Meet Lola Violet, an independent artist known for her viral TikTok livestreams and captivating performances at events such as TikTok HQ in LA and VidCon. Based in Los Angeles, Lola has a keen understanding of music industry trends and the demands of today’s music professionals. She knows what goes viral and is not afraid to break away from pop music trends to experiment with new genres or create her own.
This summer, she’s been busy as an independent artist. In June, she dropped her third EP, Crazy Baby. Her latest single, ‘VOID,’ is now available on all streaming platforms, and this Christmas, she’ll be releasing a holiday album soon. As an artist who does not define herself as a pop musician, she prefers using terms like Chaotic Pop to describe her experimental sound.
Before releasing her new single ‘VOID’, United By Pop chatted with Lola Violet, discussing her music journey, dream collaborations, relationship with musical theater, and more. ‘VOID’ is unlike any other piece Lola has created before. It is an electric experience that will have you dancing and feeling excited for what is to come in the future.
Thank you so much for spending time with United By Pop. Do you prefer to be called Lola or Lola Violet? I noticed that you have a name change in your artist bio. Can you explain why that is?
In person I prefer to be called Lola because it is easier than calling someone by their first and second name. But I was LO LA since 2018, although it was so difficult for people to pronounce. The SEO for the name aka the Google search for the name like 0 to none because Lo and La are Spanish helping phrases as well. There are also so many Lola’s in the world.
I told myself that I needed a name that stood out more. One that Siri could recognize too because people would say, “Hey Siri, play LO LA,” and it would play a different Lola. So I thought it was time to make the change. I also loved the name Violet. I needed an artist’s first and last name and ended up with Lola Violet.
In several Instagram interviews, you have mentioned discovering your love for music through musical theatre and being in a band. Would you ever go back to the live theater stage or stay in the music industry? In what way do you think these experiences have helped you as you stepped into the music industry?
I like to say that I am retired from musical theater. I got so stressed having to memorize lines and blocking, which was the biggest task that I struggled with. Memorizing lines came easy but remembering where you had to be on stage was not for me. I grew up with an ADHD diagnosis, and it took me a little longer to learn things. I did not tell anyone back then. A lot of adults did not understand how to deal with students like me back then too. But I was good at what I was doing, I just needed to be told a few times where to stand. If I didn’t remember where to stand the first time, I got into trouble in musical theater. That experience stressed me out a lot and gave me a bad experience of theater.
I still love theater but I do not have the same love for it as I used to. However, if I ever get invited to be Sophie in Mamma Mia, I would do it in a heartbeat. I have always wanted to play her. I also recently signed an acting contract for TV and film so I do want to get back into acting. If there’s ever a live-action Mamma Mia casting that would be the only reason why I would come out of my musical theater retirement.
Looking back, I believe that [musical theater experience] has shaped my identity as a full-time musician. Because I used to get super nervous before I got on stage, and I singing is easier than singing, dancing, and blocking a scene. It made my life a lot easier identifying as only a singer if that makes sense.
Going back to the topic of bands and instruments, I saw that you recently partnered with Lanikai Ukuleles. How many instruments do you play and are they incorporated in your EPs and singles?
They should be! I wanted to play all these instruments in my tracks. In my songs ‘Overthinking’ and a few other older ones I was playing piano and ukulele too. Although, I was never really good at any of those instruments, until more recently. Now, I make more dark pop music which is kind of like electronic. I also know that you can make [electronic] music sound like that but I am not at the level where I can play and be happy with it. I prefer for someone else to play the instruments who wants to do it forever until I get more comfortable with it.
I recently partnered with Lanikai Ukuleles, since I have been playing Ukulele for a while. However, the main instrument I play is the piano. So the order of instruments that I am experienced in is piano, ukulele, guitar, and a little bit of electric bass too.
In June you released your 3rd EP, Crazy Baby. How does it feel to receive praise online instead of in person? What’s it like to engage with fans on TikTok and Instagram, interacting with people you don’t know?
So I started going live on TikTok in 2020, during college. Then my last semester of college was in spring 2021. That summer I started busking at the Santa Monica Pier, and I did that for about a year.
During my college years, I stopped live streaming because I was not getting much engagement. But when I was busking, I realized that I was not making much money and I could not fund my music career. I probably got through the entire year doing it gaining 100 followers, which is not a ton. Then when I tried live streaming again, someone on TikTok reached out to me. Now, I have a manager there so my live streams have been doing a lot better. And as much as I love performing in person, receiving the praise, and the people coming up to you are unmatched- I love that, especially when someone recognizes me in public. But going live on TikTok is much better for exposure. As I said earlier, I got 100 followers in total when I busked every night on the pier whereas on TikTok I got around 300, 400, 500, or more followers.
It is such a huge difference. Then another downside to live shows vs. live streams while I am starting to build a bigger fan base, is that every single person is from a different city, state, or country. Therefore, I don’t have that saturated fan base that a lot of Los Angeles artists have. But I think it is so much more worth it because the amount of exposure I am getting on TikTok is instant gratification, which you do not get often in the music industry.
What is your opinion on musicians getting discovered on TikTok?
On my live stream the other night, I was thinking about it because it is so frustrating. Back in 2020, I had a song go super viral and I always think about how if I had gone that same amount of viral [in 2024] when labels are booking at TikTok users. I could be on a world tour right now. People like to say that there is “enough room in the boat for everyone” but there is honestly not [in the music industry]. It gives musicians false hope. There are millions of songs released on Spotify each day, and it makes it competitive, same with TikTok, compared to when I started in 2020.
There is little to no chance for you to get signed unless you are paying a person, know someone behind the scenes, or if a label is pushing you to put out content. It feels impossible to have an organic viral moment anymore. However, that is why I love live streams so much because I was chasing virality for several years then in 2020 it was possible but in today’s age [2024] I think it is harder than winning the lottery to get a viral moment. Ultimately, by getting 3-4 hard-core fans every single day on live stream, I can get a strong foundation. I see a lot of artists blow up on TikTok overnight and it is the first song that they released- there’s no legal stuff involved or labels involved or artist objective.
Crazy Baby delves into themes of love, heartbreak, self-discovery after a breakup, and healing from a toxic relationship—common topics in contemporary pop music. How does your music differentiate itself from other breakup songs in terms of lyrics and musical composition? What unique elements do you bring to your music that set you apart from other artists?
I would call it Dark Pop but I have gone off from calling it Dark Pop because everyone keeps asking me what genre I’m in; and I feel like I can’t put a name on it. I do not want to be in one genre or one lane. I have been calling it Chaos Pop.
It differentiates me from other artists because I did not start as a Dark Pop artist. I started with Indie Pop and generic Pop influences, from all of the people I listened to. I am not trying to take someone’s song and follow exactly what they are doing. They are all based on my experiences too. Once I started writing songs, I learned that people would write songs only for TikTok. They will write a song with TikTok in my mind for engagement, which is something I try not to do. That’s how my music defers from other songs that are doing well and blowing up on TikTok.
I want to do other stuff too. It is hard for me to write and [feel inspired] when it is not about a breakup. Although, I have an original Christmas album coming out in November. Those are all happy songs about Christmas- well one is about a breakup. I am excited for those since I wanted something happier and some listeners ask me “Where is the happy music?” It’s coming.
Do you have any advice for people who going through breakups or toxic relationships?
Honestly, the thing that helped me the most was knowing that I was not the only one going through it. And by listening to my music and other people’s music, knowing that is not just you [going through it]. That is a big reason why I release my songs. I also watch a lot of TV, aside from music. When I went through my last breakup I watched Gilmore Girls for three days, then I felt better.
On the topic of EPs, are you planning on releasing an album or more EPs?
I am probably going to release more EPs, just because I do not have the attention span to listen to an album. I don’t expect other people to. I know some people love albums though. Also, where I am in my career, my music is doing well. I want to get better before I start releasing longer projects. However, I am releasing my Christmas album in the winter which is completely different from what I normally do.
My goal with the Christmas album and the reason why I am releasing so many EPs is because I want to get them synced into movies and TV shows. It is a huge goal of mine and I have not been able to get a song into a film production soundtrack yet. That is why I am releasing so many at once. I feel like it is good to have them out before the Christmas syncing season comes.
In past interviews, you mentioned that Britney Spears is your idol. Who are your musical influences?
Besides Britney, Tyler The Creator is a huge influence on my current music, and so is Lana Del Ray. Oh, and Harry Styles, which you can hear a lot of that sounds in my 2021 music, especially my song ‘Mystery Boy’, and my earlier songs. I also love Boy Pablo and Rex the Orange County. Then my super early songs that I released were inspired by The Beatles, and Queen, and the storytelling aspect they did. There is a ton more I can name but those are my top influences.
Since you are located in the Los Angeles area where the music industry hub is, what is your dream venue to play at?
I want to play at Madison Square Garden, I know it is not in L.A. I remember watching the Justin Bieber: Never Say Never movie when I was little and I was like, “I want to be famous. I want to do music full-time.” The whole concept of the movie was that he was going to play Madison Square Garden. That has been a big dream of mine. Also, Hollywood Bowl because I grew up going there. I do not like the sound quality there since it is all open so I would do it just for the mems.
Your newest single ‘VOID’ is out now, it’s described as more than just a song, it’s an experience. Can you talk about how this single differs from your other music? What makes this an electrifying experience?
This one is heavily inspired by another song. I love the song, ‘I Like the Way You Kiss Me’ by Artemas. it is one that blew up on TikTok recently. I could not stop listening to it. When I like a song a lot, I usually listen to it a billion times before I get tired of it. I was listening to this song so much, and normally when I find a new artist or song, I get inspired to write in that specific style or genre. This is why my music is all over the place and not based on genre-wise. So I went to the studio and said to my producer that I wanted to write a song like ‘I Like the Way You Kiss Me’, then it just happened. ‘VOID’ is a lot more fast and flowy than my other singles. It sounds different in terms of production, flow, lyricism, and energy. I love that vibe.
One of the lyrics in the song is, “Don’t know your name, let’s fill this empty space,” do you ever want to write about space, the future, eternity, and what is coming next?
Honestly, I do not. It is more like filling the void with someone you do not know. Although, I kind of want to now. One of my dreams is to release a psychedelic album, like Tame Impala vibes. That would be so perfect for it. All of the songs I have written so far, I just kind of have them because I know one day when my music blows up, I can do whatever I want. When I get to the point where Taylor Swift is I could do an album in a different language and it would still be #1. Once I get to that point, I will have fun with my music and play around. Maybe you will see a song about psychedelic space coming out soon. Maybe 2027 or 2028.
‘VOID’ is streaming now on all platforms.
Stay connected with Lola Violet:
Instagram: @musicbylola_
TikTok: @musicbylola_
