Making time and space may seem like a luxury, but for Lauren Isenberg it’s a non-negotiable. The Toronto-born, LA-based artist known as renforshort has learnt to take care of herself as she experiences the highs and lows of life as a musician. 

“Before getting into writing I like to take a little bit of time and just live and see things, because you never know where an idea is going to come from,” she says.

Creating breathing space is what led to ‘serpentine’, one of the tracks from renforshort’s recent EP. “I wrote that when I spent a month here and was living right around [Hyde Park], and it just happened. It would have never been, ‘Oh I’m going to write a song with the name of a lake or river…’ but here we are!”

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ren is deeply passionate about the things she holds dear: music, creativity and her loyal fans. Many UK followers discovered her when she supported Yungblud in 2021, on what was also her first ever tour.

“I attribute a lot of the success that I’ve seen in my music towards my British fans … they’re very strong fans – incredible,” she says.

ren’s sad-girl/bedroom pop meets 90s rock aesthetic has struck a chord here, and she’s picked up mainstream radio plays as well as the support of those fans. During this visit, she stopped off in two English cities following a more extensive tour in North America, bringing a slightly stripped down version of her live show to Manchester’s Deaf Institute and The Lower Third in London. The movie quotes acting as transitions between phases of the gig are still there, but without the accompanying videos (or living room-style set). Although this makes for a less visual show, CLASH can attest that this elevates the music, bringing more attention to ren’s appealing state presence. Her style is beautifully fresh and honest and her keenness to properly interact with the fans shines through. Not a trace of a stage-mask here as she translates intimate, heart-felt music to the stage. Her newer tracks shine through strongly, sounding confident with pleasingly heavy undertones.

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The broad and sometimes experimental ‘clean hands dirty water’ EP was released in May 2024 and followed a few months later by the single ‘on my way!’ Meeting with CLASH ahead of the London show, ren explains more about her approach to making her latest music.

“I wanted to try and do something that felt different, something that felt more mature. I’m always wanting to experiment with other sounds and other ways to approach the process of making a song… I’ve no idea what the right way or best way is, so I want to try everything, “ she says. “That’s a little scary sometimes because how I’m approaching it now is completely different to how I’ve approached it in the past. I have to get past that fear of trying something new.”

A healthy, acknowledged fear seems to be a key part of the creative process which Lauren strives to tap into, along with a quest for quality and honesty.

“If one person could listen to one of my songs and really resonate with what’s being said… then perfect, that’s exactly what it’s intended to do. Growing up I really struggled with communication and really talking about how I was feeling, and I turned to music,” ren continues. “I want to be able to do that for other people. It’s so cathartic and important for me to do, and then I hope other people can listen to it and not feel as alone as before.”

‘on my way!’ is markedly more upbeat than the collection of music which preceded it, and that change of approach at first brought ren some anxiety, before she gave herself permission to be 100% honest. 

“I was freaking out because it feels like such a positive song,” she says, choosing her words carefully. “But then it really isn’t – it’s a hopeful song. It feels optimistic and hopeful, and it’s OK to do that! It’s actually more than OK – it’s important to do that, if that’s how you’re feeling.”

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As a female singer-songwriter who prioritises authenticity and connection with fans, ren has plenty to speak out about, too. She regards that as an important part of being an artist.

“If you have a platform and feel passionate about something, use your platform to talk about what you’re passionate about – that’s what every great artist did,” she says. 

Sometimes, of course, this means speaking out on difficult topics. ren is reminded of an interview she did two years ago, where she expressed hope about the point society had reached in terms of providing a fairer platform for women to speak up.

“I take that back! We’ve totally gone backwards,” she says with undisguised frustration. “I think about my grandparents and the access they had to healthcare and careers – they were both very strong, powerful women – then I think about what we’re able to access now, and what we’re not… They had more bodily autonomy when they were in their 30s or 40s than I would if I lived in Texas right now.” 

“How can we just go so far back? When you’re taking away basic human rights from a woman, you’re saying so much more, and you end up doing so much more.”

ren, perhaps more than many of her contemporaries, represents an exciting new wave of artists: imbued with an intense creativity; keen to express themselves but deeply interested in what others may gain from that expression; fully engaged with society; and unafraid to speak out. 

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Words: Phil Taylor

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