Introducing The Ethereal Rising Talent… Lo Vallens

We were first introduced to Lo Vallens earlier this year when we heard ‘Rose Tinted Glasses’ and have become obsessed ever since. The newcomer is a true visionary and beguiling storyteller and has just released her latest single ‘The Bride’. Written from the depths of her artistic mind, ‘The Bride’ is a sultry, harmonious track that submerges its audience into her world, it’s concept inspired by Uma Thurman’s badass character in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. We caught up with her to discuss creating a Bond theme, her impressive collection of insects and what’s to come in 2021.

We adore your new single ‘The Bride’ – can you give us an insight into the creative process and how the track came to life.

I really just wanted to make a badass Kill Bill-like track. I wanted to go with the concept of Uma Thurman’s character wanting to torment her victims, slowly, with enjoyment and satisfaction. Going line-by-line with poetic methods of torture made for a fun, psychotic and interesting studio session. Had a lot of “damn, that’s really dark” moments but for a sick final result, I think. I really like what came out of it and feel like it also represents the fight between the good and bad in the mind. Inner conflict is something that people are becoming more and more conscious of and open about, and it’s definitely something I write about a lot, so the ambiguity in the actual story within the song leaves a lot of room for listeners’ interpretations of the two sides and what each image describes. 

Do you have a strategy when you approach creating your music – what comes first, the melody, title or lyrical content? 

I have zero strategy, zero idea. The words always come first because I haven’t yet reached a point where making music is a fluid mixture of everything – melody, harmony, chord progressions. I know what I like to hear, but not how to re-create it or make it my own yet. Words come first and then I hope for the best. 

‘The Bride’ almost sounds like it wouldn’t look out of place as a Bond theme – if you could create a score or a track for any piece of film, which would you choose? 

Would do anything for a Bond theme. Maybe ‘Goodfellas’. A slick action film. I’d love to create the ‘song that defines the film’, like ‘Blue Velvet’, or eventually get crazy experimental and write something for a film like ‘Climax’. If I could direct that would be even better. ‘Crooklyn’ also hit me really hard though. If I could have any song and scene fit perfectly together it would be for a film like that or ‘My Own Private Idaho’. I’m painfully indecisive. I’d have to see the images first. 

Film and cinema seem to be a theme within your music – how does it inspire what you create and Lo Vallens as an artist? 

I really don’t know much about film. I know I love what I see when I’m seeing it, and I really appreciate well-written stories and organic adaption. I take inspiration from anything that gives me some kind of stimulus, and visuals have grown to become one of the main sources. I love paintings, films, photos, watching my surroundings. I try to re-paint pictures, re-live scenes that make me feel deeply, no specific emotion, just anything I feel like I can sink into. Film inspires my wanting to re-create a feeling. 

You started writing music from a young age. Can you remember the first song you wrote, and if so, what was it called/about? 

The first song I wrote was when I was really little, around 9, it was about travelling. Definitely would’ve been inspired by the ‘Secret Garden’ or ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ at that time. It was really just a hook (which I’ve forgotten), I threw out that diary page a couple years after because I was embarrassed. That was long before music took over though, back when my dream was to be a writer or a painter. The little melody just happened. 

The past year has been a turbulent one for most. How have you navigated your way through all of the challenges of 2020/21 so far? 

I’ve been in my head a lot. I’m fortunate enough that most of the navigation I had to do was within myself and my art rather than through the global chaos. I have no right to complain. I found the best I could do was try to take advantage of the isolation. I’ve come out of it feeling like I know myself less than I did before, but I suppose that’s some kind of progress in itself. I took an online photography course, started oil painting. I started getting really into writing but lost 9 months’ worth of it in a notebook that went missing. That really set me back creatively and put me in a dark space for a bit because of the moments I lost in that book. Quarantine was difficult at times, it was hard to overlook the cloud of negative energy lingering over everyone and I definitely had points where I felt really overwhelmed, but when I put my experience into perspective, I can’t be anything but thankful for how my year went. 

Do you think this ‘cultural reset’ has inspired you to create differently in any way? 

I haven’t really been exposed to the ‘cultural reset’. I see everything through social media but can only be so involved with a completely objective view.
I couldn’t fathom having to fight for the validation of my existence. Progress is taking its time; I don’t believe life has a predetermined purpose, but I hope we’re getting closer to a place where one shouldn’t have to make it their purpose to fight for the validation of their existence. People shouldn’t have to fight to just be. I think being given the forced perspective of isolation in a world of inequality is important for all of us who take simple liberties and privileges for granted. I guess perspective is the one thing I want to incorporate in my writing more. I want to start digging as deep into the rest of the world as I don into myself. Seeing more liberty in expression as well has definitely inspired my wanting to be my most authentic self as an artist. 

With live music and festivals on the horizon, what will be the first gig/festival that you’ll be heading too? 

I had tickets to Lovebox in London last year but couldn’t go! My literal DREAM line-up. I’ll take anything. I’ll go anywhere with anyone. Montreux Jazz could be cool, there’s also Mardi Gras in New Orleans that I’ve always wanted to experience. Whatever’s on, whatever doesn’t coincide with school. I’m down. 

What does a Lo Vallens live show look like? How will you incorporate your art into the live Lo experience? 

I want my set to look like an art installation. Draping and wrapping like Christo & Jeanne-Claude, a night sky projection, red lights in the dark, I’ll see when I get there. Would love to animate some of my still photography or get more into filming moments to project/inspire a set. Sade did a performance of ‘Cherish the Day’ in 2011 that I really love the idea of, she had New York rejected all around her, making herself part of the scene. I’d love to do my own version of something similar. 

You seem fairly enigmatic across social media, which is a huge marketing tool for musicians at the moment, especially during lockdown. Do you feel the pressures of using social media, and how do you feel you would fare as a modern-day artist without it existing? 

I just prefer being behind the camera to in front of it. I love seeing what other people do, how they live, how they create, but personally I find that I show more of who I am through my art than photos of myself. I don’t try to be enigmatic for the sake of mystery or anonymity, I just like for my art to speak for itself, and the idea that people can put their own face to what I create rather than seeing mine all over it. To each their own, I just prefer it that way. I think I’d prefer existing without social media, but I like that I have somewhere to ‘publish’ my art and that it becomes a progressive timeline of my evolution as an artist. I wish there wouldn’t need to be a correlation between ‘popularity’ and musical success, and that what I put out could speak for itself, but I can’t keep being reluctant to use social media as a tool in my favour to build a career in doing what I love. 

What is one thing that people would be surprised to learn about you? 

I have a bug collection. Insects in glass. Really nicely kept! But definitely not for everyone. I just found them really fascinating as a kid and would ask for bugs every birthday or Christmas growing up. Now I’ve got a nice collection of the prettiest insects. They’re like little aliens, I still love looking at them, I just don’t research them as extensively as I used to. 

What would be the theme song to your life so far? 

It’s hard to condense 19 years into a song. Baduizm is an album that I really really love for the way it’s written, but I don’t think one song could summarise my life until now. 

Following the release of ‘The Bride’, are you able to share what else you’ll be planning for the year ahead? 

I’d really like to do something live. Performing is my favourite part of music. I also have a couple ideas for mixing my photography in with my music more. Everything’s still quite play-by-ear at the moment, and I start school now so I’m just trying to take everything as it comes. 

Check our Lo Vallens brand new single ‘The Bride’ below.