Artist Spotlight: Lovelle

Hailing from South-East London, Lovelle brings us new single I Can’t Stop Thinkin Bout U. After an almost 2-year hiatus, the singer-songwriter is back with a smolderingly intense release. Passionate, vulnerable and comforting are a few words that come to mind referencing the artist, as this broody single presents nothing short. Written during the 2020 lockdown, the artist gifts us a weighty offering with visuals featuring London’s dearest Kojey Radical.

Striking support from esteemed tastemakers like Trevor Nelson to Annie Mac, the model and singer pours into her music, unguarded with her gift for lyricism. A conscious artist and previous student of both The Mick Jagger Theatre and Sylvia Young Theatre School, the singer's commitment to her craft runs deep, reaching new creative heights as she reemerges since her 2020 EP Therapy. Enlisting the help of friends and collaborators Ryan Ashley and Fergus Martin the artist rounds off her return with earthy monochrome visuals directed by London-based filmmaker Kemi Anna Adeeko.

Taking a moment to talk with The Pit, the singer gets into her songwriting process and details her inspiration behind her new single, what’s next, and her playlist go-to. 

What’s your songwriting process?

Oh, I’m literally in bed and I feel like God would just speak to me, so I’m up at 3 in the morning just voice-noting. Usually, when I’ve gone into a studio I go saying this is what I need to make music to. I write a lot without music because I feel like I need to speak to myself first. I get this feeling of what I want to say and I’ve learned to honour that part of me. Of course, if a beat comes on in the studio, I could get inspired but when it comes to my stuff, I allow whatever needs to speak to me to sit on my chest for a bit and I noticed that if I'm singing and saying these words then it needs to be a song. It’s sort of like a spiritual moment for me if I'm honest. 

How have you found navigating the music industry as an emerging artist?

I’ve been in this industry for a minute. I would say because of stuff I’ve experienced, which has been good but also a lot of mess, a lot of shit from trusting people, and also just being a woman in this industry, I’ve had to navigate that so differently. How I go into a session - what am I wearing? When I go and meet people for meetings - are you just trying to get on me because you think I'm cute? Or are you listing because we’re actually gonna get something here? Every time I meet someone for business I also navigate whether they’re here for business as well. That is just something I have to be on guard for. 

I also think learning to find a balance, to not feel guilty for living. I write stories and I can't write if I also don't allow myself to be human. I’ve learned this whole ‘I’m working ‘til 5am’, that’s cute but what's your mental health sayin’? So I’m navigating myself in a space where I hear myself, I make sure I listen to myself and I make sure that I take time. I’m not in the studio every single day anymore because it just doesn’t work for me. Again, I’ve learned to take time for me to write and understand who I am, so when I go into meetings I’m super proud and confident in myself so I can speak up. Rather than go in there and be this person I’m not. No, I’m Lovelle.

I feel like your music emanates self-soothing and healing, is that an intentional component of your music?

This new single has done more for me in ways I didn't expect. I wrote it in 2020 because I was getting over past hurt and trauma from men. I was in the thick of it and I remember that year I upped my therapy because I was like I’m so committed to feeling better and doing better for myself. Like, I love the mandem but fuck men hurting me! I’m over it and also, why am I allowing this behaviour? We needed to get to the root of this. As much as they were toxic, there was a period at which I must have thought that was ok. It takes two, and I felt that needed to change. So when I wrote this song I was like let’s move on and heal. And with this project I allowed myself to be so vulnerable, to let go emotionally and artistically. I literally had the longest therapy session - 2 years of life not realising it by doing this song. It’s been wild and now I’m like, bring on healthy love!

Who or what would you say is the most impactful influence in your music?

It’s actually my people, my core friends and family. I feel heavy and a lot of the things that I'm writing about they know, these are conversations I have with them. Amy Winehouse is the reason I started to take music seriously because she was a mirror to me of someone who shows vulnerability and that's actually quite powerful and you can make beautiful things from it. Frank Ocean is the king and queen when it comes to in your feels and that is me all over. But when I really deep it, it's conversations that I have with people. And sometimes they will say something that will hit the nail on the head and I’m like, oh! Let me write that in my notes, then I’m already writing a song. 

How do you think you’ve grown/changed as an artist since your debut?

My confidence. I fuck with myself heavier than I did before. I’m certain now about my vision in terms of how I see myself with people. But that’s just embracing more of who I am. You know, just really being Lovelle. I had this thing when I was younger where I was always saying ‘I want to be like…’ but actually, you just need to do you. I feel that's what I’ve done in my music, just being more myself. Also not so much thinking about what people want because your tribe will find you. I feel I’m less apologetic in my songs. I’m not as scared to talk about things as I was before and I think I have a solid feeling of where I’m going with that now.

Would you say your upbringing has influenced your art?

Yes! My Dad was a rapper. My brother, Kid Bookie he’s a rapper and singer also - doing extremely well, working with artists like Slipknot, and Good Charlotte. We both grew up on rock and heavy metal. Nirvana, Linkin Park, and System Of A Down were the people we listened to. My Dad was very much that guy, but he was very conscious in his lyrics and that’s what my brother and I are like. Also, my mom very much pushed this narrative of speaking up and saying what’s on your mind. She pushed us to put that into a space, which is now music. But in the house, it was definitely my Dad, he had all the records and he’d bring them out and we’d look at the covers and tell us all about them. That’s why we love stories in our music. 

Your new single ‘I Can’t Stop Thinkin Bout U’ has just dropped! This being your first release in about 2 years, can you tell us about your new single? 

I wrote the song initially in 2020 lockdown and I was like, I need to take it to someone that can add that extra flair. So I thought Ryan Ashley. He’s the best when it comes to R&B here, just incredible, he also worked on Truth for my last project Therapy. I showed him the song and the same day we went to the studio and recorded the acoustic version. Fergus Martin is someone I’ve been working with for years, he did a lot of work on my last project as well. We’re a beast together. I sent him the song and he did everything I imagined and thought it would feel like. So we redid the vocals to record this version.

When I heard the song and I knew I had a visual coming for it, I was like this needs to be something where people can feel like they can know what this whole memory smells like, the texture, everything so we reached out to Kemi Anna Adeeko. I think it needed to be black and white because people are zoned in, but also that’s how it was for me in that relationship, that was all I saw. I made sure the video was in a studio, because all of this happened in one space, all the good times and all the bad. I think that’s why I wanted to show this extreme closeness, it all happened here. Kojey has been one of the homies for years, he’s just an incredible talent in how he expresses himself, we set it off on camera, and it was so easy and comfortable. I’m so grateful he came on board to help tell my story with me.

Are you currently working on any other projects?

Yes, I’m actually working on my EP, it’s almost there. I have my second single ready, it's a bit more playful and I think it shows the energetic side of me but I’m still telling my story. I was in a situation where I felt like the person I was with questioned my capability. That song is very much like taking back my power, but in a fun sass way!

Defining album of your life?

I would say Songs In a Minor by Alicia Keys. I remember in secondary school having conversations about it, being in music class singing the songs. I’ve grown up with a majority of Black women in my life. That is what I identify with, who I mirror but growing up it was still a lot of figuring out and understanding myself - when Alicia came out at the time I felt like I saw myself. I remember getting the album and listening to it from top to bottom and really appreciating the structure of an actual album. 

Favorite song at the moment?

Bit of a plug! But, Beautiful by Kojey Radical.