Introducing Lola Bates… The Emerging Multi-Talented Artist Stepping Into The Solo Spotlight

Lola Bates is a dynamic singer-songwriter who needs to be on your radar. Raised in the hills of Laurel Canyon, the young talent’s professional musical journey started at a young age, with her deep connection “to nature, vinyl, and the historic — lady of the canyon — Joni Mitchell,” fueling her passion for the arts. As a classically trained pianist, Bates lent her piano skills to the recording of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 when she was 12. She later secured the solo pianist position at the London Symphony Orchestra for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 at 15. In 2022, Bates expanded her reach, working in the rock music industry with bands like Alice in Chains and Sunday (1994).

While the young talent has generated a prosperous career behind the scenes, she’s now stepping into the solo spotlight with her new single ‘Girls Girl.’ The track, which is taken from her upcoming debut record, Love and Power, features a hypnotic, steady groove between the electric bass and drum kit alongside captivating lyrics about a complicated love triangle. In light of ‘Girl’s Girl’ release, we spoke with Bates about her journey to becoming a solo artist, her love for Joni Mitchell and Tori Amos, developing her sound and so much more.

Looking back, how has your past work contributed to your personal sound, and were there any pivotal moments in your journey that shaped who you are as an artist today?

Growing up in the film music industry as a recording musician and daughter of a film composer definitely contributed to my personal sound. For years, I have studied as a professional vocalist, understanding how to craft sound that lends itself to movie magic ambience, which a lot of the time you can hear direct reference to through vocal ambient swells, lush harmonies and complex compositions in my original songs. A lot of my music is influenced by piano and bass guitar as well. At 15 years old, I travelled to London to record as a solo pianist with the London Symphony Orchestra on the score of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2; this thrilling (and terrifying) experience, joining 93 other top-notch musicians in one of the most legendary studios in the world, changed my ears and artistry for life! 

You’ve mentioned artists such as Joni Mitchell and Tori Amos as key influences for your writing. How do you hear their impact in your music, and how has that influence evolved as you’ve developed your own artistic voice?

I’m a total music enthusiast, and while artists like Joni Mitchell and Tori Amos are high up on my tier of favourites, the span of genres and artists I love reaches pretty wide lengths! Vocally, I’ve always loved Joni’s sound. Anytime you put on a Joni Mitchell song, you can name the artist in under five seconds – she is undeniably herself. This is something that I feel comes naturally, and upon studying her music over the years, specifically the album ‘Hejira’, the nuances of how she uses her voice as an instrument, and giving myself the space to explore my own voice freely, I feel this is something I am developing in my artistry as well. Tori Amos is an artist I look up to as both a pianist and performer. A few of the songs on my upcoming debut album feature moments on piano in which I channel a similar emotion and fire as what I feel when I listen to Tori’s music. I’m so excited to start performing these songs live, to express the themes of love and power with my lyrics, and a musical ferocity that an audience can really enjoy. 

As a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and engineer, what did taking full creative control over your music allow you to express that might not have been possible otherwise, and how did that deepen your personal connection to the sound?

Taking the ropes as producer and engineer on my upcoming debut album gave me the time and freedom to explore the extent of my creativity when recording sound. I’m a sucker for homemade sounds and little earworms that listeners can pick up in my songs; like dropping heavy metal chains into buckets for percussion, processing my vocals manually through pedals like the Earthquaker Devices’ Afterneath’ pedal to achieve dreamy reverberation, simply tapping a paperclip on my desk, or stacking 4 or 6 vocal harmonies on top of one another with my favorite microphone, I think the personalization of my sound is what I find most energizing and FUN about songwriting and recording music. While I love collaborating with others, and ended up including so many amazing musicians on the album, this initial incubation period of creating my own sounds in my studio in Laurel Canyon was a crucial step to achieving what I feel is a confident, realized sound for the record. 

Does your songwriting begin as something deeply personal, a form of release, or do you write with the listener in mind, shaping the songs for the people who will eventually hear them?

Writing songs always begins as a very personal experience, channeling a range of emotions, personal experiences and ideas into a cohesive composition. I do most of my songwriting alone. It’s absolutely a form of release and a way to process the inner-workings of my mind. Songs are like timestamps of who I am and what’s occurring in my life when they are written, which is why it’s so refreshing to revisit them and to perform them again and again; singing the written lyrics, but bringing something new to the performance with new-found emotion and experience! I hope that by expressing the inner-workings of my mind and heart fully in my music, it will reach the minds and hearts of listeners everywhere. 

Is there an artist you’ve always wanted to work with, and what do you think would emerge creatively from that collaboration? 

I’ve always wanted to work with Brian Eno. I’m such a fan of ambient music, and the type of ambience he’s created is so soulful. When I heard his collaborations with pianist Harold Budd, relating to the simple, soulful style of playing as a pianist myself, I felt we could probably make something really unique if ever we were put in a room together! 

‘Girls Girl’ unfolds in a very natural, almost weightless way. Did the structure of the song guide the writing, or did the lyrics lead the music as it took shape?

Thank you! The structure of the song guided the writing for this one. I was inspired by Robin Zander’s (of Cheap Trick) vocal swells and harmonies on the song ‘Mandocello,’ which bring a dreamy, ethereal feel to a steady bass groove. This is something I felt like experimenting with for Girl’s Girl, and naturally the lyrics evolved after the melody and base of the track formed. I feel like this song is a perfect introduction to my new sound as an emerging artist – it’s dark and sexy, challenging the idea of morality and what it means to be a ‘girl’s girl’ through the telling of a personal story involving the romantic entanglement between three people. Right off the bat, we’re exploring the complexity of Love and Power with this first single.

Can you walk me through the creative process behind ‘Girls Girl’? Did the song emerge from a clear vision, or was it more about experimenting to capture a particular sound or feeling? 

My producing partner was really keen to hear a ‘steady groove’ beat included in the collection of songs I was writing at the time, and this kind-of nudge felt like a healthy challenge for me as a writer. I sat down with my bass guitar one night at 2 AM and dug into a laid back, steady four-chord loop that lent itself to a structured drum beat. I programmed some trip-hop style drums, which my talented friend Puma eventually re-recorded live, and the song very naturally took shape once the beat felt secure. The lyrics were inspired by a personal experience, and the sensual nature of the song guided me to sing very serpentine, weaving vocal melodies over the groove, giving it that weightless feel! 

When listeners hear ‘Girls girl’, what do you hope they feel or take away from the song, and are there subtle details in the music or production that you’re most proud of?

I hope that listeners, young women especially, feel compassion for themselves when listening to ‘Girl’s Girl.’ There is a deep need to feel loved and desired, which I express in this song, and this impulse can quickly lead to sticky situations and complicated relationships. While we want to show up for each other the best we can, we have to take into account our own needs and wants first, and give ourselves grace and compassion as we navigate relationships. Writing this song has helped me reflect on my mistakes, what I look for when it comes to love and sex, and how I can best show up for my fellow sisters! Although the detail is quite raw and intimate, I feel really proud of the whisper vocals recorded during the guitar solo section. I overdubbed myself chanting the lyrics three times with a small ribbon mic and pitched the recordings down a few semitones so that it sounded more androgynous and inconspicuous, like words from a man’s mouth. Quite spooky when you get into it! 

Has creating and sharing your music changed the way you see yourself, and if so, how?

Creating my new album has most definitely changed the way I see myself. I’ve never felt so confident in myself as an artist, songwriter, producer, creative director – I feel like I’m holding myself to a whole new standard as a professional! Assembling the songs, recordings, and visuals was a practice of not settling. Not once did I settle for a drum, guitar or bass take that didn’t feel was the best performance, not once did I settle for working with a photographer or video director that I felt couldn’t deliver the concept we were passionate about bringing to life, not once did I settle on a nuance in a mix I felt we could’ve tweaked even just a little bit. It sounds a bit intense, but being such a type A kind of artist, this is what I felt the music and visuals required to create something I feel truly confident in. I can’t wait to share the full body of work with listeners and fans everywhere. 

Listen to Lola Bates’ new single ‘Girl’s Girl,’ here or below.