Lauren Dillen helps lift the shared burdens of women and mothers in her beautifully bittersweet new indie-folk single and video every-woman sore — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
A breathtaking meditation on kinship and the people who sustain her, the Toronto singer-songwriter’s latest release is “my reflection on how I’ve treated the women in my life in the past, how they have treated me, and the responsibilities that we carry.” Or, as she lovingly croons it the gorgeously intimate track:
“I’ve got a lot to say
Will you always be this way?
And if you ever change
Just let me know babe
You’ve been hurt before
It’s that every-woman sore
You care and the you care some more
There’s a lot to be upset about
But you always fight for love
And that’s why you’re one of the good ones
you’re a light, you lift me up…
I give you my heart every time
’Cause I see that your heart looks like mine.”
Recorded in her home studio with Burs bandmate Ray Goudy, a series of plucked guitar notes are returned to again and again on every-woman sore, as if mimicking daily affirmations offered by those you are closest to.
Dillen began writing every-woman sore in early 2024 while taking part in a virtual songwriting workshop led by Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief through the School of Song. The guitar’s open tuning and Dillen’s tumbling melody are reminiscent of Lenker’s own solo work, in addition to the modern folk sound of artists like Laura Marling and Hayley Heynderickx.
Dillen is a Toronto tattoo artist and musician. As a member of Burs, she is one of four musicians cultivating an ecosystem of expansive psych-folk and rock. When it comes to her solo music, her approach is simpler: She distills the weighty chaos of being alive into quiet moments using the soft vibrations of an acoustic guitar and her warmly affecting voice. This is the sound of a sunset after a storm.
Watch the video for every-woman sore above, hear more from Lauren Dillen below, and follow her on Instagram.
