The
Carolina Kind, Lucas’ Warner Nashville debut makes good her
claim.  Lucas has an expressive voice,
sweet and wise, innocent and earthy. It’s a voice that can paint an affecting
picture with forceful emotion or subtle, intimate whispers; a voice that makes
every story she tells come to startling life. From the sassy, honky-tonk
attitude of “What You Ain’t Gonna Get,” to big, open-hearted ballads like “I
Pray,” Lucas leaves no doubt that she’s firmly in control of her music and her
destiny. She’s also at home with moody pieces like “Eden Before The Fall” and
the stomping Motown meets Southern rock of “Love Is On The Way.”

Although only
in her 20s, Lucas is a seasoned veteran. She appeared on the Grand Ole’ Opry
when she was 11, and created her own charitable foundation Kids ACT (Kids
Accepting Challenges Today), an outreach organization encouraging kids to get
involved in their communities.  – at age
12. She spent her teenage years fronting bands and playing countless clubs and
county fairs and landed a major label production deal while still in high
school. She was also nominated for a TONY AWARD for her contribution to the
score of the Broadway version of “Urban Cowboy” and appeared in the Houston cast
of “Take This Show And Shove It.” Before signing with Warner’s, Lucas graduated
from Belmont University’s School of Music and started writing songs with
Nashville vets like Chuck Jones, Jim Reilley and Vicky
McGehee.

“My older
sister Becky is partially responsible for my career,” Lucas says modestly.  “When she was 13 and I was three, she was
auditioning for community theater productions. My mom brought me along and when
I saw what was going on, I insisted on auditioning. I recited ‘There was a
little girl who had a little curl’ and both Becky and I were cast in the show. I
don’t think I’ve been off of the stage since. Live performance is my
passion.”

Growing up, Lucas loved country music and
Broadway musicals. “My first idol was Judy Garland. When I’d spend time with my
grandparents, they’d play ‘Wizard of Oz’ on laserdisc and Alabama, Dolly Parton
and Kenny Rodgers on the car radio. When I heard The Judds, their soulful
delivery and the power of their voices became a big
influence.”

During her
Middle School and High School years, with the full support of her parents, Lucas
was a whirlwind of activity. She took guitar and piano lessons, commuted
frequently to New York to audition for Broadway shows, and sang in local talent
competitions which lead to her debut on the Grand Ole’ Gospel Hour of the Grand
Ole’ Opry.  This is also when she founded
Kids ACT. “I did a benefit for Palmetto Place, a home for neglected and abused
children. They were turning away kids due to lack of space and lack of supplies,
so with friends from the music and theater community I started an organization
to encourage young people to get involved with their communities.” Kids ACT
garnered significant exposure through Sassy and Teen magazines and won Lucas the
Prudential Spirit of Community Award. 
She hopes her career will bring national focus once again to the
organization. (www.kidsact.net)

During her
teen years, Lucas continued her dual careers in theater and country music while
attending High School. “I was in a band called Young Country. When that broke
up, I started a band called Farther South. We played bars and festivals. Since I
was too young to be in a bar unaccompanied, my dad bought us a trailer and a
sound system and learned how to operate it. He became our
soundman.”

Meanwhile,
Lauren’s mom bought every book on the music business she could find and
accompanied her daughter on frequent trips to Nashville, where Lauren would sing
at open mic’s, and make business contacts. Around the same time, an old demo
made its way to Sony ATV/Tree music. They offered Lauren a production and
songwriting deal, which led to a development contract with RCA records. 

While
recording for RCA, the tireless singer appeared in the Houston production of
Phillip Oesterman’s “Take This Show and Shove It.” Oesterman later asked Lucas
to write for his Broadway adaptation of “Urban Cowboy.” “I collaborated with
Danny Arena and Sara Light on ‘Take You For A Ride,’ which was nominated for a
Tony Award as part of the Best Score For A New Musical. That was my first
commercial cut as a songwriter.”

After graduation, Lucas attended
Belmont University’s School of Music. “The school is at the end of Music Row, a
perfect place to pursue my education and career. I went to writer’s nights,
played clubs and learned about the business. In my senior year, my band
director, Melodie Crittenden, introduced me to Biff Watson. When I met him, I
realized he’d played guitar on my old RCA demos. We worked together for about a
year. He had me writing with some of the best writers in town, doing
guitar/vocals of songs and looking for great material. On April 2, 2003 we
played at Warner Bros. for Paul Worley, chief creative officer, and some A&R
staff.“

Worley was so impressed by Lauren
during that first meeting that he offered her a deal within minutes.  “I thanked Lauren for coming and then left to
return to my office,” stated Worley. 
“Once I had gotten about 20 paces down the hall, I spun around, returned
to the conference room, and asked ‘Why don't you just stay here?’  Lauren replied, ‘What do you mean?’ and I
said, ‘Why don't you make Warner Bros. your artistic
home?’"

Lauren’s response was immediate,
“After I said yes, I went down to the parking lot, called my mother and we just
bawled.”

With the
aid of Biff Watson’s production skills, Lucas has created a collection that will
resonate with everyone who loves the deep Southern roots of American music. “I
grew up on country, folk, show tunes and Motown. I loved Aretha and Alabama,
that mysterious combination of country, Gospel and rock. We balanced the big
electric guitars with the earthy sounds of the harmonica, dobro and Biff’s
acoustic. A lot of the songs praise the South, because I love the images of
magnolia trees and family, all the things I grew up with. All good music has the
ability to stir your heart. My heart is moved by that deep old southern
soul.”