NYC-based alternative folk singer Lauren Mian has just cemented herself as a rising indie artist to watch with her wistful new single “Undertow.”
The song, which Mian claims is about “the hardships of lost love [told] through metaphor,” whisks listeners away and envelopes them in that aching feeling of young adult yearning. Mian embodies her self-proclaimed “granola girl folk” sound and songwriting style excellently here: the intricate acoustic guitar playing, coupled with her smooth melodies and carefully layered harmonies, all set a vivid scene.
Somehow, the song perfectly intertwines its light, beachy ambience with hard-hitting lyrics describing the moment you know your relationship has run its course. The dreamy guitar strums are occasionally punctuated by sobering piano notes, adding to the song’s melancholy undertones. The lyrics, drawing on Mian’s own experiences, depict the agony of two partners who know their paths are drifting from one another and are too nervous to vocalize it. The “undertow” represents that “last straw” that the relationship can never come back from.
“’Undertow’ explores the trials and tribulations faced by two partners in a failed effort to match priorities through periods of change. When you’re with someone for a long time, it’s natural to experience rocky waters, compromise, and discomfort as you grow either together, or grow apart. Naturally, anticipating that relationship running its course is something that both parties tend to dread, and neither want to vocalize. It can feel as though you’re suspended in a state of agony, or ‘treading’ water for too long.”
-Lauren Mian
“Undertow” is just the first single to be released from Mian’s upcoming November EP, “Off Script.” Fresh off of earning her B. F. A. at The New School’s School of Jazz in 2024 and her M. A. at Berklee College of Music in 2025, she already has a full studio album under her belt (2023’s Thoughts in the Air), as well as several singles and festival appearances. Most notably, she’s played at Greenwich Village’s The Bitter End, supported Goldie Boutilier for a sold-out show at the Mercury Lounge, and provided support for a multitude of other artists at The Iridium (including Adam and the Metalhawks, Pianos, and more).
Last year, Mian was featured as part of New Rochelle’s Summer Sounds Concert Series, and she opened up the Chill Tent Stage at the Pleasantville Music Festival. Later this month, she’ll embark on her debut tour, performing at Hudson Yards on September 20, Lucinda’s on September 28, and The Bitter End on October 25.
Lauren Mian’s upcoming EP “Off Script,” which will feature “Undertow,” is fully self-written, recorded, and produced at The Power Station NYC. She continues to amass a following on Instagram and TikTok, and her prolific run of live performances and musical releases proves she has no intentions of slowing down.
Mian is an indie folk star in the making, and there’s no time like the present to claim your spot as someone who “knew her before she got big.” For more information on Lauren and her upcoming shows, click here, and to stream “Undertow,” click here.
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