Performing, early recording, loving guitars

Posted in Photos | Comments Off on Performing, early recording, loving guitars

UPHERE Magazine ~ Hearts & Words

Lauren Passarelli is renowned for her ability to craft songs that feel like intimate conversations. With “Hearts & Words,” the last track on her latest album, “Big Blue Machine,” she offers a heartfelt goodbye that beautifully captures the emotions of her musical journey.

As a guitar professor at Berklee College of Music, Passarelli is skilled in exploring different sounds. Not only did she write and perform the song, but she also took on the roles of arranger, producer, and mixer, showcasing her impressive talent in every aspect of the track’s warm and layered production. “Hearts & Words” blends soft rock and contemporary folk, incorporating elements of Britpop and indie music as well. This combination gives her sound a modern yet timeless feel. Her voice is natural and sincere, allowing listeners to truly feel the emotions behind the words.

This song serves as a perfect conclusion to “Big Blue Machine.” While earlier tracks tackled big themes and bold sounds, “Hearts & Words” takes a more introspective approach, inviting listeners in for a comforting embrace. The collaboration with talented musicians like Kate Chadbourne, who adds piano and poetry, and Mike Bishop on bass, enriches the song’s atmosphere. Drummer Jay Bradley keeps the rhythm steady and emotional, rather than hurried.

For Passarelli, music is about creating connections and expressing feelings through sound. She describes her process as blending various textures, sounds, emotions, and melodies. This approach shines in “Hearts & Words,” where every note feels purposeful and every lyric contributes to a broader narrative of love, longing, and closure. As the final song of the album, it invites you into a space of quiet reflection that lingers. With “Hearts & Words,” Lauren Passarelli creates a moment for you to feel, remember, and find a sense of peace within yourself.

Connect with Lauren Passarelli on Instagram – @lpassguitar
Follow Lauren Passarelli on | Spotify |

Posted in Article | Comments Off on UPHERE Magazine ~ Hearts & Words

Lauren Passarelli’s “Hearts & Words” paints pop with soulful simplicity

http://zillionsmagazine.com/2025/08/lauren-passarellis-hearts-words-paints.html

“Hearts & Words” by Lauren Passarelli is a lovely, heartfelt track that stands out in a music world often filled with flashy beats and lyrics. It feels like a warm embrace, reminiscent of a cherished memory.

In this song, Passarelli presents a gentle pop tune that invites listeners to slow down and take it in. Her voice carries a genuine emotion that makes you feel she’s not just singing. Each note feels like it’s grounded in real experiences. You can tell that every part of the song has been thoughtfully crafted. The music is simple yet rich, providing space that allows the listener to breathe while also enhancing the emotions conveyed in the lyrics. Although it leans toward a more relaxed pop style, it prioritizes the connection between the song and the listeners’ feelings, resulting in something that feels both new and classic at the same time.

“Hearts & Words” dives into the struggle we often face when trying to express our emotions, balancing what we feel inside with what we say. Stefanie Badach-Mis’ writing is poetic, making the lyrics feel more like deeply personal diary entries rather than just typical song lyrics. It encourages listeners to reflect on their conversations and the moments of silence that often accompany them.

What makes this song particularly special is its gentle approach. Passarelli doesn’t push too hard, instead, she allows the words to resonate and connect on a deeper level. Trusting both the music and the audience in this way is a rare and beautiful thing.

Follow Lauren Passarelli on Instagram

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Lauren Passarelli’s “Hearts & Words” paints pop with soulful simplicity

Hearts & Words – from, Big Blue Machine

https://www.lyricalodyssey.com/2025/08/lauren-passarelli-closes-chapter-in.html

Lauren Passarelli closes a chapter in tender brilliance with “Hearts & Words”

There is something quietly epic about ending an album with a song like “Hearts & Words.” But the closing of “Big Blue Machine,” her newly released album, is a gently spoken farewell, a sweet note to you bound in notes of tune and context.

A professor, author, multi-instrumentalist, and indie music pioneer, Passarelli showcases her uniquely omnidirectional and multifaceted artistry through a rich musical tapestry that spans various genres. If anything has been confirmed at this point, it is that this band’s ability to represent emotion through music can get you teared up like never before, and “Hearts & Words” sounds exactly where they should land. Fusing a firm grounding in the softer side of classic rock with contemporary folk sounds, it evokes an intimacy that borders on meditative.

The song is given poetic lyricism through the words of Kate Chadbourne, Stefanie Badach-Mis, and Kaitlyn Anderson, who adds emotional textures to voice and verse. Chadbourne also rounds out the mix on piano and keys, giving depth and lightness to the overall sound, with Jay Bradley’s drums and Mike Bishop’s bass pulling back to add a level of rhythmic movement that is equal parts placid and grounding.

In Passarelli’s role as writer, arranger, producer, and mixer of the track, she guides the way with an unwavering hand, allowing both the lyrics and instrumentation to resonate. This is because great power is derived from the combination of those. “Hearts & Words” ends the album in the way a good novel would: With resolve, dignity, and a sense that something fundamental has changed without you noticing. In a world where songs scream to be heard, Passarelli softly sings, and in so doing, she leaves an impression that resonates long.

Find Lauren Passarelli on Instagram

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Hearts & Words – from, Big Blue Machine

Lauren Passarelli, a multifaceted artist and professor at Berklee College of Music for 40 years, releases the beautiful album “Big Blue Machine”

https://www.osgarotosdeliverpool.com.br/2025/08/lauren-passarelli-artista-multifacetada.html

Hailing from Boston, United States, this artist is making a new appearance here, with a work recently released on streaming platforms, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.

Released earlier this month, “Big Blue Machine” is an album that delivers 12 tracks, a 38-minute runtime, and an impeccable sound, with beautiful melodies, instrumental arrangements, and an atmosphere that straddles classic, pop, soft rock, power pop, and more.

Showing influences from the likes of The Beatles, James Taylor, Harry Nilsson, Fleetwood Mac, Carly Simon, Pat Metheny, and Stevie Wonder, she presents us with a variety of strings, including acoustic, electric, nylon, and 12-string guitars, as well as versatile effects pedals, showcasing her longtime talent, even including a recording made by chance on her cell phone.

With a resume that includes being a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, as well as a sound engineer, producer, arranger, author, and professor at Berklee College of Music since 1984, this extensive knowledge is evident in “Big Blue Machine,” an album for which she was responsible for every detail, including composition, performance, production, and DIY mixing.

With tracks that address topics such as grief, the creative process and isolation amid the pandemic, gratitude, and love, as well as works like “Moses” and “I Miss You” (which has a Lyle Mays/Pat Metheny and George Harrison vibe, respectively, whether through the instrumentation or the slide guitar), this work can be defined as the fruit of decades of experience and a passion for creating beautiful and grandiose soundscapes.

Listen below:

 

 

https://www.laurenpassarelli.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/23GVX46heTIsLoLd6WLpid?si=zA33Ym1VTpWbNkoHZfEzSg
https://on.soundcloud.com/iRmopPXTdBiGG86UA
https://www.youtube.com/@LaurenPassarelli
https://www.instagram.com/lpassguitar/

Tags

Posted in Article | Comments Off on Lauren Passarelli, a multifaceted artist and professor at Berklee College of Music for 40 years, releases the beautiful album “Big Blue Machine”

Lauren Passarelli – Hearts & Words Review: A Soul-Stirring Finale of Vulnerability, Stillness, and Sonic Intimacy

https://dulaxi.com/lauren-passarelli-hearts-words-review-a-soul-stirring-finale-of-vulnerability-stillness-and-sonic-intimacy/

Lauren Passarelli – Hearts & Words Review: A Soul-Stirring Finale of Vulnerability, Stillness, and Sonic Intimacy

Lauren Passarelli – Hearts & Words
Lauren Passarelli – Hearts & Words

From the vibrant creative soil of Boston, Massachusetts, emerges Lauren Passarelli, a musical force whose artistry defies simple categorization. A multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, arranger, and audio engineer, Lauren has spent a lifetime immersed in the craft of making music not just as sound, but as emotion rendered audible. Her studio, PassaBrown Studios, functions less like a production facility and more like a sanctuary where sonic textures and heartfelt stories are sculpted with painterly precision. Throughout her career, Lauren has been celebrated not just for her technical mastery, but for her ability to weave soul, sensitivity, and sincerity into every measure of music she creates. To her, songwriting is more than composition, it is a form of emotional architecture.

Her 2025 release; Big Blue Machine, is a culmination of this ethos, an album entirely written, performed, arranged, produced, recorded, and mixed by Passarelli herself. With guest contributions from musicians and lyricists such as Kate Chadbourne, Mike Bishop, Jay Bradley, Stefanie Badach-Mis, and Kaitlyn Anderson, the album represents a collaborative yet deeply personal chapter in her career. Mastered by Charles Howard at Platnumbaby Studio, the record embodies both sonic polish and emotional intimacy, qualities that have come to define Lauren’s enduring legacy.

Released on August 1st, 2025, alongside the full Big Blue Machine album, Hearts & Words emerges as its emotional finale, a song that doesn’t just end an album, but gently ushers it into memory. With every breath of acoustic clarity and whispered harmony, the single reveals Lauren Passarelli’s masterful command of nuance, intimacy, and stillness. It is a track that values space as much as sound, built not on volume, but on vulnerability. Hearts & Words unfolds like a handwritten letter, delicate, revealing, and timeless. Enriched by lyrical contributions from Kate Chadbourne, Stefanie Badach-Mis, and Kaitlyn Anderson, and supported by subtle instrumentation from collaborators including Mike Bishop on bass and Jay Bradley on drums, the song becomes more than a musical piece, it becomes a conversation between heartbeats and histories.

Hearts & Words by Lauren Passarelli stands as the heartfelt curtain call of her 2025 album Big Blue Machine, a composition that doesn’t so much end the album as it gently closes a deeply personal chapter. From the very first breath of sound, the track places you in a moment suspended in time. It opens with a delicately fingerpicked acoustic guitar, warm and unhurried, as if inviting you to lean in closer. There’s no build-up or preamble, no wall of sound to distract you. Instead, there’s a stillness that feels deeply intentional, like the beginning of an intimate conversation or the unfolding of a handwritten letter. The space between each note feels alive, as though the silence itself is part of the story being told. It’s a song that introduces itself not with force, but with a gentle honesty that commands attention through sincerity alone.

As the piece develops, Lauren takes an almost painterly approach to arrangement. Her choice to allow the song to bloom gradually results in a listening experience that feels immersive without ever becoming intrusive. A subtle second guitar line glides beneath the main one, barely noticeable at first but rich with harmonic nuance. Then, unexpectedly yet effortlessly, the groove steps in, a light percussive drum beat marked by snare brushes and cymbal washes. This rhythmic element doesn’t disrupt the song’s serenity; rather, it grounds it. The groove brings with it a subtle swing, introducing warmth, body, and movement without breaking the spell. It’s a cozy, fireside rhythm that carries the melody forward like a slow, comforting waltz. This percussive twist transforms the track from a tender ballad into something living and breathing, softly kinetic yet emotionally anchored.

Vocal delivery is where Lauren’s quiet brilliance shines most clearly. Her voice is soft, clear, and measured, but never detached. She sings like someone sharing something precious, not with a need to perform, but with the intent to be understood. There’s an underlying vulnerability in her tone that mirrors the fragility of the lyrics. You can hear how much care she places in every word, how she shapes each syllable with unspoken emotion. But what elevates this vocal performance to something truly special is the arrival of the backing vocals. Ethereal, breathy, and immaculately blended, they hover like a halo around the lead vocal, sometimes echoing, sometimes harmonizing, always enhancing. These backing layers don’t just support, they respond. They serve as the quiet chorus of emotional reinforcement, creating the sense that the song is being sung by both the self and the soul.

The instrumentation is an exercise in graceful minimalism, each element chosen with a craftsman’s precision. Acoustic guitar remains the heart of the arrangement, its tones warm and inviting. The addition of nylon-string textures, the occasional shimmer of an electric guitar and fluid bassline provide depth without weight. The light percussion, introduced with such subtlety, adds a tactile intimacy to the mix, it doesn’t drive the track, it sways with it. There’s a noticeable attention to space, the use of pauses and resonance to allow each sound to breathe. Lauren’s production philosophy yields a mix that is rich in analog warmth and pristine clarity. Her home studio setup becomes a sanctuary in which every creak of a string, every brush of the snare, every inhalation of breath, becomes part of the sonic narrative. It’s not just recorded, it’s sculpted. There’s an elegance in how the instruments are allowed to exist as themselves, unfiltered, organic, and utterly human.

 

What’s most profound is the way the vocals, the backing harmonies, the groove, and the instrumentation intertwine, forming a conversation rather than a collection of parts. The lead vocal doesn’t just sit atop the mix, it swims in it. The backing vocals swell like emotional shadows, filling in the blanks of what’s too tender to say aloud. The guitar and drums don’t accompany, they commiserate. This cohesion creates a world unto itself: a sonic chamber of empathy, trust, and quiet revelation. It’s in that union that the essence of the track reveals itself, not as a song about communication, but as a lived experience of it. Each musical element listens to the others, just as much as it speaks. In doing so, they collectively create a sonic intimacy that is hauntingly beautiful.

Hearts & Words transforms vulnerability into melody, crafting emotional stillness through elegant sound, space, and soul.

The emotional tone that lingers after the final chord is both poignant and restorative. There’s a sense of stillness, of quiet reckoning, that invites reflection rather than applause. The song doesn’t so much end as it dissolves, slowly, softly, leaving behind the emotional imprint of something sincere. The final moments are wrapped in that same delicate interplay between lead and backing vocals, like a thought gently tapering into memory. Hearts & Words closes the album with an almost sacred stillness, not because it lacks energy, but because it directs that energy inward. It is a song that chooses subtlety over spectacle, connection over performance. In a world addicted to noise and excess, Lauren offers us something far more rare: a moment of still beauty, fully felt and quietly unforgettable.

For more information about Lauren Passarelli, click on the links below.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Lauren Passarelli – Hearts & Words Review: A Soul-Stirring Finale of Vulnerability, Stillness, and Sonic Intimacy

Big Blue Machine Review: A Soulful, Analog Dreamscape of Emotion, Memory, and Musical Mastery

https://dulaxi.com/lauren-passarelli-big-blue-machine-review-a-soulful-analog-dreamscape-of-emotion-memory-and-musical-mastery/

Lauren Passarelli – Big Blue Machine Review: A Soulful, Analog Dreamscape of Emotion, Memory, and Musical Mastery

Lauren Passarelli – Big Blue Machine
Lauren Passarelli – Big Blue Machine

Lauren Passarelli is not just a musician, she is a sonic artisan whose entire life has been steeped in the alchemy of sound. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Passarelli has spent decades crafting a multifaceted legacy as a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer, arranger, recording engineer, author, and music professor. Her artistic vision is rooted in deep respect for both the past and the process, blending analog warmth with poetic depth to produce what she lovingly calls sound paintings. A lifelong devotee of The Beatles, Passarelli’s musical DNA is heavily informed by the classic stylings of James Taylor, Harry Nilsson, Carole King, Carly Simon, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, Pat Metheny, Tom Petty, and George Harrison, to name a few.

These influences flow naturally through her compositions, chord structures, production aesthetics, and melodic phrasing, never mimicked, but distilled into something unmistakably her own. As a professor of guitar at Berklee College of Music since 1984, she has not only shaped her own musical path but has guided tens of thousands of students in discovering theirs. Her career includes sixteen years touring with Beatles tribute bands and performing both online and in-person concerts of original work. She is a creator who builds not just songs but worlds, bringing the same level of intentionality and soul to every note, every line, every mix. What makes Lauren Passarelli truly unique is her complete authorship of her projects. She writes, arranges, performs, produces, records, and mixes her own music, making her not just the voice behind the work, but its heartbeat. Whether behind a guitar, a piano, a mixing board, or a classroom podium, Lauren Passarelli is, in every sense, a master of her musical universe.

Released on August 1, 2025Big Blue Machine is Lauren Passarelli’s most personal and intricately crafted album to date, a warm, analog-hued journey that captures the essence of living, loving, grieving, creating, and simply being. Every note, every texture, every story is brought to life through Lauren’s complete creative control, as she single-handedly wrote, performed, arranged, produced, recorded, and mixed the entire record at home, an environment that breathes through the album like a hidden character. More than just a collection of songs, Big Blue Machine is a soundtrack of emotional truth, gently stitched together by decades of experience, friendships, and introspection.

Lauren Passarelli – Big Blue Machine
Credit: photo by L Pass

With contributions from close collaborators like lyricists Stefanie Badach-Mis and Kate Chadbourne, and musicians Jay Bradley (drums) and Mike Bishop (bass), the album flows like a communal conversation, deep, tender, and true. Thematically, the album explores memory, loss, creativity, love, and human connection. Sonically, it draws from the timeless palettes of classic rock and folk-pop, while embracing modern studio sensibilities through a hybrid analog-digital mixing process, Lauren’s first of its kind. Tracks like Big Blue Machine, Write My Song, and Million Ways showcase not only her technical brilliance but her deep emotional intelligence as a songwriter and arranger. In a world overwhelmed by noise, Big Blue Machine is a rare thing: a quiet, powerful vehicle of sound that invites the listener to slow down, tune in, and travel inward.

Big Blue Machine Album Track List:

Million Ways:
Million Ways by Lauren Passarelli eases into your ears like the gentle opening of a faded curtain to reveal a sunlit, analog world, its instrumentation feeling both classic and lovingly handcrafted. The song kicks off with a soft but distinct electric guitar riff, warm and rounded at the edges, using just the right amount of vintage tube saturation that gives it a ‘70s character reminiscent of George Harrison’s solo tones. It doesn’t aim to pierce or dominate; instead, it hugs the song, offering a melodic throughline that shimmers without becoming overwhelming. Beneath it lies a clean, buttery bassline; supportive and smooth, following the root notes in a way that gives the entire arrangement a gentle sway. The drum kit is recorded dry and close, with soft snare hits and brushed cymbals that suggest an intimate room mic placement.
There’s no bravado in the rhythm section, just a tight, almost whisper-like heartbeat that breathes through the track. Subtle piano chords occasionally echo underneath the mix, adding a plush, almost imperceptible layer of color, like watercolors bleeding into paper rather than bold strokes. The way these instruments are arranged feels like a conversation between old friends: relaxed, instinctual, and full of quiet chemistry. Passarelli’s guitar work is the most central voice in the song after her own vocals, and its tone has that unmistakable analog shimmer, slightly compressed, sweetly delayed, and drenched in nostalgia without being over-processed. Every strum is measured, deliberate, and emotionally resonant. Occasionally, you hear light string slides and finger noise that give the song a tangible closeness, like you’re in the room with her.
Her vocals sit confidently in the mix, slightly forward and enhanced by a soft plate reverb that gives them a subtle dreamlike echo, enough to suggest space, not distance. The backing and background vocals created magic, perfectly complimenting her lead vocal. The song doesn’t follow a traditional loud-quiet-loud structure; instead, it rides a consistent mellow wave, focusing more on atmosphere than tension. There are also brief instrumental interludes between verses where the guitar steps forward and sparkles like wind chimes, bright but never sharp. What really sets Million Ways apart is the organic cohesion of all its elements: no instrument is fighting for space, and every piece feels necessary. It’s not about grandiosity, it’s about taste. In a world overrun with maximalist production, this track finds its power in tone, balance, and a deeply personal sense of musical storytelling. It’s a masterclass in how subtle instrumentation can carry just as much emotional weight as any soaring chorus or orchestral flourish.

Lauren Passarelli – Big Blue Machine
Credit: photo by L Pass

Big Blue Machine:
Big Blue Machine, the title track of Lauren Passarelli’s album, is a groovy, swirling journey into psychedelic folk-rock, anchored in warm analog tones and glistening with personality. The song moves with a sense of deliberate motion, like a slow ride through memory and imagination. It opens with an echoing electric guitar that instantly transports the listener into a cinematic landscape; the tone is jangly yet smooth, with a touch of modulation that lends it a hypnotic shimmer. There’s a layered use of subtle flangers and phasers carried with Passarelli’s unmistakably gentle touch. The percussion is fluid and quietly assertive, with taps and cymbal washes that feel almost aquatic, giving the impression of wheels turning across a sun-soaked highway.
Beneath that, a subtle bass groove rumbles like an engine, steady and grounding, supporting the track’s airy textures without ever pushing too hard. Each instrument appears like a carefully placed color in a landscape painting, spaced out, deliberate, and rich with nuance. Vocally, Passarelli delivers with a dreamy, slightly detached tone that enhances the song’s mystique, her voice weaving between the instruments rather than towering above them, as though it’s part of the machine itself. Passarelli paints around the edges with vivid sonic brushstrokes.
Her production choices here are particularly masterful: tremolo guitar parts pan gently across the stereo field; reverb-drenched backing vocals whisper in from the periphery; and light synth pads or Mellotron-like textures occasionally bloom in the mix like headlights emerging through fog. There’s a satisfying build to the track, not in volume but in density, more elements slowly slide into place, giving the impression of acceleration without speed. By the time the bridge hits, you feel fully immersed in this radiant, analog dreamscape. Big Blue Machine is an atmosphere, a moving vehicle of sound that carries the listener into a headspace that is at once grounded in real emotion and liberated by sonic experimentation. It stands proudly at the heart of the album’s concept: embracing personal identity, mechanical rhythm, freedom of movement, and the joy of crafting music that feels like a living, breathing organism.

Lauren Passarelli – Big Blue Machine
Credit: photo by L Pass

Find A Way:
Find A Way begins with a soft, solemn piano progression that sets a deeply contemplative tone, its notes lingering in the air like unspoken thoughts. The chords are played slowly and with intention, resonating with a quiet emotional clarity that signals the track’s introspective nature. As the piano continues its reflective arc, a smooth, rounded bassline steps in, laying down a foundation that feels both weighty and comforting, never forceful, but steady in its emotional purpose. The guitar joins gently, fingerpicked and silky, its tone lightly compressed with an almost glowing warmth. It doesn’t strive for attention but instead slips into the sonic tapestry like a gentle breath between words. Then come the percussive elements, subtle, soft-brushed snare hits and faint cymbal washes that shimmer around the edges of the mix.
The brushes give the rhythm a hushed, heartbeat-like pulse, while the cymbals breathe in and out like waves, adding movement without breaking the song’s stillness. Together, these elements form a slow-moving musical ecosystem where nothing is overplayed, yet every note, tone, and rhythm is essential. It’s minimalism at its most emotive, crafted not just to accompany the lyrics, but to echo the quiet turbulence of grief, healing, and emotional support. Lauren Passarelli’s vocal performance matches the arrangement in its delicacy and restraint, delivered with a soft, almost whisper-like intimacy that seems to exist in the space between words and melody. Her voice hovers just above the instruments, cradled by the warmth of the piano and bass, and supported by the gentle tug of the snare brushes beneath. She doesn’t try to overpower the song; she surrenders to it, letting the story of quiet resilience unfold in calm, measured tones.
Lyrically, the message is not about resolution, but about presence, how the act of staying, listening, and gently holding space for someone is sometimes the truest form of love. Light harmonies bloom briefly in the background like distant echoes of comfort, never stealing the focus but subtly enriching the emotional texture. As the track evolves, the interplay of instruments becomes slightly fuller, with the cymbals growing a touch more expressive, and the bassline pulsing a little deeper, marking emotional shifts without ever altering the tempo or tone. By the final note, the listener is left with a profound sense of quiet understanding. Find A Way is not a cry, it’s a hand held out in silence, a sonic embodiment of compassion that doesn’t aim to heal with force, but with presence. In its graceful orchestration, tender dynamics, and emotional precision, it stands as one of Passarelli’s most masterfully restrained yet deeply affecting works.

Lauren Passarelli – Big Blue Machine
Credit: designed by Lauren Passarelli & Kate Chadbourne

I Miss You:
I Miss You is one of the most emotionally resonant and sonically tender moments on Big Blue Machine, draped in sepia-toned nostalgia and structured with a classic 1950s ballad sensibility. The song immediately evokes that vintage heartache ballad feel, opening with a softly glowing guitar riff that feels like it was recorded on ribbon tape, slightly rounded at the edges, warm with a gentle tremolo pulse, and soaked in analog sentiment. The guitar’s timbre is unmistakably retro, bringing a level of melodic delicacy that personalizes it fully. A slow, padded drum groove joins in shortly after, played with soft sticks or brushes, its snare relaxed and slightly tucked into the mix, with subtle rim-clicks that add a rhythmic heartbeat without disrupting the song’s emotional stillness. The bass line is smooth and supportive, moving melodically beneath the chord changes with the grace of a well-rehearsed whisper.
Sparse, velvet-like piano chords occasionally surface like emotional undercurrents, offering harmonic richness while never competing for space. What’s most impressive is how Lauren Passarelli maintains such emotional intimacy while layering just enough sonic detail to make the production glow, this is a song that sounds close, like it was performed in a dimly lit room for you and you alone. Vocally, Passarelli delivers I Miss You with understated vulnerability, choosing subtle inflections and phrasing over overt drama, which makes the longing in her voice all the more poignant. There’s a gentle quiver in her delivery that suggests not just sadness, but quiet reflection, her tone is as soft as a letter never sent, and her choice to leave space between lines allows the lyrics to land with greater weight.
The harmonies, delicate and well-spread across the stereo field, emerge at key emotional moments, adding depth without ever feeling layered or forced. One of the track’s highlights is the short instrumental bridge, where a guitar solo unfurls with remarkable restraint: it doesn’t try to impress with speed or volume, but instead sings a melodic line filled with longing, echoing the song’s emotional arc in pure instrumental form. Subtle vibrato and slide techniques lend the solo a weeping quality, making it feel like a continuation of the narrative rather than a break from it. Reverb is used sparingly but beautifully throughout, especially on the vocals and solo, creating a ghostly echo that underscores the theme of absence. By the end of the track, the feeling isn’t just that someone is missing; it’s that their presence still lingers in the textures of the music itself. I Miss You is a masterclass in subtle, emotionally mature songwriting, proof that when crafted with intention, a quiet song can carry the weight of an entire heart.

Big Blue Machine is a tender, analog-crafted journey through emotion, memory, and artistry, where every note breathes heartfelt authenticity and warmth.

Big Blue Machine is a masterfully conceived and soulfully executed album that stands as a testament to Lauren Passarelli’s artistic brilliance, technical prowess, and emotional depth. Every track on this record is a carefully layered expression of memory, loss, love, creativity, and human connection, all rendered with an analog warmth and lyrical intimacy that is increasingly rare in today’s hyper-produced musical landscape. Passarelli invites listeners into a deeply personal world shaped by decades of experience, profound influences, and unwavering authenticity. The album is not just musically satisfying, it is emotionally nourishing, with each song serving as a quiet companion through life’s moments of reflection, grief, joy, and renewal. Its hybrid mixing approach, homegrown production, and heartfelt collaborations further enrich its texture, making it both technically impressive and profoundly human. Highly recommended for fans of singer-songwriters like George Harrison, James Taylor, Carole King, and Pat Metheny, and for any listener in search of music that is not only beautiful to hear but also healing to feel, Big Blue Machine is an essential listen, a sonic journal written with grace, passion, and timeless honesty.

 

For more information about Lauren Passarelli, click on the icons below.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Big Blue Machine Review: A Soulful, Analog Dreamscape of Emotion, Memory, and Musical Mastery

TJPL News – Big Blue Machine

Big Blue Machine Reviews

Radio Click DigitalWith a career that combines artistic sensibility, technical prowess, and a distinctive sonic vision, Passarelli reaffirms her place as an integral creator in contemporary music.”

Fox Fire MagazineWith this release, Lauren Passarelli affirms her place as a timeless voice in contemporary music, one that listens as deeply as it speaks.”

Rock Era Magazine – “As we experience the work of a master guitarist, the marvelous guitar arrangement truly stands out. I genuinely mean it when I say that it has been a long time since I encountered such skillfully crafted guitar lines. A Berklee legend, a Beatles expert, and a true musical force.”

iChrisGh – (Hearts & Words) “It’s a melodic memory box of two artists shaping each other’s worlds from afar.”

We Write About Music“…she constructs each track like a sonic mosaic, colored by the hues of a life immersed in endless melody and harmony…a warm, glowing tapestry of acoustic textures, psychedelic accents, and deft songwriting. Her sound design is both clever and intuitive, blending analog warmth with contemporary clarity. Her background as a recording engineer shines, with each frequency meticulously balanced, allowing instruments to breathe and interact like characters in a great novel.

TJPL News – “A Masterclass in sonic storytelling, BIG BLUE MACHINE blends retro pop-rock with heartfelt textures, handcrafted by a music polymath at the height of her creative powers.”

TJPL News – “Lauren Passarelli’s, Big Blue Machine fires on all cylinders… Big Blue Machine is more than an album, it’s an immersive audio canvas painted by a seasoned artisan of sound.”

TJPL News – “Every track is a personal vignette, filled with warmth, honesty, and meticulous detail, mirroring her ethos as a “sound explorer. Crafted in her home studio using her beloved Audient 4816 console—nicknamed “Stevie Wonder”, Big Blue Machine exemplifies hybrid production at its finest.”

TJPL News – “Lauren Passarelli has not only built a big blue machine—she’s driven it straight into the heart of what makes music memorable.”

Pitch Perfect – “Big Blue Machine does not try to dazzle with modern flair or ironic distance. It is content to explore, to play, to reflect. I kept thinking of it as a scrapbook full of scenes, influences, and moods that all feel lived in. Fans of the Beatles, Tom Waits, or even early solo Paul Simon will find something to love here. I certainly did.”

RGM – “I Miss You, is pure melancholy pop perfection… a warm, weird, wonderful record that proves Lauren Passarelli isn’t just playing at this music thing. She is the music.”

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on TJPL News – Big Blue Machine

We Write About Music ~ Big Blue Machine

https://www.wewriteaboutmusic.com/reviews/lauren-passarelli-big-blue-machine

Lauren Passarelli bridges the gap between old & new on album, “Big Blue Machine”

On Big Blue Machine, her latest and arguably most accomplished album to date, Lauren Passarelli fully embodies the archetype of the modern Renaissance musician. A multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger, and recording engineer with decades of musical devotion behind her, she constructs each track like a sonic mosaic, colored by the hues of a life immersed in endless melody and harmony.

Passarelli wrote, performed, arranged, recorded, produced, and mixed every moment, but has also done an amazing job transporting listeners to an alternate timeline where the golden era of Laurel Canyon meets the polish and clarity of contemporary pop-rock. This is an album crafted with the same intention and care that defined the giants of the 1970s, yet its sound is entirely her own: a warm, glowing tapestry of acoustic textures, psychedelic accents, and deft songwriting.

From the opening notes, it’s clear this is a record made by someone deeply attuned to the art of sonic storytelling. You can feel the influences from The Beatles’ inventiveness, James Taylor’s gentleness, and Harry Nilsson’s wit and melodic sense. Instead though, these inspirations feel like the guiding stars for a personal journey. Passarelli doesn’t mimic the past, she converses with it, and has fully crafted something her own.

Throughout the album, there’s an undeniable emotional intelligence, whether she’s drifting through folk-tinged balladry or throwing in unexpected jolts of rock energy, every sonic shift feels meaningful and earned. Her arrangements are lush yet never overcrowded, allowing her timeless, ethereal vocals to glide through the mix like a steady breeze. There are moments where the acoustic guitars sparkle like sunlight on water, or when her vocal harmonies swell with an almost spiritual resonance, recalling the intimacy and unfiltered honesty of early Joni Mitchell or Carole King.

Yet Big Blue Machine isn’t a nostalgic relic. Her sound design is both clever and intuitive, blending analog warmth with contemporary clarity. Her background as a recording engineer shines, with each frequency meticulously balanced, allowing instruments to breathe and interact like characters in a great novel. You’ll surely experience a variety of instrumentation, but for us, that acoustic guitar cut through like a knife and really brought a constant throughout our listen.

Even better, she shifts effortlessly across genre lines, venturing from folk to classic rock to dreamy pop to moments of Americana, all with a unifying thread of introspection and artistic integrity.

She’s fully delivered a record that isn’t chasing trends but building its own quiet legacy. This is the type of record for a long drive, a contemplative morning, or when you might be feeling like you need a pick me up. Go ahead and click those links below to listen in, follow along, and of course to stay tuned for more.

Listen to “Big Blue Machine”

Artist Website

YouTube

Instagram

Like what you read? Follow our social media and playlist for the latest in independent music:

Posted in Article, Reviews | Comments Off on We Write About Music ~ Big Blue Machine

Radio Click – Big Blue Machine

Lauren Passarelli anuncia el lanzamiento de su nuevo álbum Big Blue Machine, disponible el 1 de agosto de 2025

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Radio Click – Big Blue Machine

UpHere Magazine ~Canada

Lauren Passarelli glows brightly with reimagination of “Be Here Now” classic

Posted in Article | Comments Off on UpHere Magazine ~Canada

iChrisGh ~Hearts & Words

https://ichrisgh.com/lauren-passarelli-celebrates-a-timeless-creative-bond-in-hearts-words/

Lauren Passarelli Celebrates a Timeless Creative Bond in “Hearts & Words”

Save

Before there were Zoom calls, before co-writing meant shared Google Docs, Lauren Passarelli’s “Hearts and Words” was there. Written across time zones, hand-penned and heartfelt, the track is a true love letter to the creative partnership between Lauren Passarelli and her high school lyricist-friend, Stefanie Badach-Mis, affectionately known as “Shakes.”

In a world where musical collaborations can feel fleeting or transactional, Hearts & Words is the complete opposite. Thus, this song is one born of old-school friendship and artistic synchronicity, of lyrics that travelled by mail and melodies played through a phone line. Stefanie, writing from New Jersey, mailed her lyrics to Lauren, who composed the music in a New Hampshire hotel room between gigs. The demo was recorded back in Massachusetts and played to Stefanie over the phone while she was in Delaware.

From Friendship Across Time, State Lines, and Staff Paper to Warmth, Memory, and Magic in Hearts & Words

Moreover, there’s something incredibly personal about this track, like flipping through someone’s cherished old letters. With Passarelli’s smooth guitar textures and reflective vocal delivery, “Hearts & Words” captures a kind of creative nostalgia that doesn’t age. It’s a melodic memory box of two artists shaping each other’s worlds from afar.

The line “Making art on paper wings and music on the wire / Hearts & Words repeat, hearts and words” lands as a mantra. It is a poetic refrain that celebrates what it means to make something real from a shared dream. This is the epitome of building and growing together without borders. Thinking outside the box, making you wonder what box.

A Modern-Day Elton & Bernie, Only More Remote

Meanwhile, Passarelli and Shakes always saw themselves like Elton John and Bernie Taupin, a songwriting duo working in separate rooms, yet speaking the same musical language. In their case, those rooms were in different states entirely. They weren’t just collaborating; they were translating one another’s souls from a distance.

Further, that decades-long bond now finds its permanent home on Passarelli’s upcoming album, Big Blue Machine, a project full of authenticity, warmth, and honesty. However, Hearts & Words isn’t just another track on the album’s track list. It’s the heart of it. The song carries the DNA of Passarelli’s story, her process, and the friendships that shaped her voice as an artist.

“Hearts & Words” is what happens when two artists grow up together, through letters, chords, and unwavering belief in each other. It’s not just a song about friendship. It’s a song that is of true friendship, as Passarelli herself says, “I loooove this song.” It’s easy to see why. If you’ve ever had a friend who helped you find your voice, then this song is perfectly made for you. The music will be released on August 1st, 2025; mark your calendars.

Always log onto ichrisgh.com for more entertainment and lifestyle exclusives. Follow us on Facebook, InstagramThreadsTikTok, and Twitter via @ichrisgh, or join our WhatsApp and Telegram channels, iChris and iChris, respectively.

Posted in Article | Comments Off on iChrisGh ~Hearts & Words

Radio Click DigitalWith a career that combines artistic sensibility, technical prowess, and a distinctive sonic vision, Passarelli reaffirms her place as an integral creator in contemporary music.”

Fox Fire MagazineWith this release, Lauren Passarelli affirms her place as a timeless voice in contemporary music, one that listens as deeply as it speaks.”

Rock Era Magazine“As we experience the work of a master guitarist, the marvelous guitar arrangement truly stands out. I genuinely mean it when I say that it has been a long time since I encountered such skillfully crafted guitar lines. A Berklee legend, a Beatles expert, and a true musical force.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on

Hit Harmony Haven – Be Here Now

https://www.hitharmonyhaven.com/post/be-here-now-lauren-passarelli

Writer: GRAHAM

GRAHAM

Be Here Now

 

Be Here Now

Lauren Passarelli’s take on George Harrison’s Be Here Now” is more than just a tribute — it’s a gentle act of reverence. From the first few seconds, the atmosphere wraps around you like a soft breeze, full of grace and quiet depth. You can feel that this is personal for her. Her vocals come in warm and grounded, not trying to imitate Harrison, but honouring the calm strength he brought to his songs. Her slide guitar work is delicate and soulful, bending notes in a way that feels less like technique and more like intention

What brings this version to life is the blend of textures. Kate Chadbourne’s piano plays like a whisper under the vocals, while Mike Bishop’s bass gives the track a soft pulse. There’s also this beautifully layered sense of space — chimes, subtle strings, and Indian instruments like the tanpura and swaramandal gently rise and fall without ever pushing too hard. Instead of crowding the moment, the song invites you to slow down, listen closely, and just be. It’s peaceful without being passive, spiritual without preaching

The most impressive part? Passarelli did nearly all of it herself — arranging, recording, mixing, and mastering in her studio. You can hear the care in every detail. This isn’t just a cover — it’s a full-circle moment for a lifelong Beatles fan who now channels her voice into one of her hero’s most meditative works. “Be Here Now” doesn’t ask for attention. It simply offers presence. And in a world that rarely pauses, that’s a gift worth holding onto.

 

Follow Lauren Passarelli on Instagram.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Hit Harmony Haven – Be Here Now

RGM Magazine ~Big Blue Machine

WE REVIEW THE NEW ALBUM FROM LAUREN PASSARELLI – BIG BLUE MACHINE

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on RGM Magazine ~Big Blue Machine

Be Here Now

https://www.xn--msmusica-8ya.com/2025/07/lauren-passarelli-be-here-now.html?m=1

LAUREN PASSARELLI – Be Here Now

, on 

“Be Here Now: An intimate and moving tribute to the musical soul of George Harrison”

When we admire someone and create with inspiration, magical things undoubtedly emerge; and it has happened to me personally; always in art and especially in music, when we are limited in notes, there will always be some inspiration when composing, it can be artists from the classical era like The Beatles, Queen, Led Zeppelin to current icons, that is why I love this track that is made with much love to George Harrison, LAUREN PASSARELLI , I try to make an anthem in “Be Here Now”  to honor his way of playing the guitar and creating his music.
There is an emotionally palpable production; sustained by a production that seems to involve elements such as the Piano; guitar strings with interesting atmospheres through slides and enveloping strums, a bass with a perfect Match with its instrumental and a beautiful arrangement of strings made with current technology; MIDI elements that sound so real each time that the notion between what is real and what is digital is lost, this song approaches us with a complex instrumental, with great balance but above all with melodies that do not compete for prominence but rather complement each other to create a magical and unrepeatable dreamlike environment, this added to its calm and sweet singing, achieves a proposal that keeps you floating between clouds of relaxation.
Listening to Be Here Now is like stopping time for a moment. It’s an emotional space that invites you to breathe more slowly, to look inward, and to remember that sometimes the simplest things, when they come from the heart, are also the most powerful. There’s something profoundly beautiful about creating from a place of wonder, and Lauren Passarelli does it without pretense, with respect, with soul. And that—in a world where so much is shouted about—feels like a gift.

It is art, ultimately a work that will move you and, above all, will bring smiles, which is why it is 100% recommended!

Follow me on Instagram Follow me on Spotify
If you like our content, follow us using the following button ????

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Be Here Now

Not So Pop – Be Here Now

“Be Here Now” by Lauren Passarelli

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Not So Pop – Be Here Now

Radio Click – Be Here Now

Lauren Passarelli rinde homenaje a George Harrison con su emotivo cover de “Be Here Now”

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Radio Click – Be Here Now

The Big Indie – Be Here Now

REVIEW: Lauren Passarelli – Be Here Now

 

Posted in Article | Comments Off on The Big Indie – Be Here Now

Be Here Now

Check out my new single, of George Harrison’s, Be Here Now. Listen everywhere you like to stream.

Music EarShot – “Be Here Now by Lauren Passarelli is not just a cover; it’s a loving homage wrapped in sonic mindfulness.”

FoxFire Magazine – “You can feel the love, not just for the song, but also for George Harrison himself.”

RockEra Magazine – “Lauren’s enchanting, heartfelt, and powerful vocals, paired with her magical touch on the lead slide guitars, transported me to an entirely new perspective.”

Radio Click Digital – “The result is an immersive mix that honors the spirituality and emotional depth of the original track, while highlighting Passarelli’s creativity and musicianship. She arranged, recorded, mixed, and mastered the song herself, reaffirming her talent as a well-rounded producer.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Be Here Now

Zillions Magazine – Be Here Now

https://www.zillionsmagazine.com/2025/06/lauren-passarelli-shines-with-heartfelt.html

Lauren Passarelli shines with heartfelt tribute “Be Here Now”

On June 16th, 2025, Lauren Passarelli paid tribute to one of her early inspirations, George Harrison, by releasing her version of his classic music “Be Here Now.” Originally featured on Harrison’s 1973 album “Living in the Material World,” Passarelli’s rendition brings a new depth and connection to the piece, filled with respect, artistry, and a calming intimacy.

A lifelong fan of Harrison and the Beatles, Passarelli first encountered the original song when she was just 13 years old. Now, years later, she approaches it not just as a fan but as a skilled musician who fully understands her artistic voice. Her version is not intended to overshadow Harrison’s original. Instead, it honors its essence while adding her touch. Thoughtful layers of sound mark the recording. Passarelli plays all the guitars, with her lead slide guitar gently bending notes like sunlight filtering through fog. She sings with a soothing quality that draws listeners in. Alongside her, Kate Chadbourne’s sensitive piano and Mike Bishop’s warm bass create a rich and inviting atmosphere that feels both earthly and otherworldly. Passarelli also introduces a variety of unique sounds to the track, including rhythms from drums, the beautiful ringing of a swarmandal, an Indian harp, the gentle hum of tanpura, chimes, and strings that mimic a guitar. The music invites listeners to immerse themselves without being overwhelmed, allowing space to relax and exist in the moment.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this project is the care and detail involved. Passarelli not only arranged and performed most of the music herself, but she also handled the recording, mixing, and mastering from her home studio. This makes her interpretation a deeply personal endeavor. She describes it as an act of love for Harrison, for his music, and for the stillness that his songwriting inspires.

Follow Lauren Passarelli on Instagram

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Zillions Magazine – Be Here Now

Rock Era Magazine – Be Here Now

Cover: Be Here Now by Lauren Passarelli

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Rock Era Magazine – Be Here Now

FoxFire Magazine – Be Here Now

https://www.foxfiremagazine.com/2025/06/lauren-passarelli-honors-george.html

 

Lauren Passarelli honors George Harrison with a meditative, soul-rich Cover of “Be Here Now”

Lauren Passarelli pays a heartfelt tribute to the late George Harrison with a rich and evocative reinterpretation of his 1973 classic, “Be Here Now.” Released when Passarelli was just 13 years old, the original song became more than just a melody to her; it served as a spiritual blueprint that helped shape her musical journey. Now, decades later, she returns to that essence, delivering a version that is both respectful and refreshingly personal.

From the very first seconds, an undeniable warmth envelops the listener. Passarelli’s rendition doesn’t attempt to outshine Harrison’s original; instead, it illuminates it gently, with deep admiration. At the heart of this sonic meditation is Passarelli’s delicate guitar work, which is both precise and emotive. She channels Harrison’s signature slide techniques while incorporating her own unique phrasing, playing every guitar part with intention and grace, reflecting a clear understanding of the emotional landscape the song inhabits.

Teaming up with pianist Kate Chadbourne and bassist Mike BishopPassarelli curates a tranquil yet powerful atmosphere. Chadbourne’s piano adds a classical elegance to the track, while Bishop’s bass work anchors “Be Here Now”  with a quiet strength, allowing everything else to flourish. This is not merely a cover; it’s a conversation between musicians, with Passarelli as the guiding voice.

What sets this version apart is its global, meditative instrumentation. From the soothing XO drum groove to the ambient sweep of a 30-string swarmandal (an Indian harp), Passarelli expands the song’s spiritual dimension. She layers in a tanpura drone, chimes, MIDI-driven strings, and cello textures to create a floating, immersive environment that encourages listeners to slow down and, quite literally, “be here now.”

Beyond the instrumentation, it is the emotional sincerity in Passarelli’s voice that resonates deeply. She sings each line not as a performer but as someone who has internalized the wisdom behind the words. Her vocal delivery is soft yet confident, layered yet never overdone. You can feel the love, not just for the song, but also for George Harrison himself. As she has stated, Lauren became a musician because of Harrison and The Beatles. “Be Here Now”  serves as both a thank-you and a prayer.

Produced, arranged, mixed, and mastered entirely in her home studio, “Be Here Now” is a testament to the power of artistic autonomy and spiritual connection. Rather than striving to modernize the original, it re-contextualizes it through Lauren’s lived experience and sonic perspective, making it feel both intimate and new.

For fans of George Harrison, The Beatles, or any music that bridges the personal with the transcendent, Lauren Passarelli’s “Be Here Now” is a must-listen. It is more than a cover; it is a spiritual offering, an act of love, and a reminder to root ourselves in the present moment through music that honors both the past and the present.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on FoxFire Magazine – Be Here Now

Music Ear Shot – Be Here Now

https://www.musicearshot.com/2025/06/lauren-passarelli-s-be-here-now-george-harrison-cover.html

Lauren Passarelli’s “Be Here Now” (George Harrison Cover)

Lauren Passarelli’s rendition of George Harrison’s “Be Here Now” is a masterclass in reverent reinterpretation. Originally featured on Harrison’s 1973 Living in the Material World album, the track is rich with spiritual depth and meditative calm. In this cover, Passarelli, a lifelong admirer of Harrison and The Beatles, pays heartfelt tribute while infusing the piece with her own textured artistry.

 

Recorded and produced entirely at home, Passarelli’s version is both intimate and expansive. With Kate Chadbourne’s delicate piano work and Mike Bishop’s grounded bass lines, the arrangement flows gently like a mantra in motion. Passarelli adds her own creative spirit by layering lush guitar work, including expressive slide guitar alongside the exotic warmth of swarmandal and tanpura sounds, evoking the song’s Eastern influences. The addition of chimes, MIDI-driven strings, and subtle percussive grooves enriches the track’s atmosphere without overwhelming its message.

Vocally, Passarelli’s delivery is sincere and soothing, aligning beautifully with the song’s contemplative mood. Her passion for Harrison’s legacy is evident in every note and nuance. Rather than replicate, she honors breathing new life into a spiritual classic for a modern audience. “Be Here Now” by Lauren Passarelli is not just a cover; it’s a loving homage wrapped in sonic mindfulness.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Music Ear Shot – Be Here Now

1st two reviews for Big Blue Machine

https://rockeramagazine.com/hearts-words-lauren-passarelli/

 

https://www.foxfiremagazine.com/2025/05/lauren-passarelli-melds-emotion-and.html

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on 1st two reviews for Big Blue Machine

FoxFire Magazine ~

https://www.foxfiremagazine.com/2025/05/lauren-passarelli-melds-emotion-and.html

Lauren Passarelli melds emotion and artistry on new single “Hearts & Words”

Veteran singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lauren Passarelli unveils her latest single “Hearts & Words,” a reflection on communication, exposure, and the transformative power of human connection. Known for her delicate touch and expressive musical storytelling, Passarelli crafts a tender sonic atmosphere on this track, blending soft acoustic textures with her signature lyrical intimacy.

“Hearts & Words” showcases Passarelli’s lyrical finesse, meditating on the tension between what we feel and what we manage to say. Her voice, clear and reassuring, gently navigates the emotional terrain of the song, exploring the joy and heartbreak found in unspoken truths and heartfelt conversations. Subtle harmonies and nuanced guitar work serve as the song’s emotional bedrock, creating a space where words carry weight, and silence speaks volumes.

Passarelli, a Berklee College of Music alum and the first woman to graduate as a guitar principal, continues to push the boundaries of introspective songwriting. “Hearts & Words” isn’t just a song—it’s an invitation to pause and reflect on how we connect with one another in a noisy, fast-moving world.

With this release, Lauren Passarelli affirms her place as a timeless voice in contemporary music, one that listens as deeply as it speaks.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on FoxFire Magazine ~

Big Blue Machine press release

Made with Visme

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Big Blue Machine press release

Paul McCartney’s words, Pensioner’s Wlatz

Pensioner's Waltz ~ Paul McCartney
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Paul McCartney’s words, Pensioner’s Wlatz

Press Release Questions for Big Blue Machine

Tell us about the key contributors to this project.

I love recording and making sound paintings of my songs. Hearts & Words is one of mine I’ve always loved and I’m happy to release here on, Big Blue Machine. The lyrics were written by my friend, Stefanie Badach-Mis at my request that she write a lyric about our collaborations. It was before email so she would write a lyric in NJ, send it through the mail, I wrote the music in a hotel room in NH while on the road gigging. Came back to MA and recorded a cassette demo and played it to her over the phone in NJ. She cleverly described our, Elton John & Bernie Taupin collaboration co-writes as, “Making art on paper wings and music on the wire.” I just love that!

One of my other favorite lyrics on this release is the poem I put to music by my friend, Kate Chadbourne. The Powerman poem was inspired by a conversation she had with her Unitil man who was replacing her meter. It’s so dear, encapsulating the opening and warming between us all when we dare to connect.

Kate also contributes piano to four songs, and drummer, Jay Bradley, and bassist, Mike Bishop each play on a handful of songs making the recording a great friend filled musical adventure.

I love technology, always have, it has made recording all my releases myself possible. I also love human feelings, real musicians, and a combination of real instruments and fun sounds. I’ve been called a “Sound Explorer” as I weave sounds like pine cones on Total Badass, geese, streams, and peepers in All The Words, shopping cart on this release on a song called, Tell Me What You’ve Found, crazy percussion, and all kinds of things in and around arrangements while producing my music. I sing, and play guitar, bass, drums and piano on this release and I did the recording and mixing.

Who influenced this release? 

My genre is pop/rock which includes all the styles of music. There are definitely traces of my favorite colors and sounds by The Beatles, James Taylor, Harry Nilsson, Carly Simon, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, Pat Metheny and many others on this record. It’s very exciting for me as a player, composer, arranger, producer and recording engineer to capture these gems that sparkled and spun my chakras throughout my life. There’s no desire to escape them. They naturally appear and weave among the chord changes and melodies, and tones in my voice. Mixer Day has vocal inflections that reminds me of Tom Petty. So many great colors to play with.

A Beatle at heart, I have the desire to use a variety of guitar sounds as well. Acoustic, electric, 12 string, nylon, lead, rhythm, slide… there are many different combinations of guitar pedals, and effects, amps, pickups, reverb, delay… I use all the ones I love.

What’s the story behind this release? 

The title song, Big Blue Machine is about my Can-Am Roadster and Mixer Day is about bringing home the Audient 4816 recording console in mid-winter.

A good friend of mine lost his wife at 36 yrs old and I was heart broken for him and wrote, Find A Way. So many of my songs over the years capture complicated emotions embedded in the harmony choices. Wait For Me, is about grief and how it is never linear. In a thought you can be broken all over again.

Write My Song is about the creative process and missing friends during the pandemic.

Million Ways is a heart-felt love song of thanks.

Moses is an instrumental I wrote a while ago that I added a new back ground melody idea to that reminds me of something Lyle Mays and Pat Metheny would have come up with.

I Miss You, has great George Harrison slide guitars, and A Sleepy Poem is a poem written by Kaitlyn Anderson that I put music to creating that- I’m almost asleep, I need to be asleep, I’m awake again, I’m sleepy again trying to go to sleep – adventure we experience from time to time. It even has me playing banjo!

Tell us what makes this release stand out and why it’s significant 

Big Blue Machine benefits from all my experience making my previous albums. I love these mixes and I had a blast mixing them hybrid through, Stevie Wonder, my Audient 4816 mixing console.

Write My Song is clean and clear and has sonic scenes where groups of instruments and voices blend deliciously together in the mix. I put a bit of digital delay on Jay Bradley’s drums. They remind me of Russel Kunkel’s playing. Mike Bishop is playing bass and he fluently delivers a melodic bass line like Leland Sklar. Kate Chadbourne is playing lovely, wrap around the vocal, piano melodies that are wonderfully Carole King. So the whole arrangement sounds like I’m playing and singing with, The Section, that was composed of King, Sklar, and Kunkel, and I’m Danny Kootch and James Taylor. It’s definitely one of my favorites. We really captured that longing vibe I felt when I was writing it.

I’m playing and singing everything on, Tell Me What You’ve Found. It was the first song I recorded through Stevie Wonder, the Audient 4816 mixer. The clarity and hush silent noise floor was so apparent to me, so thrilling to hear something so clean and pro sounding. I was thrilled. It’s also a cool groove rhythmically and it has one of those crazy sounds in it: a shopping cart played with the button on my coat, recorded to my phone and then added to the track. These fun sounds happen often accidentally. I was just getting groceries in the car. I hear something intriguing, record it and often months later as in this case I find a home for it. It was like it was planned for the spaces it fills in the song all along.

Where did the recording take place? 

 I’ve mostly recorded at home. That’s a very special place.

What was unique about the recording process?

 I had mixed through Stevie Wonder, the Audient 4816, before on my albums, Snowcake, Just Like Earth, Book of Your Heart, and The Highest Moon, and I had certainly tracked instruments and my voice through the mixer to make those recordings but THIS is the first album I have mixed entirely hybrid.

Starting in Logic in the box on a mac from Stevie and other preamps, using plugins shaping the tracks, and then parsing out 32 tracks without delay coming out to Stevie and adding shaping, dimension and color. The outboard gear now available through the send & receive options on Stevie instead of using the I/O plugin in Logic.

I didn’t change my setup from the computer being centered between the monitor speakers to the mixer centered between the monitor speakers. That was strange at first. Then I realized it’s perfect! There are two setups: one digital and one analog and yet they CAN work together. It’s fantastic for me to just be at Stevie listening and responding and not looking at a computer screen.

I have the tracks playing normally to the stereo output of Logic coming out speaker monitors on the computer side of the room and the individual or grouped tracks get parsed to Logic via busses creating external outputs that go to Stevie and I can hear those results on another set of monitors opposite the speakers on the computer side of the room.

I can even listen to music from both sets of speakers in front or behind me at the same time. It’s lovely to move ‘round the room from the mixing position. I like alternating standing and sitting, checking the mix on different speakers and headphones and getting these new perspectives on the sonic landscape I am creating.

I had a blast making this record. Tears of joy. I had been wanting a console since I gave up my Studiomaster Trackmix 32 console when I adopted Logic over tape machines in 2005. But in those early days, converters were expensive and in and out of the box and back to the box wasn’t recommended and  is still controversial. I love the results so I’m happy!

Could you share a memorable quote about this release or your journey as an artist?

My new friend, Platnumbaby, mastered this record, Big Blue Machine, and he got in touch with me wanting to master for me because as he put it, “You’re a Beast! You do everything. You play everything, you write, compose, arrange, produce, record, mix and master!”

Is there anything additional that would be valuable for curators to know? 

I love making sound paintings and have been recording and writing songs for decades. I’ll never stop. It’s way too much fun to play with the gear and make records. I’m a professional musician, multi-instrumentalist, and have toured for sixteen years with Beatles’ Tribute bands, and performing shows, clinics and concerts with my original music online and in person. I have mentored, encouraged and shared my Artistic vision with tens of thousands of students as a professor of guitar at Berklee College of Music since 1984.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Press Release Questions for Big Blue Machine

Anagram of my name

Excellent Anagram Result
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Anagram of my name