Lola Young has quickly established herself as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary music, and her latest album, This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway, is a testament to her evolving artistry. In a candid and insightful conversation, Lola delves into the inspiration behind the album’s title, a project steeped in themes of love, heartbreak, and personal growth. With a signature blend of rage, passion, and narrative flair, the album is as much a statement to those who have misunderstood or doubted her as it is an introspective journey.
In this interview, Lola opens up about the creative process behind the album, her unique approach to blending different emotional tones, and how working with producer Solomonophonic brought her vision to life. As she prepares for an extensive tour across the UK, Europe, and North America, Lola reflects on her growth as an artist, the importance of staying grounded, and what fans can expect from her upcoming live shows. Join us as we explore the mind and music of Lola Young, a rising star whose raw, no-nonsense approach continues to resonate with audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
Congratulations on This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind the album’s title?
Lola Young: This album title came from an idea of like, it was a love album. Most of the songs on this album are about love, excluding inductive thoughts. I basically wanted to talk about how I feel towards love. I thought of the title after creating most of the record. This album is not meant for anyone who thinks it is about them. It also goes for people who don’t like it—this wasn’t meant for you anyway. It’s also about people I’ve loved and cared about who have hurt me. It sums up pretty well in the outro.
The album is described as having a mix of rage, passion, a narrative flair, and a little bit of a comedy assertion. How did you approach blending all of these elements into one cohesive project?
Lola Young: It happened quite naturally, It was a natural process creating this album. I definitely changed my writing style quite drastically so that everything had direct lyricism. Sonically, it feels a lot more in a direction that I feel is kind of my direction now. In terms of how I combined all those things, it just happened. It was a great process, and it felt really natural, comfortable, and easy. I worked with Solomonophonic and a couple of other people. It was a collaborative process.
What was the creative process like working with [Solomonophonic], and how did he influence the sound of the album?
Lola Young: He was amazing. He’s done a lot of stuff with Remi Wolf and other artists, but mainly his sound. He’s a very kooky, amazing guy. He’s a very close friend of mine now, and he just kind of ensured that he put his stamp on it as well. Obviously, it’s my record, my vision, my sound, but he’s such an incredible producer. Conor and Will, who are my main guys, were also in the room. They’re great writers and great producers too. It was a collaborative process, like I said, and it was just very easy.
Your single “Messy” has been very well received, gaining popularity on social media and being named Jack Saunders’s hottest record on BBC Radio One. What message were you aiming to convey with that track?
Lola Young: It’s an ADHD anthem, that’s the best way I can put it. It’s very much like, “Look, I’m too messy. I’m this and that. I’m all over the place, but you choose to love me, so why don’t you accept that, accept who I am?” I went through a relationship that was very hard, a very intense part of my life. Relationships are complex, weird, and wonderful. I don’t have any bad things to say about the person anymore because I’ve learned to accept and grow from it. “Messy” is interesting because it feels like it could be about a friend or my mom. You know, “I’m too messy and I’m too clean. You told me to get a job, and you know where the hell I’ve been.” It could be about anybody. It’s not necessarily a relationship song.
You’ve announced an extensive tour covering the UK, Europe, and North America. What are you looking forward to most about performing in these different regions?
Lola Young: I am really looking forward to it, I really love America. I love the American crowd; they’re so vibrant, energetic, and full of life. That’s what I’m most excited about for sure. I love the crowd, seeing people, meeting people, and hanging out with my friends—all the usual stuff.
How do festival performances compare to your headline shows?
Lola Young: Festivals are different because the crowd is not necessarily your crowd. You have to put on an energy. I haven’t done this run yet, but even just rehearsing, you’ve got to think about the fact that not everyone’s going to know who I am, I’m not at that stage yet. So when I’m performing at a festival, it’s nice to know that there’s new people I’m going to invite in. There’s going to be some people who are maybe kind of interested in me because they’ve just seen me on the lineup and thought, “Oh, I wanna check out this random girl called Lola Young.” That’s exciting in itself. You just can’t perform your usual set.
What can fans expect from your upcoming live shows in terms of sets, stage production, any surprises?
Lola Young: It’s still gonna be super raw, but it will be amped up. The way these next shows are gonna be raw like I always am. Obviously my tour is coming up. I want to keep it as me as possible, but there are definitely going to be a few surprises. Maybe I’ll pull out some other artists, but I don’t have any features right now, but we’ll see.
How do you feel like you’ve evolved as an artist since your previous releases?
Lola Young: I’ve definitely evolved massively. I think this is a question I get asked a lot because of the music I released previously. I think it’s about knowing who I am, knowing exactly what I wanna say, knowing that I don’t need to be right. Rick Rubin talks about this a lot as well. You know your gut, you know as an artist what you want to say, what you want to be, and that’s what’s helped me. The evolution has been a natural process, but it’s been great, and I’ve loved every moment of it.
With this new album and international tour on the way, how do you manage to stay grounded and connect to your roots?
Lola Young: Friendship is really important to me. I think when I’m with people who care about me and I know that I care about them, even though some of them probably don’t… I don’t know what I’m saying. Basically, what I’m saying is that I care about my friends so much. Friendship with me is very important. It doesn’t even have to be a deep level of friendship. It can just be like, “I know you, you get me, and we don’t need to talk about some stuff right now. We can talk about it later.” That’s really important to me because when I’m on the road with people I trust, they keep me grounded and focused, and they won’t let me drink too much.
Your candid, no-nonsense approach has garnered you such a strong following on both sides of the Atlantic. How do you maintain that connection with all of your fans?
Lola Young: I try my best. I don’t think I do a great job, but I guess to some degree I do a good job at maintaining that connection… But I think I could definitely do better. I can’t remind people enough that this is my music, and it’s the only reason I’m able to be and do my job. I think there’s way more I could be doing on that front. I maintain that connection by just being me, and I think people appreciate that. Hopefully, people enjoy it and like it, and if they don’t, then this wasn’t meant for you anyway.
Beyond the tour and your new album, what other projects or collaborations do you have coming up in the next year or so?
Lola Young: I’ve got a couple of collaborations, hopefully, in the works, but I can’t name any names. I’ve been working on a new project. I’m definitely gonna be going away and making a whole new album, maybe even just a project that I won’t call an album, like I did with My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely. I want to make something that feels in the same vein, just more music, basically. I feel like I’m in a good writing space. Hopefully, there will be more shows and maybe just things dotted around that I can pop up to.
If you could go back and talk to yourself when you first started, what advice would you give yourself?
Lola Young: I ask myself this question a lot, but honestly, I wouldn’t say much. Everything I’ve done to this point has been so vital in my journey, and I feel so good about where I’m at now that I wouldn’t change anything. The advice I would give is that you know yourself. Just trust yourself a little bit more, and don’t listen to the nonsense from other people. That’s what I would tell myself.
What would you tell someone right now who’s looking to start in the music industry?
Lola Young: The most important thing I’ve realized is that you can’t listen to anyone but yourself. People can give you advice, but don’t listen to it. It’s hard to say because I’m still learning myself. But trust yourself. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s not right. If something does feel right, that’s your gut. Keep going and follow that instinct because I think that’s the best way you can do it.
Lola Young is going on her tour for ‘This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway’. See her perform in a city near you:
Canada
https://admitone.com/events/lola-young-toronto-9586255
Phoenix Concert Theatre — Toronto, ON.
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