Jennifer Lauren is as much of a dichotomy as her band Diamonds and Whiskey. She can be a bit rough around the edges, coming from of life of “hard knocks”, but has a beautiful heart of gold, which spreads love of kindness everywhere it goes. Diamonds and Whiskey recently released their fierce new single “Walk Hard”. In her interview with Jejune Magazine, Jennifer discusses the development of Diamonds and Whiskey, and the support she hopes to provide through music. She and the band are very passionate about playing at benefits, and most recently played at ‘Vet Fest’ and ‘Jessie’s Rally of Hope’. Read on to learn more about Jennifer Lauren and her devotion to giving back!

Where are you based?
Charlotte, NC.

It sounds like you’ve got some exciting work coming up with your band! Would you like to tell us what got you into singing?
I started singing, as well as playing piano, in church at a young age. We did not have TV or radio for most of my childhood. So, I sang hymns mostly until classically training to sing opera in my teenage years.

Who has been the biggest influence on your music?
My father. He was an incredible musician. I miss him so much.

What is the background of Diamonds and Whiskey?
I founded Diamonds and Whiskey four years ago. My initial intentions were only to play music for therapy as I was very sick with Lyme disease at the time. I should have known better, because once I commit to something, I throw everything I have into it. Probably my Aries nature. LOL. I began writing and recording, and working my day job hard to fund my musical ambitions. Before I knew it, I had built an amazing band, traveled around this country multiple times, and played on major stages. It’s been an incredible journey thus far. Diamonds and Whiskey is more than music to me though. The name is descriptive of my multiple personalities: glamorous, yet hard and rough around the edges; strong and resilient; ladylike, yet rugged at the same time. One day I may be dressed to impress with stilettos on, the next I’m in boots, working on my house or an old car. It’s the idea that we can be whatever and whomever we want to be. At the core of that though, is the inevitable truth that I am what I am, and that’s all I want to be…. self-love and acceptance are the first steps to being authentically ourselves.

Could you tell us about your single “Walk Hard”?
‘Walk Hard’ is a cheating and break-up song, but it’s more about how we drag baggage from past relationships into new ones, oftentimes, making a new partner pay for the sins of the previous.

What was the inspiration behind “Walk Hard”?
I caught myself doing just that… being overly jealous or afraid of allowing someone in because of my fear of being hurt. I was expecting them to heal hurt that they didn’t cause. ‘Walk hard on down that line, because my heart is still doing time’

You have such a fierce sound. What do you hope your fans get from your music?
I truly want people to wake up and kick every day in the butt… to be empowered in whatever endeavor they seek.

Jejune loves that you play benefits every year. Can you tell us a little bit about what got you involved with benefits and if there are any that really stood out to you?
Giving back is a huge deal to me. We’ve always played benefits and given our time and resources to help. ‘For Example, Jessie’s Rally of Hope’, is one that I truly love. I was playing a show in 2019, and a young lady was there. She was wheelchair-bound, but her parents had brought her out for her birthday. I absolutely fell in love, and committed us to help with her benefit yearly. They’re a special family and she has a rare disorder that requires her to have constant care. As a mother of a child with special needs, this really touched my heart. So I’m very happy to know this family, and so proud to call them my friends.

You recently played for the Vet Fest. Can you tell us a little bit about that experience and why you decided to partner with them?
There are several veterans in my family and patriotism has always been important to my family. Supporting our veterans is a huge deal to me. These brave men and women sacrifice so much for our freedoms. They should be of utmost importance to us. I’ve had close friends that have suffered from PTSD and/or injuries, and I feel that it is our responsibility to be there for them in any way possible. Our sponsor, Dark Moon, Inc became involved with Vet fest to help; so, we naturally jumped on board, along with Little Texas and some other amazing bands.

You have a history of doing random acts of kindness – sending a student a laptop, giving money to a recently widowed mother, and paying the medical bills of a girl with Lyme. Can you tell us a little bit about what happened to you that made you realize how important it is to do acts like these?
I truly don’t like to speak about doing acts of kindness because I don’t believe it should be talked about. That is more about my beliefs as a person and how I want to impact change in the world. Imagine a world where every person wakes up daily and does one kind thing for another. Something small… a compliment…holding the door… helping carry something…. maybe just smiling at a stranger. To me, change begins with us as individuals. Not with our government or people in power. It is us, making small efforts every day. So, this is something I try to live by. I always want to be asking what I can do for others, not what they can do for me.

What is it in a story that inspires you to give? What was it about these individuals that touched you?
As I mentioned before, I have Lyme disease. When I was younger, I was debilitated very badly. I could barely function. I did not have the money for treatment with a specialist and I desperately needed it. Two complete strangers happened to be talking to my mother on the phone about some business that had nothing to do with me. My mother mentioned that she’d been out of work that week to take me to doctor’s appointments. The couple was surprised to learn it was Lyme, because one of them had suffered from that too. Three weeks later, my mother received a call back from them. They asked to meet us for lunch, so she took me. They handed me a check for a very large sum to cover my medical bills. It changed my life completely. I want to pay that forward.

How would you like others to start doing more small acts of kindness in their life? What do you think is the importance of small acts of kindness?
I think I answered this above, but as Diamonds and Whiskey grows, I want to give more. I want to use my music to inspire people, but also to give back to as many people as I can.

What have been some small acts of kindness you’ve done recently?
For me, giving shouldn’t be a public thing and so I’d rather not share. I like to give in private. I hesitated to talk about it at all because gratification isn’t what I seek; however, I hope to inspire others to give, so here I am. :)

How do you feel the pandemic has influenced people’s desire to give back? Do you think we are headed towards a kinder world or a more secluded one? How can we push things in the right direction?
This is a tough one. The pandemic has influenced people in different ways it seems. As a whole, I don’t think it’s been overly positive. But as we come out of this, I believe it will be positive reinforcement for our future. I think we will look back and remember the seclusion and be thankful for our friends and family more. Connection is a huge part of our humanity. We need each other. I think this truly became so much more evident during the pandemic.

How has COVID-19 impacted your music career?
We lost our tour in 2020, but I look for the silver lining in every situation. I took time to record an entirely new record instead. So, I feel like I found a way to roll with the changes and come out on the other side of it.

Do you have any upcoming live performances, or is this new wave of COVID preventing that from happening?
We have an entire tour planned for this year. We are going to play as long as Covid allows.

How have you stayed positive and inspired despite these hard times?
I come from the school of hard knocks. ‘Keep on keeping on’ is engrained in me. It would take a lot more than this to keep me down. I’m a fighter. We all are really. We only get this one life. I intend to live mine to the fullest, so I’m going to keep getting up and going after what I want in life, no matter what comes my way.

What is your motto in life?
Treat others the way you want to be treated, but without expectation of the same treatment. In other words, be kind and giving regardless of whether someone has done the same.

Please list any websites and/or social media that you would like Jejune to promote.
www.diamondsandwhiskeyband.com
Instagram: @diamondsandwhiskeyofficial
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/diamondsandwhiskey

Jennifer Lauren Is Spreading Kindness Everywhere She Goes