renforshort

Canadian singer Renforshort crafts hook-driven indie pop that she herself has labeled "bubble-gum grunge." Attention first arrived in 2019 when her tracks "Waves" and "Mind Games" began circulating widely, paving the way for the EPs Teenage Angst in 2020 and Off Saint Dominique in 2021. Her debut full-length, Dear Amelia, followed in 2022, with the third EP, Clean Hands Dirty Water, appearing in 2024.

Born Lauren Isenberg in Toronto in 2002, she spent her early years immersed in song and in the varied records her parents kept at home. Songwriting began at thirteen under the sway of Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, and Nirvana. By fifteen she was uploading cover videos and taking stages at neighborhood open-mike nights. Around then she crossed paths with songwriter and producer Jeff Hazin, who mentored her and shaped her emerging style. In February 2019, still recording as Ren, she issued her debut single "Waves," quickly followed by "Mind Games." Both tracks spread rapidly online, surpassing five million streams and drawing interest from Geffen Records, which offered her a contract.

March 2020 brought the debut EP Teenage Angst under the Renforshort name. Hazin handled production, and the release contained "IDC" alongside "I Drive Me Mad." Later that year she placed "AfterThoughts" on the soundtrack for the Disney+ film Clouds. Her second EP, Off Saint Dominique, surfaced in 2021 and spotlighted the singles "Virtual Reality" and "Exception." Ahead of the 2022 arrival of Dear Amelia she joined forces with Travis Barker on the synth-driven track "we'll make this ok." Clean Hands Dirty Water, her third EP, reached listeners in May 2024.