Lauren Duski is truly a Midwestern Girl that’s finding her own way in Music City. Duski deserted what seemed like a solid future on the path of dentistry to jump into an uncertain new beginning. She decided to pursue another dream, songwriting and singing. That career move took her far from home.
It certainly seems as if there is a force guiding her at every turn, keeping her on this music path. At one point, Duski felt like quitting this dream. She even thought about returning back to Michigan. The next day, The Voice called her up and asked her to audition for the show in Atlanta. Eventually, she was on Blake Shelton’s team, finishing as a runner-up on her season. That all taught her to “trust it this time” and not to “let fear control me.”
“For 26 years I have been struggling with being confident in my own skin and just being vulnerable to people in general. I kept a lot of things in,” she says. “I never wanted to burden anybody, struggling with these insecurities, scared to show that side to people.”
The Michigan native admits that, in those moments of insecurity, she now relies on the team she’s surrounded by. Family and friends are her soundboards, keeping her both grounded and focused.
That focus led to the release of her debut EP, Midwestern Girl, on Feb. 20. The five-track EP starts with “Journey of a Midwestern Girl,” a strong instrumental track that has a comforting element to it. It’s a great introduction to the next four songs. “Costume Party,” the next song, includes heartfelt lyrics that detail the real-life struggles with self-confidence that women face.
“Releasing this song was a weight off my chest saying, ‘This is the real me,'” she admits. There’s another song on the EP that also shows the real Duski. It’s a deeply personal track.
“The Weather (Grandpa’s Song)” is the true story of her grandpa losing his wife, her grandma. It’s the tale of her grandpa learning to navigate life again. It has a surprise ending that you won’t see coming. Before releasing it, Duski let him hear it.
“He is thankful to share his love story [and he] likes hearing the responses [from people],” she explains before adding, “It has helped. He misses her so much.”
Now that the EP has been out for a couple of months, Duski really enjoys hearing from fans about which songs they’re connecting with. “Music is like a drug for me, and when the connection is there for the fans in the songs that are a favorite, it’s the best part.”
Unfortunately, Duski doesn’t have any big tour plans but it’s for a good reason. She’s put her focus on writing because, when she does go on tour, she wants to sing songs she’s proud of. Duski hopes to get a second full EP out by the end of the year.
“As soon as this EP released I started thinking about the next one,” she tells us.
Stay tuned for more news from Duski including another EP and future tour dates. For now, check out Midwestern Girl below.
