Best of KC 2025: Lauren Lovelle & The Midnight Spliffs spark the flame
Photo by Deanie Chen
Earlier this month, we published The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can take a peek at the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some local people, places, and things that we thought clearly won 2025. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout November.
Making music was always in the cards for Lauren Lovelle, as she has been accompanying her dad’s band, Two Way Traffic, since she was just four years old. With musical backgrounds on both sides of her family, it’s no surprise that she now heads her own act, Lauren Lovelle & The Midnight Spliffs.
Her father grew up in the church, where he found a passion for music and received traditional training singing hymns. His love for music-making carried on outside of the religious walls, blending into an affection for folk, country, and blues. This expansion from traditional liturgical melodies transitioned on with Lovelle, as her paternal grandfather taught her to pick up a guitar.
Lovelle says that she got involved with a top 40 cover band shortly after graduating high school, but that came to a screeching halt. And after listening to the band’s EP, Other Dreams, it makes sense why she may go crazy covering Lady Gaga and Journey when she has so much to offer herself.
Lovelle and The Spliffs have built some chemistry throughout the years, and it shows on Other Dreams, as the songs are incredibly strong and vibrant, despite the project being only four tracks. In spite of its short composition, the diversity is there, as “Anxiously Attached” offers soulful swing with Devon Teran’s pedal steel, while “Won’t Tell You Goodbye” puts the Lovelle vocals at the forefront of the tune.
The instrumentation and lyrics throughout offer a strange experience to listeners. While some tracks may be upbeat, like closing tune “In My Jeans”, there is still emotional baggage behind every word, making Lauren Lovelle & The Midnight Spliffs’ intricate project an easy favorite of ours.
Click below to read the November Best Of 2025 Issue of The Pitch Magazine:
