LOLA SCOTT

Hi Lola and thanks for taking the time out to speak with us at Musicology. Firstly congratulations on the release of Warzone of the Suburbs. Can you provide a little background to the track and the origins behind its creation?

Thanks so much! I originally wrote Warzone of the Suburbs in the garage at my old place on an acoustic guitar. The arrangement has changed a lot since I first wrote it but lyrics all stayed the same. The story & message behind Warzone of the Suburbs was very clear to me throughout the writing process which made it one of those songs that just splurge out lyrically. The idea was inspired by listening to my neighbours rows. They were hard not to hear from the garage where I’d set up my writing den.

The acoustic arrangement of Warzone of the Suburbs is particularly haunting. Did you approach this in a way that by doing a striped back version, there was an added exposure of its raw meaning and the emotive accumulation of having live strings in the piece?

When I first started working on the acoustic arrangement of Warzone of the Suburbs it was going to be just piano & lead vocal because I wanted to draw attention to the melancholy lyrics. I agree that adding the strings & BVs was to add the raw meaning. I also think that the more cinematic setting of the song has put the lyrics in more sentimental light. The way that the strings and BVs are arranged complement & don’t overpower the lead vocal to let the lyrics continue to take focus.

As a multi-instrumentalist yourself, was there a level of depth you could reach in crafting this track that may not have been entirely possible as musician with just the one discipline under their belt?

The way I compose is strongly based around harmony and finding synth parts that meld together to create a dramatic soundscape. Being a multi-instrumentalist I feel it is a lot easier to communicate my ideas & make sure that what I am hearing in my head is what I convey in my recordings. I also feel like my particular style of writing through multiple instruments is what made the collaboration process of working on this song with Joel Quartermain feel like such a natural process as we are both multi-instrumentalists with a strong interest in creating interesting harmony.

The clip was filmed at Grove Studios with close friends Richard Prohm and Lucia Capell, what do you feel Richard and Lucia brought to the table that really shines through in its production?

The thing I love most about collaboration is being able to put trust in other people’s talent without giving much direction and then just seeing what they come back to you with. Richard and Lucia are both super talented composers & songwriters who have backgrounds in contrasting styles to mine (Richard’s background being in film music & Lucia’s in soul/ RnB BV arrangements). I love how they both brought new elements to the song that I wouldn’t have thought to add. Warzone In The Suburbs

Known for your beautiful dark indie tunes and amazing live shows, a unique live aspect of your shows is that of your back up dancers. Is this something you promote, let them have free reign or a part of your stage craft that has come from seeing what is, at times, lacking in the average live show?

Prior to this project I have played guitar and keys in quite a few bands so I wanted to do something to make this project different. My dancers Ashleigh Lindsay & Peyton Cole have been with me since the start of the project. It’s really great to be able to have a strong female fronted energy on stage & I definitely vibe off their fierce stage presence. Ashleigh Lindsay (featured dancer in the film Ladies in Black) has free reign over choreography & does an epic job adding fresh moves to most shows.

Having played at Falls Festival and soon to perform at the Museum of Contemporary Art, do you tackle each show differently considering the venue and the vibe or treat each show the same irrespective of where it is you are playing?

I did bring a larger band than usual to Falls (adding Lucia & her sister Katrina on BV’s) but every other show we do with a 5 piece including James Smithers (drums), Ryan Sorenson (guitar, Moog) and Ash & Peyton (dancing). For some venues we have had to alter the choreography to avoid kicks to the keyboard or falling off the stage but Ash & Peyton are naturals at adjusting to changes in stage shapes & sizes.

What else is on the cards you for heading into the rest of 2019?

I’ve been writing a lot and have a lot of new material that I’m super excited to share. I’ve also been back in the studio recording & writing with Joel Quartermain. I’m in the process of creating another acoustic arrangement with Richard & Lucia involved in the process. We are hoping to involve a small orchestra & choir to be filmed by the same director (Matt Hopkins) as the Warzone of the Suburbs Acoustic video.