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Chatting with Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen and Lauren Monroe (Includes interview)

On the song selection for her EP, Monroe said, “We actually have almost two albums worth of music and I decided to release an EP first, and that came out in June. We released five songs and the rest of the album, titled Under the Wolf Moon, will be out on December 11.”

“It was fun and great working with Rick [Allen] on this new music. We had such a great time,” she admitted.

Allen opened up about his art. “My art is actually going really well. It keeps me busy when I am not doing music. It has been difficult for all of us because we encourage large gatherings. The art galleries have been suffering as well. I have been doing some art pieces in my downtime. Hopefully, things will pick back up again, and we come up with innovative ways to show our art to people or collectors,” he said.

On being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Def Leppard, Allen said, “It was fantastic. I had just gotten off the road once I heard about it, so I was looking forward to taking some time off but then we spent five days in New York doing press.”

Allen continued, “Then, I realized at that point, what a big deal this is. Standing on stage and having Brian May of Queen induct us was just fantastic. That gave us a lot of appreciation. The speech that night was great and very inclusive. Also, the fact that it was fan-driven was the most important thing for us. It was the most fan votes that anybody has ever had, and that was a huge compliment.”

Regarding the key to longevity in the music business for Allen and Def Leppard, he responded, “I think, for the most part, we enjoy being together. There is a friendship there.”

They are planning a “Big Love” virtual benefit concert with all proceeds to benefit the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, which helps provide financial assistance to the music industry. “This particular benefit will be in support of music industry professionals that are now suffering greatly, and the proceeds will go towards Sweet Relief, which will help them with financial support and mental health. We are creating a great virtual show that will be broadcast in December,” she said.

Her song “Big Love” is an anthem for this moment in time and the profits are donated back to the Raven Drum Foundation. “I think people get a lot out of seeing the video. It says a lot about what is happening now,” she said.

On the title of the current chapter of his life, Allen said, “Lockdown.”

For young and aspiring artists and musicians, he said, “Celebrate your uniqueness. Try not to compare yourself to others. Realize that everybody has a unique angle on how to present themselves and how to present songs. I took influence from other drummers, but I could never play the exact same way that they did. Eventually, I just started to embrace that I do things.”

Allen defined the word success as “love of family, love of friends, and just mutual respect.” “We are all going through difficult times at the moment, and we all need to be lifted up,” he explained.

“Success is living your purpose, and highest potential to help lift other people up,” Monroe added.

During this quarantine, the musical couple shared that they have been drumming a lot together. “I had been playing drums for a while, but I hadn’t really performed on drums. Now, I am playing drums and percussion on our live-streams so that has been fun for me,” Monroe said.

“We just did a drive-in show last week and it was so great,” she added. “The last time I was on stage was in November of last year, so it was wonderful to be playing live again.”

Monroe’s Big Love EP is available on digital service providers by clicking here. “I am so happy to have my fans and supporters rally around my mission, which is to awaken people and to bring healing through music,” Monroe said.

For more information on Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rick Allen, visit his homepage.

To learn more about Lauren Monroe and her music, check out her official website and her Facebook page.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 20,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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