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Creator, Producer, Artist - Meet Lots Holloway
London based, multi-instrumentalist Lots Holloway just dropped yet another single, 'Stay A Little Longer', as well as starring in her home produced, mind-altering music video.
This multi-talented artist is never one to shy away from creative hard work; With the release of last years 'World's On Fire' and now finally another tease of what is to be expected with an EP on the way this year, Lots continues to bless us with her innovative sound. Lots Holloway is a creator, producer, artist, and holder of an ethereal voice.
Hey Lots, how is everything with you at the moment?
Pretty damn grand, thank you for asking.
Define yourself using three words.
Creative, rebellious and strange.
Tell us about your latest single ‘Stay a Little Longer'?
The song was actually written well over a year ago now, I’d had a few beers alone one evening and the Hyde to my Jekyll came out of me. It was produced it in a very grungy fashion back then though, I heard it again recently and decided to re-hash the production. I stayed up late one night and worked until I’d completed it the next day. It then only took a couple days to add finishing touches and a lead vocal in the studio before it was mastered and out into the world. It’s about manipulative, cunning yet charming people - a dangerous combination. People who want to control you.
Is the tone found in ‘Stay a Little Longer’ what we can expect from your upcoming EP?
I’d say ‘Stay a Little Longer’ is a bit darker than anything on the EP, the other day I described it like a family; the songs on the EP are all like brothers and sisters, but 'Stay a Little Longer' is more like that strange cousin we all have.
What inspired the video to the track?
The original idea was to have me and another character, the good and the bad, but while I was thinking about the idea I decided I wanted to play with both of the roles. I wanted the audience to really feel uncomfortable with how one person can go from being sweet and innocent to evil and scary in seconds, hence my own face coming out from inside my face. I wanted it to feel like a visual representation of an angry emotion trying to escape when it’s provoked, but knowing one cannot maintain that demeanour for too long, so returning to something more charming and delicate.
Did you enjoy writing and producing the video yourself?
I love being creative via any medium. In all honesty, I sometimes find it hard to give up control because I can see and hear and feel how the songs and videos should sound and look in my head before I’ve ever created them - so I want my art to present as closely to that inside my head, so doing it as much as I can myself is the best way for me. It was the same with the video for ‘Is Anything Real Anymore?’, I had this spark of an idea and ran with it until I'd completed a whole video. My label always supports this, and I like that.
You’ve said before that stepping out on stage also brings out your Jekyll and Hyde transition. Tell us more about this?
It is really exactly how it sounds. It feels like I give up control when I am on stage, to the point where sometimes I come off stage and have a blurred memory about the performance like it wasn’t really the Lots I know every day. I surprise myself in these moments of adrenaline… jumping off stages, climbing up stage scaffolding, throwing myself around like a Tasmanian devil.
Your first single ‘Worlds on Fire’ was a very political track. As a musician, do you feel like you have more of responsibility to speak out on issues happening around the world?
When I am writing, I personally feel a duty or responsibility to myself to speak about what I am experiencing in my life. If that’s love or anger or lust, that’s what I write about, but when I am on the wrong end of truth or feel under political strains or am scared of the world around me, that’s what I’ll write about. However, when it comes to releasing music I think this idea then extends to the rest of the world and your audience. Music is very powerful and I think if you have a platform to create change where change is needed then that’s what you should be compelled to write about anyway.
You’ve said you were inspired by your parent’s vast music collection; can you name the albums that stuck out the most to you?
My parents had a huge collection of music, from lots different artists, but when we were kids they’d often play ‘the best of..’ records and compilations to see which music we were into before delving into specific albums. But two specific albums that stood out for me were Pink Floyd - The Wall and David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars.
The top complications I remember hearing though were from The Beach Boys, ABBA, Queen and UB40.
In the past, you said if you could collaborate with any artist it would be Paul McCartney. Is he still your go to artist?
I’d love to collaborate with Paul, some of his work is so unreal, almost like songs that should have never not existed, since the dawn of time. But there are lots of people I’d collaborate with, Kevin Parker from Tame Impala being one. I love his production and writing.
Since moving to London, is the capital still inspiring your songwriting?
The city definitely inspires me, more so the people within it. I love to people watch, and think about why people do what they do, or what people are thinking and where better to do that than in the big city?
We also saw that you performed at London Pride! Was there a moment that moved you the most during Pride 2017?
Yes, there was; I performed a cover of 'Zombie' by The Cranberries, however I added a section of new lyrics. Dolores O’Riordan spoke about 1916, and I added a new verse to the end of the song talking about 2017. After continuous tragic events around the world I felt compelled to make the song as relevant as possible to our specific reality.
"And it’s still the same thing, in 2017, in our streets, at our feet, they are fighting, with their knives and their bombs, but we’re strong we go on, united, until there is, no more dying."
The crowd really responded to this, and I was quite moved.
If it wasn’t for music, what do you think you’d be doing right now?
Travelling.
What’s been your proudest moment so far?
I am proud whenever I complete something. As a kid I would start a drawing and screw it up in rage if I went wrong, and that still happens now (I’ve thrown a guitar once or twice) but whenever I complete something I am proud of myself.
If you could eradicate one song from the history of music, what would it be?
Peter Andre - Mysterious Girl. I feel like no one needs this song.
What ideas changed your life?
I once had an idea to start putting my poems with my music… that was a good one.
But apart from that, I once had this overwhelming knowing that everything and everyone is connected, and that changed my whole outlook on life and reality.
