Lola Lamour brings back vintage style, perfectly capturing the glamour of the 1950s. We were intrigued to know what makes her tick so we leapt at the chance for a chat!
EP: What’s the Lola Lamour story?
LL: Well I have been a professional singer for 9 years now. I started almost by accident by just getting up to sing with a friend’s Band as a bit of a joke but it all seemed to snowball quite quickly and before I knew it, I was singing professionally and making a good living. It soon progressed to Bands of my own and I have now got into writing for the Lamour’s too. You never know how much you can do until you try. I never thought I would go into music as a career but I love it!
 EP: How difficult is it to work with a 13 piece band?
LL: The main difficulty is getting everyone together! We all get on well and it is fun when we do manage rehearsals! They can be quite loud too when everyone is talking and warming up at once! It is quite a luxury to have that many great musicians backing me up. There is so much going on and I can react to anyone of them during a live show. It makes it a challenge and makes things constantly different.
 EP: What are your musical influences and why?Â
LL: I have grown up listening to fantastic singers such as Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald and Doris Day. As a teenage girl the epitomised all I longed to be…..glamorous and sultry with amazing voices that pulled you into a song. I love that early music when there was a transition from the Big Band sound to solo performers. All the greats started singing with Bands and they would just be called a “stand up” singer. They would walk to the mic in the middle of a tune and just sing a vocal refrain. During the 40’s, singers such as Frank Sinatra broke away from the bands and went on to massive fame as singers/entertainers. People from that era were never just singers, they acted as they sang a song and you believed it. I see myself as part actress and I love performing live where I can entertain.
EP: Tell us about your style – it extends beyond your music.
LL: I have always been into the styles from the past. I love things from the 30’s to the 60’s and have always dressed that way. I have a huge collection of original clothes that I love to collect and wear. A lady was always well dressed and I would never go out without my lippy on! My home too is filled with everything vintage. I love the 50’s era for decor……wonderful explosions of colour and design.
EP: Talk us through your EP, ‘Looking For Love’.
LL: Well that was a collaboration with a good friend called Andy Dawson. My husband also plays in bands and they have worked together many times. I got together with Andy and we worked on songs for an EP. We wanted something modern with a retro twist. I also met up with the writer David Lowe. He has written everything from the theme tune to the BBC News to many hits for the band “Touch and Go” He gave me a riff that me and Andy then developed into the song “A Little Of What You Fancy.”
 EP: Favourite song/artist right now?
LL: At the moment I have been listening to a lot of Dolly Parton. She is an amazing talent. I have seen her live and she is just fantastic. Her personality reaches out to you. She can play a huge range of instruments and write the most wonderful songs. She always tells a story in her writing. Another true entertainer!
 EP: If you were starting out in music all over again, what would you change if anything, and why?
LL: I would probably start a bit earlier. It was always my husband that did the music thing and I just went with him to gigs and sang in the bath! I tend not to dwell on ‘what if’s’ though as I feel everything happens in life for a reason and different stages of your life take you down different paths. If I had started earlier, I may have missed out on some other great happening in my life.
 EP: What do you do outside of music?
LL: I love the countryside and I am fortunate enough to live in it. I love walking as I have two dogs and I love wildlife and my garden. I have quite a big veggie patch and love to grow our own food and I am an avid cook. I love baking and hand make everything that we eat if possible. I also love classic cars and antique hunting but I don’t get a lot of time off to do much of that these days.
EP: What question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview, but nobody ever does?
LL: How I made my first million!!! Ha Ha!
For more information about Lola Lamour and to purchase her music, visit Lolalamour.net. You can also find Lola on Facebook and SoundCloud.
Saw you in Stafford Lola fell in love.lol.thought you were wonderful and told every one.