girl”: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/lauren_girl.wma

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Posted By: diedonthevine | May 29th