Derek Sanders, the long-adored vocalist of Tallahassee emo/alternative band, Mayday Parade, has released ‘But Lauren,’ the second single from his debut solo EP, ‘My Rock and Roll Heart,’ out this Friday, February 14th via Rise Records.
Sanders’ heartfelt cover of the song anchors the EP and has a special meaning to him. He recorded his version of the track as a Valentine’s Day present to his wife in 2017, which he thought would make for an excellent gift considering the two had been listening to the song since high school, as well as the fact that his wife shares its namesake. “I really only intended for her to hear it” remembers Sanders “but it snowballed from there.”
‘But Lauren’ also carries special hometown significance. The track was originally recorded by Sanders’ favorite local band, Goodbye Love. The group was the brainchild of Mike Hanson, who had been in several Tallahassee bands throughout the years, including a hardcore act that captured Sanders’ attention as a pre-teen. As Mayday Parade grew out of Tallahassee, Sanders spoke to Hanson a few times, sharing that his songs were always a major source of inspiration to him. Once he recorded his own ‘But Lauren’ cover, it only made sense for him to get Hanson’s opinion. “He was actually the one to say, ‘This is great, you should put this out somehow.’ That was when I started thinking about what other songs would be fun to cover [for the EP]” he says. ‘My Rock and Roll Heart’ is not only a chance for Sanders to cover a song by one of his heroes, but also a way to expose people to ‘But Lauren’ for the first time. “This was before the internet, and Mike never really broke out of Tallahassee. It’s such a shame his music never had a chance to do more than it did, and it’s cool that people will be able to hear it through me” he adds.