23 Mar 2026
A St Albans DJ is hoping to shake-up our shopping by presenting pop-up sets in local businesses to give something back to her community.
Lauren Cumberpatch will be hosting The 1111AM Club in coffee shops, hairdressers, pubs, takeaways and other locations across the city.
She is aiming to help businesses thrive during the current tough economic climate, create a vibrant music community, and raise money for local venue The Pioneer Club, which was very influential during her initial career as a music artist.
“I want to build something positive and people-centric,” she explained, adding that the response from local business has already been incredible.
“While Saint Peter’s Street Coffee is likely to be the ‘home’ of The 1111AM Club, there will definitely be other weird and wonderful venues that it goes to. I’ve been speaking to Studio10 Hairdressers on Chequer Street, The Verulam Pub on Lower Dagnall Street, No Nuisance Cocktail Bar and Play Putt on St Albans Road (to name a few)!
“I’m sure there’ll be more as this picks up, and my vision is to grow enough to put on regular events at The Pioneer Club, as one of my aims is to raise money for them because they played such a massive part in my youth, and it was there that I was encouraged to get into music; someone believed in me.”
Now 38, Lauren has been writing and producing music since she was 12, performing all over the world including supporting Rufus du Sol in the United States, and DJing at the iconic Pikes Ibiza.
“I’ve been into music since I was a kid and went to uni to study music production at the University of Chester. I moved to Manchester after that, but was wasting away doing office work until I decided to move home to try and ‘make it’.
“A chance encounter at the gym with an old school friend led me to be signed by a prolific management company called INSANITY, and from then I had a foot in the door. “It’s been a very long journey; lots of working for nothing, but the last few years have seen things really snowball, and I’ve had some amazing success. I was named BBC Introducing’s One To Watch in 2026 and have had major radio support consistently with my original music. It’s all very exciting!
“As a DJ, my sound is rooted in UK Garage and Bass Music, but I often crossover to Techno, House, Breakbeat, to name a few! Basically, most genres that fall under the ‘Electronic’ umbrella.”
The concept of 1111 was born from grief and fuelled by love, having been initially created in honour of her late brother Ian and rooted in their shared obsession with underground club culture.
“After losing my brother in 2020, I found myself so riddled with grief that I shut myself away and in turn, I became depressed and I still suffer with health anxiety to this day. I had to go on medication for this, which helped to some degree, but what really got me out of what I can only describe as a black hole, was people and music.
“My friends, family, and partner at the time were incredible, and my cousin Nicola encouraged me to try touch rugby.
“The Old Verulamians team – namely The Warriors (who deserve shouting out because they are an incredibly inclusive, and wonderful institution in St Albans) – have been a real saviour to my mental health; and that sense of community inspired me to start The 1111AM Club.
“Writing music for me has always been the most amazing outlet to let my feelings out. It’s therapy, and I am forever in awe of the power it holds.
“We all know music is healing, dancing is healing, and combining the two with good people around you is a recipe for happiness. We are in a loneliness epidemic, and it’s time to try and change that by coming together. Being around good people brings a sense of belonging and community, which is so needed in this lonely age.
“In the process, I want to support local business, and raise awareness of The Pioneer Club so that they can facilitate and afford what they do for young people in St Albans, because funding is minimal. I want to give back – to help The Pioneer put on music activities and encourage young people who love music as much as I did, because all it takes is one person to believe in you to go the distance.”
After initially starting out as a singer-songwriter under the name Lauren L’aimant, her path shifted following her brother’s death, as she began creating the music she truly loved without any restrictions, and channelling his rebellious energy.
With a reputation for genre-blending productions and high-energy DJ set, 1111 has since been awarded the ‘Dance Music Graduate’ accolade and dubbed a “triple threat” by BBC Radio 1’s Jaguar, while being championed by the likes of influential dance DJs Danny Howard, Sarah Story and Jeremiah Asiamah.
Now a full-time music artist, Lauren was born and bred in St Albans, and attended Cunningham Hill School followed by Francis Bacon, now Samuel Ryder Academy, so has long-standing links to the local community.
The 1111AM Club promises to turn people’s expectations of typical DJ sets on their head: “I think people will absolutely love partying in different venues to what’s expected – it’s fun and quirky and it also raises awareness of these local businesses, which is another goal of mine – supporting independents.
“It’s really tough out there for businesses, so if I can help guide people to them, it feeds back into our little St Albans ecosystem. Every venue I’ve spoken to seems so aligned with what I’m trying to achieve, and it feels like it could become something really special.
“I will be doing both AM and PM slots; but as a reveller myself, I don’t like to be out until 3AM anymore so the PM parties will end at a reasonable hour, so we can all be (somewhat) fresh the next day!”
The first 1111AM Club will be taking place at Saint Peter’s Street Coffee on April 12. There are two sessions; the first runs from 10.30am-1pm, then after a short break to tidy up and restock, the second session will run from 2-4.30pm.
