XMPL Cover Story: Lo Lo – Escape The Heartbreak

Born and raised in Toronto, pop-singer Lo Lo has found herself becoming an enticing music artist, creating waves and vibrant sounds, excelling in any lane she swerves into. Recognized as a lyrically descriptive singer, telling the tale of the ups and downs of love & heart break, it’s hard not to nose dive into Lo Lo’s music. Through her lyrics, Lo Lo shows her skills as a songwriter, not only writing for herself, as the Toronto-native has a unique style that can’t be replicated. Lo Lo is coming off her debut EP ‘Sweater Collection‘, which happens to also be the name of one of her hottest singles of 2019. This EP really cemented Lo Lo’s place as an artist as she highlights her distinct sound.

The ‘Sweater Collection’ EP goes in depth about the sides of a break up that we try to hide ourselves from. Singing in a rhythmic, uplifting fashion, and through colourful imagery – Lo Lo finds an optimistic way to help you cope with experiences you might not want to talk about – an aid to escape the heartbreak.

Watch the music video for ‘Stranger Arms’ Remix by Lo Lo ft. DCF:

Lo Lo is the cover star for XMPL’s fourth digital issue for Fall 2019 – a double feature which also includes the independent, Los Angeles based singer – Ally Hills. In our interview, I had the pleasure to discuss this project with Lo Lo, where she opened up with her experiences working with DCF on their track ‘Strangers Arms’, genres that peak her interest, writing for herself and others. Lo Lo also goes in about her visuals for ‘Sweater Collection’ & what the future has in store for her! Check out what Lo Lo has to say for yourself and get ready to keep her on your radar!

Real the full exclusive interview with Lolo and stream ‘Stranger Arms’ Remix ft. DCF below:

XMPL: Your lyrics capture many stories surrounding love and heart break – where would you say you drew most of your inspirations in writing your lyrics for the songs in ‘Sweater Collection’?

Lo Lo: All of the songs on my EP were inspired by real things that happened to me in my relationships over the last couple of years. For me, the only way I know how to deal with things is by writing out my feelings in song form.

The track ‘Sweater Collection’ is something everyone can relate to, whether they lost  or kept a sweater. Can you walk us through the creative process of this track?

“Sweater Collection” was one of the last songs I wrote for the EP. I was cleaning out my closet and re-arranging my clothes, transitioning into summer weather. While cleaning up, I kept finding sweaters that were not always mine to begin with 😉 I laughed at myself and thought it could be a really funny idea for a song…something that a lot of girls could probably relate to. Right away, I went on Spotify out of pure curiosity and typed in “Sweater Collection” to see if anyone else had ever written a song about it—and they hadn’t, to my surprise. So the next song writing session I had booked, I mentioned my idea and we ended up writing Sweater Collection that day.

Photo: Anthony Delia

‘Sweater Collection’ also had a very creative music video, how did that music video come about and how did you feel about the finished product?

I love the video! I always knew what I wanted the album artwork cover to look like, so we decided that we should just bring a video camera with us to the photoshoot and film some stuff as well, to make a lyric video. Nothing was really planned, it was just Justin (the director) and I, suggesting funny things to do while walking across the camera to make each other laugh. There were many laughs that day.

You collaborated on ‘Stranger’s Arms’ with DCF, how would you describe working with another artist and what did you take away from the experience?

DCF is one of the best human/artist/writers to work with out there. It’s a lot of fun to work with other artists in general, because everybody is so different creatively. DCF especially is someone who I really look up to in the writing world. We got so much tighter after working together on this and I’m very happy about that 🙂

As a songwriter, could you walk us through your process of writing and what are some difficulties you face when writing?

My main difficulty in writing is not being able to be inspired everyday. For me, I only feel like writing songs when I’m feeling some type of way. Sometimes I walk into writing sessions where I don’t really have anything pressing to write about, but when this happens I just really try to channel past emotions. My writing process is always different. Usually whenever I think of an idea, I always jot down some notes on a note in my phone, and I refer back to it at a later time when I have a second to work through some lyrics or melodies. Other times, I think of something and I have to drop everything i’m doing and finish the song. I almost always start an idea in my room on my guitar, and then later bring it to producers and/or other writers to add production and complete the idea.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2x0BDcAOMi/

When writing for others, what are the differences in your approach to finishing a song?

Funny enough, there’s actually no difference for me. Whatever the other artist I’m writing for is feeling or wants to write about, I channel those emotions and find a time in my life when I was feeling similar, and I write about that. It’s kinda funny. I laugh to myself when I hear other artists singing words that I wrote about my ex. But for them, it’s not about that at all. I think that’s the beauty of songwriting, every person who hears the words can relate to them, and think about their own thing while listening or singing the universal words.

Are there any artists you would like to work with, and what do you think they can bring to one of your songs?

There are so many…but to name a few I think Taylor Swift, Julia Michaels, Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish, Ashe, and JP Saxe are all such great lyricists, who find unique ways to say things that have been said before, but in a new way…And my #1 would be Eminem because my dream would be to sing a hook on one of his rap songs!

Photo: Anthony Delia

Recapping 2019, you released your ‘Sweater Collection’ EP & your single ‘Dancing In The Dark.’ What was your favourite track of the year and what does mean to you?

‘Yours’ will always have a special place in my heart because it’s my first song I’ve ever released…BUT I think i’d have to say Convenient is my favourite song I’ve ever written. I just love the lyrics and I think that I enjoy being a badass in that song, rather than being the one with the broken heart.

As an artist are there any genres or new styles you want to experiment with and why?

When I was younger and first started writing, everyone who heard me always told me that they thought my songs sounded country. My mom always tells me she thinks my voice has a little bit of a country twang in it. I think it would be really fun to be a country artist…  although I don’t think I ever will be haha. Country music concerts are just such a good vibe. The fans are great, the atmosphere is great, and the performers are always having fun up there.

Are there any projects or shows we can look forward to in the near future?

I can’t say much, but what I can say is that you can look forward to a second EP in 2020 🙂 

Stream ‘Stranger Arms’ Remix by Lo Lo ft. DCF:

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