On April 15, 19-year-old artist and Santa Clarita resident, Lauren Dair, stumbled across the Stagelight Monthly Music Contest II on social media and on a whim, she casually entered her song “Monster.”

Forgetting all about it, Dair continued her daily life as a college student, vocal instructor, actress, songwriter and singer. A few months later she received an email congratulating her for being the month 12 winner. The contest was presented by Open Labs, Lenovo, Intel, and one of Dair’s guilty pleasures, the band Linkin Park.

Dair was unaware at the time she entered the contest that the grand prize winner would be chosen by the band members themselves, and after much deliberation, the members of Linkin Park decided they loved her song “Monster” and she was their choice as the winner.

Hear the song “Monster” here: https://youtu.be/UwYTfWRq6k4

In addition to winning two new computers, a Blue microphone and headphones, and a Yamaha synthesizer, now Dair also won the opportunity to go into the studio with Linkin Park. The announcement of her win was made public on July 20th, 2017. Twenty-four hours later, Chester Bennington, the lead singer of Linkin Park took his own life.

Like most, if not all Linkin Park fans and as part of the music community in general, Dair was heartbroken over the tragic loss of Bennington. She put pen to paper and started to write the song that would become “Every Little Light.” Under the circumstances she assumed her day in the studio would never come, understanding his bandmates and brothers would need time to process and find a way to heal.

Months went by and she received a call telling her that her studio session with Linkin Park would soon be scheduled. In February 2018, with an unfinished version of the song “Every Little Light,” Dair entered the legendary Red Bull Studios in Santa Monica, CA and had her session with Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson of Linkin Park. The three worked into the night on the song. She never told them what her original inspiration was, and they didn’t ask; instead they helped shape the song, adding and changing lines, and helping elevate the melody.

Both Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson were beyond complementary and impressed at her skills at such a young age and provided encouragement and great advice. For Dair, it will be a day she will never forget, and she will be forever grateful for the experience.

“Every Little Light” was released on April 25 along with an “Inside the Studio” video with exclusive footage of her session with Grammy winning musicians Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson.

Dair was born in Anchorage, Alaska she always had a deep passion for music, and began writing and recording her own music when she moved Los Angeles at age 10 to pursue acting. When she was 12-years-old, Dair was cast as Young Jess on the hit FOX show “New Girl”.

At the same age she wrote and recorded her first EP, “No Apologies,” and found herself playing iconic LA venues such as the Roxy and the Troubadour with a band she founded called Gravity Hill. When the band dissolved in early 2015, Dair questioned what her next step would be. Using her alternative roots as an influence she decided to take her love for acoustic singer/songwriter music and mix it with the vibey, moody sound that is heard in many of her favorite bands. In 2016 she independently released “Perfectly Flawed” which included the song “Monster.” Dair plans on releasing more new music in 2018.