Singer Lauren Daigle a fan of Columbus: 'People are so kind and so fun.'
If you've heard the song “You Say,” you probably know why Lauren Daigle has gone from competing unsuccessfully on “American Idol” in 2010 and 2012 to headlining arena shows such as the one at Value City Arena on Nov. 11.
The song expanded Daigle's range from the Christian scene — where she was already a leading artist — into the widespread pop music world when it was released on mainstream radio in 2019.
“I had no idea it would take off like that,” Daigle, 30, said, speaking by phone from Houston, where she was preparing for a show.
“I played it in our shows for about two years before it went on the record (2018's contemporary Christian music album “Look Up Child”). I remember that the first time I ever sang it at a show, by the second chorus, people were singing along. I remember thinking to myself, 'Whoa, that's pretty interesting.' But when it came time to release the record, I had no idea. I just thought it was kind of a moment onstage.”
That 2018 album is Daigle's most recent, but there are more to come.
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“We've been in the studio, we've been writing, and the plan right now is to release a record next year,” Daigle said. “We've been touring with some of the new songs, and the audiences have been so gracious about them. So that's a good start!”
As on the previous album, Daigle is working with frequent co-writers Paul Mabury and Jason Ingram. For that album, they worked in a studio outside Nashville, Tennessee.
“My producer has a house up on a hill, and we would tuck away up there,” she said. “I loved it. We were able to write and record everything in the same space, so that was really awesome. We wrote a song and then we were able to record it almost in the same moment. And because of where his studio was located, it was close to a lot of my friends. It's fun when you can have friends pop over and listen to something you're working on.”
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They also kept writing while touring, including “Hold Onto Me,” which was released with a video this April, on the road in 2019.
“Sometimes the words of something you write become more poignant as time passes. That's what happened with this one,” she said. “We released it after everything the world went through in 2020. It basically has a message of holding onto hope and holding onto each other in the worst of times. Instead of being divided, be united.”
Sometimes that's easier said than done. Daigle has received her share of criticism from people who have strong feelings about how a Christian artist ought to think and behave. Her 2018 appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, and her refusal to condemn DeGeneres for being lesbian, for example, drew multiple attacks.
“I've had so many moments where if people don't agree with what I'm doing or saying, they aren't shy to address it,” she said. “People are always so quick to give their opinions, and they assume the worst before they assume the best. Look at junior high or high school students, the things they go through on a daily basis. They jump on the internet, and someone can be there bullying them. But, for me, the amount of time I've had negative criticism has been so small compared to the kind comments I've received.”
And now, Daigle is enjoying being back onstage.
“Sometimes in the middle of a set, you see people crying, or raising their hands, or holding on to each other. Those are the moments you really realize that, OK, something in this song is palpable. That's one of the best moments to be a part of, when you see your music having an impact,” she said.
She is also looking forward to her Columbus appearance.
“It's one of my all-time favorite cities to tour in,” she said. “Whenever my booking agent says, Name five cities you want to include on the tour, it's always on my list. I love going to the Short North, and I love the coffee and the shopping. People are so kind and so fun.”
At a glance
Lauren Daigle will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11, in Value City Arena, East Lane Avenue and Olentangy River Road. Masks are required. Tickets cost $20 to $126. (614-688-3939, www.schottensteincenter.com)
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Singer Lauren Daigle, a fan of Columbus, is set to perform Thursday
