by martina rexrode
photo courtesy of lola malone
German-American indie-pop artist Lola Malone’s debut single “Label” is an honest depiction of how one feels when processing a diagnosis or being put into a box. Recently, she’s released a music video for this single that brings the viewer directly into the lives of Malone and her friends, bringing us along for the recording process as well. Her casual discussion of mental health in just this debut single is impressive and promises a bright future for her as an artist.
Congratulations on your debut single and the accompanying music video! What can you tell us about the story behind “Label”?
Lola: “Thank you so much! ‘Label’ is a song about mental health and the struggles of finding out who you are in the world, especially with the lack of actual care that many people receive after being given an official diagnosis. I wrote the song sometime at the end of 2022 after my sister finished her journey of getting a professional diagnosis.
One diagnosis was ADHD, which we recently discovered heavily within our family. During the time it took for her to get some answers, my mom had to help fill out questionnaires for the doctors. She turned to me while she was filling out the ADHD form and said, ‘Lola, this sheet has around 50 symptoms, all of which are related to you.’ The news initially shocked me, yet over time, things began to click for me. Especially when explaining why I would find certain school subjects harder and why I would do better or focus more on tests where extra time was added. Not to mention all my friends saying, ‘You've finally realized Lola,’ as if I were the only one who didn't notice I had strong ADHD tendencies.
So not long after, I applied to get a diagnosis, which could take years for me to get. But from the stress and confusion I felt with the news of my potential diagnosis, I went to my room, and within around 30 minutes, ‘Label’ was created.”
How important is it to you for music to discuss subjects like mental health, especially today?
Lola: “I feel as though it’s very important to highlight mental health as a topic of discussion wherever you can. In my opinion, music will always be one of the best creative ways to discuss these harder topics.
Mental health is a topic that is becoming increasingly talked about on social media, and the recent consequences of COVID-19, I believe, have set off a wave of mental health alarms in many houses. In my case, it did. As a result, it has had an impact on music, with artists producing songs about their own struggles, like ‘dying on the inside’ by Nessa Barrett.
Where women are often diagnosed with ADHD later in comparison to men, or some cases, never at all, it is important to me to try and create songs that explore this topic from a female songwriter's perspective. I want to try, like many storytellers, to create a discussion among listeners and make people question how they feel and what causes them issues within their minds.”
The music video feels very intimate, almost like a vlog, as the viewer follows you meeting up with your friends and watches the recording process. What made you decide to go in this direction for your first music video?
Lola: “The decision was very easy for me to make in terms of the direction of the music video. I have always been obsessed with camcorders and old VHS-style videos, so I knew that if I could ever get the chance, I would want my first video to be shot with one. When talking to my sister, Jasmine Engel-Malone, the director of the music video, she agreed that this stylistic choice would fit the song.
Growing up around the whole 2010 YouTube vlog era, I was always watching vlogs or a BTS video to whatever song I was obsessed with at the time. I thought it would be cool to do something similar for the ‘Label’ video and pay homage to that era. I wanted to create something chill and intimate for the audience to watch. Also, when recording ‘Label,’ me and my friends were having a fun time, and you can hear that on the track, I hope, so I wanted to give the audience a visualization of this energy we have when working together.”
What are some of your favorite music videos? Do you see your own music videos going in similar directions to those as your career progresses?
Lola: “Picking favorites is really hard! Recently, I've been loving these one-takes, or at least they give the impression of being a one-take video with a constantly changing set design. Such as ‘Back on 74’ by Jungle or ‘Money Game, Pt. 3’ by Ren. Even ‘Chemical’ by Post Malone and ‘lovely’ by Billie Eilish and Khalid, both have edits but still have that same flow of being in a small set as it changes.
I just love the artistic style; seeing the shot focus on one person while the set behind the camera changes constantly in the room creates this calm, flowing movement in the video. Although it seems so hectic to create, it’s so satisfying to watch, and I would love to try this style of videography out at some point in my career. I also love videos that help visualize whatever the song is about lyrically or the general vibe of those lyrics and emotions, such as ‘Escapism.’ by RAYE, ‘feel like shit’ by Tate McRae, and ‘National Anthem’ by Lana Del Rey. I want to be able to give my song lyrics a strong visual representation through my videos.”
Which topics do you hope to tap into as an artist in future releases?
Lola: “So far, my songs have always focused on whatever I am experiencing in my own life, whatever is having a personal knock-on effect on me or someone I know. Being 18 and turning 19 next week, I have mostly focused on young adult life and its struggles, such as relationships with parents, friendship, and mental health.
I'd like to get better at storytelling when tackling current issues, such as forms of abuse in relationships or today's standards of body image. Not only do I wish to tackle those topics of hardness, but I also wish to get better at creating lighthearted and so-called happy songs to go alongside the darker topics.
So when thinking of what I hope to tap into one day, I would love to eventually write a love song. I have not written a song about love, which is so funny since that's what the music charts are mostly made of.”
If you could set three goals for your career (as big or as small as you want), what would they be?
Lola: “My dream is to write a song with a German songwriter or an artist like CRO. Although CRO does German hip-hop, I love his music and his writing style.
I would love the opportunity not only to test and improve my abilities to write in German but also to create something for my German-speaking family members to have. Plus, it would just be cool to write with him.
Secondly, to get on mainstream radio in any country, mostly England or Germany, To turn on the radio and hear a song I've written and sung would be crazy. And finally, to be an opener for any of these artists would be a dream: Lily Allen, Paramore, or Billie Eilish”