Le Ren

Le Ren
Background information
Born	(1993-06-24) June 24, 1993 (age 32)
Origin	Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar
Years active	2020–present
Labels	Royal Mountain Records, Secretly Canadian
Website	le-ren.com

Le Ren (born Lauren Spear) is a Canadian folk musician and singer-songwriter based in Montreal, Quebec. ^[1]

Biography

Lauren Spear grew up in Bowen Island, British Columbia, a small island community near Vancouver. She was exposed to folk and bluegrass music at an early age by her parents who are both musicians. ^[2] Spear learned to play guitar as a teenager and began writing her own songs. She later moved to Montreal to pursue her education and musical career, where she began performing and releasing music as Le Ren. ^[3]

Le Ren first EP Morning & Melancholia was released in 2020 through Royal Mountain Records and Secretly Canadian. ^{[4] [5]}

In 2021, Le Ren released her debut full-length album Leftovers. The album was produced by Chris Cohen and featured contributions from Buck Meek (Big Thief) and Jess Shoman (Tenci). ^[6] Leftovers received positive reviews for its classic folk sound, poetic lyrics, and the emotional resonance of Spear's vocals. ^[7]

Le Ren has toured consistently since the beginning of her career, supporting a range of established artists. She has toured with William Prince, Jeff Tweedy, ^[8] Devendra Banhart, Andy Shauf, ^[9] Sarah Jarosz, and Orville Peck.

In addition to her solo career, she is also a member of the band Maybel. ^[10]

Discography

Albums

• Leftovers (2021)

EPs

• Morning & Melancholia (2020)
• the little italy demos (2024) (with Jonah Yano)

References

1. "Le Ren". Sub Pop Records. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
2. "5 things you need to know about Le Ren, Canada's rising folk singer". CBC Music. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 11 Apr 2025.
3. "Le Ren returns home with new sense of joy in musical connections". Stir. 2025-03-28. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
4. "Le Ren Announces Debut EP, 'Morning & Melancholia'". Secretly Canadian. 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
5. "Le Ren's 'Morning & Melancholia' EP Is Heartbreaking Enough to Make Joni Mitchell Weep │ Exclaim!". Le Ren's 'Morning & Melancholia' EP Is Heartbreaking Enough to Make Joni Mitchell Weep │ Exclaim!. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
6. Stanley, Laura. "Le Ren Contemplates Relationships on 'Leftovers'". No Depression. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
7. Mitchell, Matt. "No Album Left Behind: Le Ren Explores a Landscape of Intimacy and Motherhood on Leftovers". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
8. Minsker, Evan (2023-04-05). "Wilco's Jeff Tweedy Announces Summer 2023 Solo Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
9. "Andy Shauf Expands North American Tour │ Exclaim!". Andy Shauf Expands North American Tour │ Exclaim!. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
10. "premiere: Montreal's Maybel share a wintry love song for their hometown". GORILLA VS. BEAR. 2020-02-14. Retrieved 2025-04-11.