Le Ren’s songs love her back

Photography by Shelby Fenlon Lauren Spear has a knack for magic. Not the rabbit-out-of-a-hat, abracadabra kind of magic – the magic of made-up worlds, 90s children’s films, and swimming in the rain. Spear was raised on Bowen Island, a dreamscape located just a 20-minute ferry ride from Vancouver. The island taught her about magic – about curiosity, creativity, and imagination. On 28 August, Spear, better known as Le Ren, will become the teacher with the release of her sophomore record Don’t Be Funny Without Me (DBFWM). I saw Spear perform for the first time at Le Festival d'été de Québec last month. The singer-songwriter played an intimate evening set that left my heart swelling. It was Spear’s first time playing songs from her new record, but nobody in the crowd could tell. My best friend and I sat on the steps of the Place D’Youville, with bottles of blue Gatorade and tears streaming down our cheeks. Sign up to Best Fit's Substack for regular dispatches from the world of pop culture The night before our call, Spear went to a Big Thief show in Montreal, where she has lived since uni. She was joined by her boyfriend, two friends who had separated years ago, and a friend and their p...