FAIRLEA W.Va. (WVDN) – Two-time Grammy Award winner, seven-time Billboard Music Award winner and four-time American Music Award winner. These are just a few of the credits found on the resume of Christian singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle, who will be performing at the West Virginia State Fair on Thursday, August 14.
Born and raised in Louisiana, Daigle is one of the top Contemporary Christian Music artists today. When asked if she ever gets used to walking out on stage to hear thousands of fans cheering for her, Daigle responded “It never gets old. Every single time you hit the stage, it’s butterflies. Before I go on, I always fist bump my security, fist bump my tour manager and hug my best friend. It’s kinda become a ritual,” she says. “Going out on stage is exhilarating and it never gets old.”
Ask any performer about stage fright and you’ll get a different answer every time. For Daigle, it’s about her love of performing being stronger than her fear. “I’ve absolutely gotten stage fright before, but I will say that I don’t get it often,” she says. “Years ago, I remember just telling myself that if you want to enjoy going out and being on stage, you can’t be afraid of it. I’ve taught myself that I’m there to sing the first note, and then it becomes everyone’s song. It becomes very personal, and that really eliminates stage fright.”
Admitting that certain shows do give her extra butterflies, Lauren Daigle spoke candidly about one experience. “One thing that I say does give me stage fright is sometimes when I have to sing someone else’s song,” she says. “For example, I once sang a Dolly Parton song to Dolly Parton. Those are the moments when you’re surrounded by people with such incredible talent and you want to make sure you rise to the occasion; those are the shows that give me a tint of nervousness.”
When it comes to performing, Daigle enjoys Rescue and Salvation Mountain most of all. “I love performing Rescue just because of the amount of people that song has impacted. The way people sing that song, you can tell it comes from such a deep place of what they’ve gone through,” she says. “And Salvation Mountain, I just love singing that song. It feels so good to sing and it’s very powerful. It includes the band in such a profound way. In the moments of the quiet and the big, the band is very clear and on display.”
It’s one thing to top the charts as a performer, but it’s entirely different when you’re performing songs that you’ve also helped to create. “When it comes to songwriting, I definitely don’t want background noise,” says Daigle of her writing process. “I love co-writing, and it’s different for everyone, but for me it feels like fellowship. It’s these moments of being able to see inside of someone else’s world and they inside yours,” Daigle adds. “It’s being able to relate to that and it feels special to me. I love being able to relate to people, and that’s my favorite version of writing. The song structure takes a totally different shape because other people bring interesting ideas to the room. Co-writing is like an extension of a really good conversation that you’re having with a good friend.”
It’s said that inspiration is everywhere, and Daigle admits to finding it in more than one place. “People and stories,” she says. “Stories that people go through. I find inspiration in God and things I read in the bible. I find it all to be so inspiring.” As one who loves nature and the outdoors, Daigle finds joy in her family and her surroundings. “Any time of being with my family and being outdoors in nature is supreme. Any second that I can, I go outside,” she says. “When I wake up every morning and still haven’t fully opened my eyes, the first thing I do is get up out of bed and go out on the porch. I love being outside, and if I can’t be, then put me next to a sunny window,” she adds with a laugh.
When she’s working on new material, Lauren Daigle also finds great happiness in tapping into her creativity. “Anytime I’m working on something creative, music or anything around music, such as writing, singing, putting instruments to music or performing, that’s the most joyful place for me,” she says. “I consider it such a rare gift that you can do the thing that you love and make a career of it. I find that amazing.”
Daigle’s biggest hit to date, “You Say,” was released as a single from her 2018 Look Up Child album. It remains the longest-running Number One to appear on any weekly Billboard chart and is believed to be the turning point in Daigle’s career. While she’d had great success with her debut album in 2015, which achieved Platinum status, it was “You Say” and the album it appeared on that resulted in two Grammy Awards for the young artist.
On a more personal note, Daigle paused for a few moments when asked to share something that people may be surprised to know about her. “Wow, that’s a great question,” she said. “I’m such an open book, and I wear my heart on my sleeve. I love wakesurfing and being out on the boat. People may be surprised to know that about me.”
Now, at age 33, Daigle continues to release new music and enjoys being on tour. When asked what she hopes people take away from her concert when they leave, Daigle didn’t hesitate. “I want people to leave with the hope of Jesus,” she said. For her West Virginia fans, she has the following message. “I cannot wait to see all of you! I had so much fun at the state fairs we did last year that I went to my booking agent and asked for more state fairs,” Daigle says. “I’m so looking forward to coming to West Virginia, and I’m going to see some animals and get some great food!”
