NZ Vocalist/Producer Lola, Unveils Lucid Trip-Hop Single 'Under'

Tāmaki Makaurau-based artist Lola unveils her latest single, ‘Under,’ an ethereal call that blends the ambient spirit of ‘90s trip-hop with desert-tinged soundscapes. Exploring the tension between yearning and uncertainty, an enduring theme in her work, ‘Under’ captures the feeling of inertia, anchored by a dark driving rhythm.

Self-produced and written by Lola, ‘Under’ emerged from a moment of personal solitude and unease. “I was feeling very alone and somewhat nihilistic, wondering what my life might look like if I couldn’t catch the dreams I’m chasing,” she shares. To bring live textures to her electronic production, Lola collaborated with local musicians Kédu Carlö (Carly Gill and Jess Penson), who added drums and piano. Lola turned to Tiare Kelly’s sitar to seal her enchantment. “The track needed something to take it to an otherworldly place. Tiare plays with such skill and reverence, and it made the track feel almost magical in its final form,” Lola reflects.

‘Under’ is Lola’s third release this year, following the success of ‘Portal’ and ‘True.’ Each single has highlighted her versatility as an artist, with ‘Portal’ finding a strong foothold on alternative radio across Aotearoa, including a peak at number 4 on the Alternative Radio Scope Charts. Outside of her solo work, Lola takes on a production role for alt-pop artist Isla Noon, folk-pop’s Toy Shaw, and collaborator for the experimental dance duo Kédu Carlö. She’s also deepened her creative collaboration with stylist and designer Zheyi Ruan, most recently scoring the i-D finalist's film ‘Revenant.’ With each new release, Lola continues to study in contrasts, weaving together the transcendent with the visceral, the delicate with the unyielding.

About Lola:

Music is only one part of a beautiful and brutal equation, for Lola. In the same tradition as Björk, Rosalía, Eartheater and 070 Shake, the emerging vocalist and producer creates dark experimental pop music draped in multimedia visuals that drinks deeply from the wellsprings of the avant-garde, queer club culture, fashion show runway music.

Growing up between the lush, native forests and rivers of New Zealand’s rural South Island and the mediaeval landmarks and well-worn streets of North East England - Lola’s creative identity was shaped from this state of duality. During her late teens, the internet became the gateway through which she discovered a world of hyper-expressive artists who saw the connective power of pop and the esoteric depths of fringe culture as the same. In the process, she found the tools to explore her identity, worldview and fashion sensibilities. Since 2022, Lola has been based in Tāmaki Makaurau, where she has been exploring the fusion of cinematic sound design and nocturnal electronic pop, creating sonic-visual experiences through her music. In 2024, Lola was named one of three winners of Shure’s Next Extraordinary Sound Competition, a recognition of her unique artistic vision and sound.

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