LoRen Is Pittsburgh’s Fire Starter

Source: iOne Digital Creative Services

I n a city budding with Black brilliance, bright futures and bridgebuilders, singer-songwriter LoRen , 26, serves up a melting pot of music genres, from R&B to country to gospel. Her latest project, “No Covers,” is an expansion of something she began more than five years ago—a space where local singers, musicians, poets, and other artists can share their original work.

The inspiration for “ No Covers ” came when LoRen landed a gig and the promoter asked her to sing a cover song rather than one she had written because “crowds look for songs that they know.” And though LoRen often loved the artists and the songs she covered, they rarely aligned with her values. This left her feeling uncomfortable for giving so much in a space where she could not be her authentic self.

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“I do not want to communicate that cover songs aren’t amazing,” LoRen says. “But many artists who are not producing clickbait material are asked to silence themselves to meet the needs of an audience.”

Source: Jenna Wallace Photography

Starting in 2018, LoRen was a part of the Kelly Strayhorn Theatre Future Maker Program. In the program, she was able to learn from and support Pittsburgh artists from a variety of disciplines. That was where she incubated and debuted “No Covers” as a sold-out show, welcoming around 100 people.

LoRen envisioned “No Covers” as an event with a homey atmosphere. There’s cozy seating, ambient lighting, smoke effects and catered foods and drinks. Performing artists have the lyrics of the song they are singing behind them during their performance.

“I’m intentionally making sure that almost every artist is from a different genre,” LoRen explains. “We have a spoken word artist and then a country artist, an alternative artist, gospel artist and hip-hop artist.”

“No Covers” also hosts a house band, typically featuring the same musicians and background singers each year—crooners Sean Baker, Kristen Baker and Cam Chambers.

“These musicians are incredibly talented, and I work with them even on my [own] projects,” LoRen says. “I’m just so glad that they even have time in their schedule to be a part of this because they are highly sought after.”

It takes LoRen and her team a full year to coordinate “No Covers,” which includes a vetting process to ensure performers create clean, encouraging music. She releases information about each artist through social media to help audience members connect with them.

The THIS IS RED venue (the former home of St. Michael’s Slovak Roman Catholic Church) in Homestead has hosted “No Covers” in previous years and has already welcomed LoRen back for 2024.

LoRen performing at No Covers in 2022 event in Munhall, Pennsylvania. | Source: Nairobi Jones

“They’ve just been blessing us with a space for years,” LoRen confirms. “The people who own it are just so intentional and creative.”

In her personal journey as an artist, LoRen has performed her work in New York City, Los Angeles, Detroit, and all throughout her hometown. She has released singles sporadically since 2016. She released her first EP titled A.M. in 2019 and another titled Pardon Me in 2023, both featuring five songs. She’s also written a full-length album with a release date to be announced.

Her music often comes from personal experiences. She wrote the song “You’re Enough” as a love letter to her niece to let her know she is more than enough and can do anything she wants in life. She wrote “Navy May” about her daughter who is now 3-years-old.

“It talks about skin-to-skin time and precious moments of motherhood that I love talking about,” says LoRen. She and her husband are now eagerly awaiting the arrival of a baby boy. Another song on Pardon Me is titled “Black Woman,” which explores the racial bias she endured while pregnant.

“One of the first things I heard when I told the gynecologist that I was pregnant was, ‘Do you want to continue with this pregnancy?’” LoRen remembers. “It was before I even heard congratulations.”

LoRen has sung “Black Women” at countless Black mental health and Black maternal health events around the city. She has also received messages from Black women who have children and have connected with her music on a personal level. The song started off as a poem that was called “Black Women Ain’t Supposed to be Afraid.”

“The poem was never supposed to see the light of day,” she says. “I wrote it sarcastically out of anger and frustration.”

Source: Jenna Wallace Photography

When LoRen shared the poem with family, they persuaded her to share it online.

“It was so encouraging to see my work [featured] and to know that it was valued,” she says.

“I love the approach of only releasing music when I have something to say,” LoRen says. “I have that privilege because I’m not with a label and on anyone else’s time.”

As a songwriter, LoRen has many musical influences. Sam Cooke is LoRen’s favorite voice of all time because of the rasp and emotion in his voice.

As a woman of faith, LoRen also is inspired by CeCe Winans because of how incredibly gifted and skilled she is. She also enjoys DMX and a band called Need to Breathe. Taylor Swift was one of the few artists she was allowed to listen to while growing up. She remembers loving Swift’s storytelling.

“These are all really different artists, but I feel like they’re so authentic and honest within their music,” she notes.

From left: No Covers artists Cam Chambers, Joziah Council, Zo Zielinski, LoRen, Kayli Evanchec, Kristin Baker, Sean Baker and Anita Levels at This is Red on Aug. 5, 2022, in Munhall, Pennsylvania. | Source: Nairobi Jones / Nairobi Jones

LoRen was born in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood and grew up in suburban Monroeville. Her father led a small Baptist church, which would sometimes have 10 people in the entire congregation.

With her dad as pastor, LoRen would sing in the choir as a soprano, her sister an alto, and her mom, tenor. Her dad’s resilience and not being attached to money or fame have helped the singer remain authentic and grounded. But that doesn’t make her demure.

To that end, LoRen encourages young Black girls to stand out rather than blend in and to read and study the craft of those who have paved the way.

“My goal is to speak words of scripture in ways that people can understand,” LoRen says. “I believe I’m a fire starter.”

This year’s “No Covers” will be Friday, Dec. 6.

Madison Stokes, intern for the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation, is from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and a junior at Chatham University studying English and Creative Writing. She has written for The Pittsburgh Independent, The Northside Chronicle, Soul PITT Media, and BlackPittsburgh.com.

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