She's an American singer/songwriter both charming and profane; a sweet and sassy mix of Ronnie Spector and Iggy Pop. Whether it's a 60's girl group inspired ditty, or a spitting punk rock infused anthem, Cindy gives it her all and then some.
Cindy Lawson began her rock and roll career in Minneapolis in 1985 with her all-female rock band, The Clams. Over the years, she has played in several bands in Minneapolis and New York City, but then took a break starting in the late 90's. She returned in full force in 2021, and in 2022 released “New Tricks”, her first full length record in 25 years on Boston’s Rum Bar Records. New Tricks got airplay both nationally (on Little Steven’s Underground Garage and on Little Steven’s Coolest Songs in the World) and internationally, garnering rave reviews and airplay across the globe. In April of 2023, she released a new single and video called “Don’t Come Crying To Me” that was immediately picked for Little Steven’s Coolest Songs in the World Channel on Sirius XM. The EP "Don't Come Crying To Me" was released on November 15, 2023. Since the EP's release, the songs have been streamed more than 23,000 times according to Spotify for Artists, and the song "Don't Come Crying To Me" was chosen as Song of The Day on 89.3 The Current for January 12, 2024, in the top ten of 2023 local releases on RacketMN, listed on KFAI's list of "Best Local Releases of 2023". Two songs from the EP, "I Don't Want You Anymore" and "Screamin' White Jezus" have been in daily rotation on Stevie's Coolest Songs station since the beginning of November 2023.
She’s backed by longtime collaborator and inventive guitarist Jerry Lefkowitz (of The Young Nashvillians, Something Fierce, Whoops Kitty, and Fauna, among others), bassist and multi- instrumentalist Dave Randall, whose rock bonafides include The Spectors, The Boot R&B, The Silent Treatment, Kinda Kinky, and many more, and on the drums is Mark Devaraj, who’s kept the beat going in bands High on Stress, Whiskey Rock and Roll Club, The Heavy Sixers, as well as dozens of other Minneapolis bands.
“(There's) New life in older bands. Who could have guessed that four of the best albums by Minnesota acts in 2023 were by acts popular three decades ago that hadn't put out records in more than a decade (Martin Zellar) or even two decades (Run Westy Run, Semisonic and suddenly omnipresent-again ex-Clams singer Cindy Lawson)?” - Chris Riemenschneider
— Star Tribune-Best albums and signs of life from the local scene in 2023
“20. Cindy Lawson, Don’t Come Crying to Me / The return of the Clams’ Cindy Lawson was the great local comeback story of 2022, and it continued into 2023 with this six-song EP. On the title track, tuff garage-rock takes a mighty swing as Lawson softens her voice to a mocking pout; elsewhere she handles her vowels like a less Rimbaud-ridden Patti Smith. Lawson’s been gigging something fierce since plunging back into the scene last year and it shows here—this band is tight.” - Keith Harris
“Minneapolis rock pioneer Cindy Lawson is back, and she means business” - Chris Riemenschneider
“Cindy’s sound is full of life. It’s that perfect blend of classic rock n’ roll with a singer-songwriter feeling behind it while keeping a punk-fueled energy on top of everything. This all makes sense as Cindy Lawson has been a part of more groups and scenes that I honestly have the time to write about but I love how, in this form, Cindy seems to take a little bit from all of those eras and modes to create something uniquely perfect. Performance-wise, Cindy is a pro. ” - Langen Goldstein
“Watching Cindy Lawson sing has a way of putting a smile on your face. A charismatic performer, she exudes a love of the music and it rubs off on you as you watch.” - Sheila Regan
— MINNPOST
“Cindy Lawson is without a doubt a legend in the Minneapolis music scene. Yet it would be hard to deny that she's making by far the best music of her life today — nearly four decades into her recording career. Out on Rum Bar Records, Don't Come Crying To Me is Lawson's second solo EP in two years and an absolute gem of a pop record” - Lord Rutledge
cindymarie.lawson@gmail.com
612 644 5299
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