INTERVIEW: Lola Scott on her new single 'Delete My History'
Image: Maya Luna
Lola Scott has released her new single ‘Delete My History (ctrl+alt+delete)’, the first in the next era of her career after signing with AWAL and Dew Process Publishing / Kobalt.
The track is classic Scott, mixing together indie, pop and synth with her whipsmart lyrics resulting in an addictive three minute slice of joy.
“I wrote this song comparing my first healthy relationship to my toxic ex boyfriends,” she says. “I’ve always been a bit of a ‘commitmo-phobe’ because of some shitty relationships in the past but this one felt different. In the past I had always related being in relationships to possessiveness and jealousy from my partners. I was comparing those behaviours of my ex’s to the trust of my new relationship and realising what a good relationship could feel like. I also talk about not feeling like someone wants to change who you are as a person and instead loving who you already are.”
The video for the song is also out now, an animated illustration by Olive Nash featuring a cartoon version of Scott reenacting scenes that feature in the lyrics.
Scott has been releasing music since 2018 and has evolved into one of the most accomplished young artists in the Sydney music scene. Her debut EP 1/4 Life Crisis was released last year, and she has also been writing and producing for other artists, plus touring internationally as a guitarist. We recently caught up with Lola to find out more about her new single and her career to date.
Hi Lola! Thank you for sparing us some of your time to chat. How is everything in your world right now?
Thanks for having me! My world is pretty hectic at the moment. I’ve been away more than I’ve been home… travelling as a songwriter with other artists and on the road playing tours as a session guitarist and then got covid to wrap up that tour. Feels good to be back with my cat Stevie and releasing music again!
Congratulations on your first single of 2022 ‘Delete My History’ which is out now, it is such a brilliant song. You have said the song is about your first healthy relationship after plenty of toxic ones. Can you talk me through a bit more about the inspiration behind the song?
I’ve always associated relationships with possession and control because this is what I’d experienced in the past. This song is about taking charge and becoming the referee of the dating game and not lowering your standards to someone who wants to dictate who you hang out with or how you dress. It’s sad how many relationships are built around a power dynamic instead of mutual trust. You shouldn’t have to convince someone to trust you if you’ve never wronged them.
Healthy relationships are such a game changer if you have only known toxic ones, and I can imagine the impact on you personally was massive. How do you feel being in a (presumably) better mindset has altered, or impacted your creative process, if at all?
It took a while but I’ve found a whole new confidence in myself that I lost for a while there. I definitely got to points in those shitty relationships that made me question my self worth and then doubt my ideas & direction.
If you’re going to be in a relationship, that person should be able to celebrate each of your small successes, as you do with theirs… not belittle them or get jealous of you being celebrated.
I can now see a lot of the red flags early on in dating so it’s either going to be a healthy relationship or staying single for me.
Speaking of creative processes, what was it like for ‘Delete My History’?
I wrote this song at a writing camp on a farm near Kangaroo Valley. It was a super fun song to write. I originally wrote it with André and Adrien Nookadu and Georgia Denton (Gia Vorne). When I got back from the camp, I showed one of my besties and longtime collaborators Oscar Sharah the song & we then flipped the production together. We started the production process by stripping the song back to acoustic to re-harmonise the chords, which changed the entire mood. So we wrote it in a day & then some months later we took a couple of days to redo the production.
Will there be a video released for ‘Delete My History’, and if so can you tell us anything about what we can expect to see?
Yes! I have collaborated with an amazing animator Olive Nash who did an amazing job. I found Olive’s work on instagram and instantly fell in love with their art. I’m really excited to have them more involved in the project going forward. You can check it out now on YouTube!
What role did music play in your life when you were growing up?
I’ve been writing songs since I was 8 years old. I was awkward and bad at making friends so I would just make songs with other kids… so nothing has changed. I’m still awkward and bad at making friends so I just use songwriting to get to know people. My dad introduced me to a lot of varying styles of music from a young age, from gothic rock to alternative/indie to new wave. That could have something to do with me constantly jumping between different genres and wanting to explore new ways to produce in everything I make.
Was a career in music always a given for you, or did it come about more organically?
I was obsessed with guitar ever since I picked it up as a kid and would always be making different bands in high school. Music was the only thing I was good at and the only thing I was ever passionate about so there was no other option. I did originally want to be a classical guitarist and play in orchestras but whenever I tried to practice the pieces, I would end up writing something new.
You have been releasing music now for around four years, looking back at your earlier releases how do you feel you have evolved as an artist?
I feel like I’m just making the music that comes on the day rather than overthinking what I should sound like. A lot of people in the industry talk about solo artists like brands and early on you’re taught to think about what would be a cohesive project and make you more marketable. I’ve stopped thinking about what type of music I’m trying to make, and focus instead on just having fun making music with my friends and playing more guitar because that’s what I’m good at. What I love about songwriting and production the most is the ability to surprise yourself and create art like something you’ve never created before. I’m all about experimenting to get inspired and breaking out of patterns or formulaic writing styles.
We all know the music industry does not have a reputation of being a safe space for women, in the main because it has been run by older, white, straight men since its inception. What are your thoughts on gender equality and sexism in the music industry?
I am underestimated majority of the time when I’m working with someone new. Whether that be a producer assuming I can’t play guitar (when I walk in with a guitar on my back), or a sound engineer assuming I don’t know how to set up my playback rig or run Ableton… I could go on.
We need more women/ gnc folx in the industry there’s no doubt about that. Especially in the roles of producers and engineers. The funny thing is I actually know quite a few female artists who are already producers and engineers but aren’t getting credit for their production ideas because they don’t think they’re ready to call themselves producers. Whilst a lot of male producers will call themselves producers before they know what they’re doing. I feel like if we had more representation in these male dominated roles, more women/ gnc folx would have the confidence to step into these positions and stand their ground. It’s difficult to find the confidence to be what you don’t see.
I think there’s quite a way to go for the music industry in terms of gender equality but the women I have personally worked with in the industry are killing it. I think one of the best things we can do is encourage younger generations to work in these roles that have been previously dominated by men.
‘Delete My History’ is out now, what else is on the cards for Lola Scott in 2022?
This one is the first single off my next EP so I’ve got a lot of new music coming this year that I can’t wait to share. I’ve also booked out the studio through April to continue working on my first album & then I’m headed to LA to write through May & hoping to do some more writing later in the year in Europe. I’m also working as a producer & songwriting for a bunch of exciting new artists in my free time.
‘Delete My History (ctrl+alt+delete)’ is out now. You can download and stream here.
To keep up with all things Lola Scott you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
