Meet one of Get Down’s returning acts, Lauren Wanamaker, singer-songwriter from Richland

With the massive success that was Uptown Get Down 2023, much is changing in year two. The festival has been established as a company, expanding to Tri Town Get Down for 2024. The music festival now spans multiple days, June 7 to 9, with over 100 artists performing.

Some things have stayed the same, like the owner and some staff, and the dedication to showcasing local artists.

Only a handful of artists from the festival’s inaugural year are returning for year two. One of them is a popular singer-songwriter, 31-year-old Lauren Wanamaker.

Who is Lauren Wanamaker?

You may have heard her at a bar or winery around Tri-Cities. Set up with only her guitar and some mics, Wanamaker fills the venue with her folk-country sound, not unlike Joan Baez or Joni Mitchell. She has around 3,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and a growing presence in the region.

A lifelong musician, she grew up in Richland, joining a band in school and ensembles at church. She credits her family for introducing her to piano and guitar when she was young, sparking the thought that she could be a musician one day. She learned other instruments over the years, and while she still plays piano, guitar is her main instrument these days.

While a student at Hanford High School, Wanamaker started to write and perform her own music. Her first EP came out a year after she graduated, under a former stage name.

“It’s nowhere to be found now,” Wanamaker said in an interview, laughing. “I don’t know if it’ll ever resurface.”

After this EP, she went to college and realized she couldn’t give everything to both her education and her musical career. So she put music on hold to study marketing.

When Wanamaker found time for music again, she did a series of performances under the stage name WOMAN ALIVE. No music was released under this name, but she was active as WOMAN ALIVE for a couple years.

When the next EP was ready, the singer-songwriter went back and forth whether she would use the stage name or her full name. But in January 2023, she released “Rest & Reprieve” as Lauren Wanamaker.

“I decided to just go with my real name, my full name, and I’m happy I did,” Wanamaker said.

Outside of music, the 31-year-old loves spending time with her dogs and tending to her garden. She also works part-time at a winery on Red Mountain, which she says mixes perfectly with her focus on music.

Lauren Wanamaker on making albums

While she’s proud of her first EP, she said it can be tough to look back on that time. With so much time between her projects, Wanamaker says some of the songs on “Rest & Reprieve” had been ready for years. She was motivated to get the music out.

Since then, she’s written even more music.

“The more I perform, the more I want to write new material,” said Wanamaker. She performs several times each month, to continue her growth on stage and off.

She is recording her third project now, hoping for a release sometime in the fall. Her one-woman show is truly just her, as she does her management work as well. She told the Herald she’ll block off time for creative work, and separate time for administrative work in order to get everything done.

Wanamaker’s sound has been influenced by Joan Baez, Sufjan Stevens, Neko Case and Joni Mitchell, she says. The music she appreciates most finds its way into her own music. She told the Herald that she can hear each of these artists when she listens to her previous works, despite never purposely planning to evoke their sounds.

Working on her third project, things feel different for Wanamaker. She says there’s more focus this time around, more strategy, and a more personal theme across the lyrics. The songs were primarily written over the last year and a half, and she’s honed her skills in blending the country and folk genres.

“There’s a clear direction and I feel a lot more confident about it overall,” Wanamaker told the Herald.

“Rest & Reprieve” featured assistance from other connections Wanamaker’s made in the local scene. Mastering was done by Jon Tornblom, and percussion was done by Joel Petersen and Andrew Meyer. Meyer, who has been involved in a number of projects in the area, also helped with other instrumentation, recording and mixing. He’ll do the same for the upcoming album, according to Wanamaker.

Lauren Wanamaker at Get Down festival

As one of the returning artists, Wanamaker will get a firsthand look at the growth of the Get Down festival this year. At the same time, she’ll showcase her growth as an artist in that same time.

This year, her set will include entirely original songs, including new material for those who haven’t gone to her recent shows. With more of her own music, and more confidence as a performer, the singer-songwriter is hoping to bring good energy to the stage.

Her favorite part of the festival last year was the focus on local talent and the Uptown Shopping Center. She says there’s never been anything like it since she’s lived here.

“As someone who grew up in Richland, the Uptown is kind of a sacred cool space,” Wanamaker said. “It was just really crazy to have an event of that magnitude take place somewhere that I grew up going to.”

Wanamaker is also planning to see other artists perform throughout the festival. She said she was excited about the number of acts this year, and the chance to see primarily local artists, with some bigger artists too.

“I’m proud to be a part of [Tri Town Get Down] and proud of the community for making it happen,” said Wanamaker.

You can follow @Lo.Wanamaker on Instagram for updates on performances and the upcoming EP.

Tickets for Tri Town Get Down are available online now. Single day passes are $75, and full-weekend passes are $150. Follow @TriTownGetDown for festival information, updates and flash sales.

This story was originally published May 15, 2024 at 1:34 PM.