Lola’s Ghost is Breaking Onto the Music Scene [Eventcombo Interview]

May 19, 2016 Michelle A. Lee

Eventcombo spoke with Lola’s Ghost about her music “ghost pop.”

Lola started learning piano at age 8 but hated practicing scales and classical music, which she said, resulted in her not being a good player. As a teen she decided to learn guitar, which she had a stronger connection to and was able to improvise and play by ear. By 15 Lola was songwriting and making music until college and societal pressures got in the way. While working at a neuroscience lab after majoring in biology for four years, Lola bought a keyboard and wrote and recorded “Apocalypse” which became the first song on her EP. Eventually her love of music took over and science didn’t seem as important anymore. She decided to stop her graduate studies to focus on her true love, music. In 2013, Lola moved to NYC and released a home-recorded album under a different name, began playing at live shows, and slowly started finding her place in the big city.

Among the people Lola grabs inspirations from, the ones she would say she listens to everyday are Joanna Newsom, Radiohead, David Bowie, Bjork, and Stevie Wonder. It really depends on the mood she’s in and what kind of music she allows herself to hear in that mood. Because of her diverse influences she calls her music ghost pop. “It’s pop because it’s melodically and vocally driven,” Lola explained. “But it’s also ghostly in that it has a dark, ethereal quality to it.”

Lola’s newest EP, Up, is unique in that most of the songs were recorded anywhere between three and five years ago. The main focus then became mixing and mastering the tracks to get a solid finished product. “Everything could always be better, but I feel like I completed something that I’m satisfied with and that I don’t want to revisit,” Lola said about the process of making the EP. This was more of an introduction EP to who Lola’s Ghost is, somewhat of a pilot episode of a TV show. For the future Lola is hoping to get her mastering and mixing done by a professional. “…I was restricted by my budget, my equipment, the sonic qualities of my room, and so on,” she explained about some of the difficulties that went into creating music from home. “Working within these limitations is part of the learning experience.”

As far as upcoming performances, Lola is planning on a small East Coast tour this summer and is currently recording an album and playing at shows. Eventually, she will like to have musicians on stage that can translate her music for a live setting. “In the long run, I’m just excited to keep discovering and creating.”

Keep up with Lola’s Ghost by following her on Facebook!