A fixture of the Portland music scene since relocating from Pensacola, Florida in her early twenties, Newman juggled multiple musical projects including her one-woman post-rock project LKN, the improvisational metal duo Palo Verde, experimental ensemble Painted Debris, and noise rockers Lonesome Traveler. Along the way, she also contributed articles to Larry Crane's Tape Op magazine, and handled the engineering, mixing, and mastering of both her own music and that of several other local bands.

Lauren K. Newman passed away in December of 2019, at the age of 41.