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METAL PULP AND PAPER: Hello Lola. So glad to be catching up with you. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us here at Metal Pulp And Paper. We appreciate it.
So, how are you? How are things going before we talk about your new release Nothing’s Gonna Be Alright?
LOLA BLACK: Things are going pretty good just been laying low.
MPAP: Along with your husband, Chris "Crispy" Dellinger, who plays bass, you both together formed the hard rock band Lola Black in Aurora, Colorado in 2008. What else can you tell the readers about you and your music that you want them to know? What do you want to say to them that will grab them by the eardrums and make them want more from you?
LOLA: I like to believe that each and every song of ours has a little life of its own. Each song is unique and stands apart from the others. This offers the listener a well-balanced experience that’s suitable for different walks of life. There’s a song for everyone!
MPAP: On your previous release full-length, Til Death Do Us Part, you went with a more substantial, more gothic-metal feel for your vocals. What can your diehard fans, and even the new ones just joining us, what can they expect to hear on Nothing’s Gonna Be Alright?
LOLA: As artists we have a constant need to create and with every creation there is slight variations and growth. Music is always evolving, and we love this because it gives us room to explore. NGBA was a well thought out process for us. We wanted the perfect balance of exploration of new sounds while carefully not straying too far from our wheelhouse. It’s really the best of both worlds!
MPAP: Well without wasting any more time, let’s talk about it now. On August 25th your new album, as previously mentioned, Nothing’s Gonna To Be Alright, will be available to purchase on most media outlets out there? Or head over to your website better yet, correct?
LOLA: Yes NGBA will be available on all major media outlets. If you head over to www.lolablackmusic.com we will have links & updates as we get more details.
MPAP: Tell us about Nothing’s Gonna Be Alright? What are some of the songs about?
LOLA: All songs are up for interpretation. I like the listeners to decide.
MPAP: And then, what are you hoping the listener will get from hearing it?
LOLA: I want listeners to catch feelings from it! I want to be there with them in the dark and give them something special they can relate to. Then, spin that shit around and offer music to shred to. I want the highs and the lows. The peek and the pits because that’s the reality of life.
MPAP: In May you released a music video for the title song, and not only does the song have a strong message, but the video does as well. What are you hoping the viewers gain when they watch it for the very first time?
LOLA: The Nothing’s Gonna Be Alright music video is meant to be a wakeup call of sorts. We are always told in unsavory situations that 'everything is going to be alright'. For many this is a little band aid to cover what’s really going on and turn a blind eye in sake of comfort. For me personally NGBA has become a new way of thinking. NOTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT! Life in general is tough but so are you! It’s up to you to find the beauty in despair. It’s in the boldness to find that beauty that we find ourselves.
MPAP: Nothing’s Gonna Be Alright was produced by music legends Bob Marlette (Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper, Red Sun Rising) and Sahaj Ticotin (Ra). How was that experience to have them on board and take your music to the next level?
LOLA: We feel very fortunate to work with Bob and Sahaj being that we are kinda the 'underdog' independent band. Having their love and support really speaks volumes to us seeing how they have worked with countless heavy hitting rock legends. We have learned a lot for them and I hope to continue to learn from them.
MPAP: Speaking of experiences, how was it being a part of some of the essential Metal festivals recently, like Rocklahoma, and Carolina Rebellion? It must feel good to be a part of it with some huge bands there?
LOLA: Working on that string of festivals was an absolute dream come true. Every band that I have ever dreamed of playing with, we got to play with on these festivals on some day or another. There is honestly no other feeling like it. The energy was crazy!
MPAP: Let’s go back for a moment. In 2012, you released your first EP Dia de Los Borrachos. How would you say you’ve musically grown since then as a vocalist, and even as a band as well?
LOLA: Working with Sahaj one on one vocally really helped me to not fear stepping outside of the box. I needed a bit of a push to really start exploring my voice and be open to new writing techniques. I believe the same goes for the band in the same sense. As long as you are open to learn there will be growth.
MPAP: Over the years, eight of them to be exact, Lola Black has kicked and clawed their way to the top of the Colorado music scene. Is there anything you’ve learned about over the years?
LOLA: Fuck what everyone thinks and don’t take no for an answer!
MPAP: Anything you’d like to go back and do over again?
LOLA: Nope. I’ll take the bad with the good. It’s what makes me what I am today.
MPAP: Now let’s go back even further. Let’s go back even before Lola Black was around. What were you doing before the band started to take form?
LOLA: Music has always been my life. At a very young age I was always singing. Always paying close attention to the lyrics and learning them all. The few memories I have of being really small are listening to music in the car and just feeling warm and happy. Starting in elementary school on I played violin and was into dance. Once I went to my very first punk show it was over! I knew from that moment on, that music was where I belonged. I was madly in love. Still am! I got my foot in the door when my husband asked me to sing some back vocals for his old band. We realized then, that it was time try something new and LB was born.
MPAP: What’s next for Lola Black? What can your fans expect now that the album is released, possibly a big tour announcement?
LOLA: Wherever there is a demand we will go and we will go wherever the wind takes us!
MPAP: Now before we bring this interview to a close, do you have any bucket lists now for the band? Places to play, people to collaborate with?
LOLA: We are very lucky to have experienced a lot of cool shit on this rock journey and hey that's enough for me.
MPAP: Then finally, not too many bands out there today have a husband and wife team in them. What is it like being able to create music with Chris right by your side, and then jump on a tour bus and travel together?
LOLA: It almost always works out well in the end picture for us. I try and hold on to that. The process getting there isn't always smooth sailing and obviously some days are better than others. We are both very strong personalities and we don't always agree but at the end of the day we have the same vision.
MPAP: Can it sometimes be difficult having a husband in the band? Do you ever have to separate the two, marriage and music?
LOLA: Being married to one of your bandmates has its own set of challenges. It's really cool to get to experience these killer moments together but the line between personal matters and band matters can easily be blurred. It’s all about finding that balance that works for all of us... when nothing in life is easy!
MPAP: On behalf of myself, and Metal Pulp And Paper, I'd like to thank you, Lola, for spending some time with us. We look forward to what Lola Black does to finish out 2018 and beyond. Any last words you’d like to say to the readers and all your fans out there?
LOLA: I just would like to say thank you for your time and interest in reading this! I hope NGBA finds a special place in your heart just as it did with mine. Much love always and forever to our LBC!
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LOLA BLACK
HERE:
Lola Black / September 1st, 2018/ Interview #117