Meet Lola Bates | Recording Musician, Songwriter, Composer, Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lola Bates and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lola, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Being an artist was never a choice. It was something I grew into from a young age. With an undeniable relationship to music, music listening, and musical expression I’ve wanted to pursue this path since I was a teen. Growing up in Los Angeles I was surrounded by music industry professionals, mentors, collaborators, and supportive family members who’ve shown me that one can become successful in this career, helping me build a foundation with hope for my future!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Raised in the hills of Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, my musical roots connect deeply to nature, vinyl and the historic ‘lady of the canyon’, Joni Mitchell! I was brought up in a musical household where one can find extraordinary artists and industry veterans on any given day, which has shaped the songwriter, composer, producer and business-woman that I am today. Also an avid vinyl enthusiast, my influences range from Fleetwood Mac to jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, and many other artists including Lana Del Rey, Caroline Polachek, Minnie Riperton, Joni Mitchell, Talking Heads, and Elton John. With a background as a classical pianist, and a lasting curiosity and passion for music, I also love to study voice professionally, electric bass, guitar and percussion — all of which I perform on my forthcoming debut EP, ‘Love Land.’

At the age of 22, I can say that I have already had an – interesting – career! In 2022, my band and I supported the American leg of Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains’ Brighten Tour, and I then went on to join as keyboardist in Cantrell’s band on the European and 2023 US tour. Traveling and playing music has since become a passion of mine, and I feel forever positively influenced by these first tours as a budding professional musician, supported by one of the greatest rockers in grunge history.

At the start of my career age 12, I performed the piano work for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 at Capitol Records Studios, and went on to perform with the London Symphony Orchestra as the solo pianist for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, at Abbey Road studios at age 15. These being the first professional experiences I had, were surreal moments and helped me overcome any fears I may have had entering a recording studio. My vocal chops can also be heard on artist’s albums such as Jerry Cantrell’s “Brighten,” and movie and TV scores such as the “John Wick: Chapter 4” score, Adult Swim’s “Unicorn,” and Disney World’s “Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind” roller coaster attraction. It has been a pleasure to work alongside my father, Tyler Bates, and fellow producer, band-member, and collaborator as a session musician and vocalist on his scores. These opportunities have helped me learn how to freely improvise and to understand cinematography in a new light. I can also hear this influence trickling down into my own original music as I keep expanding on more cinematic vocal melodies and harmonies!

These opportunities led me to place a cover song of mine, “Nowhere to Run” by Martha and the Vandellas in the John Wick: Chapter 4 soundtrack album earlier this year, which you can now listen to on all streaming platforms! Recorded at East West Studios with drummer Nick Wilkerson and bassist Sam Wilkerson of White Reaper, this upbeat, punk rock approach on the motown classic reached the ears of director, Chad Stahelski, and ended being an awesome fit for the movie. It was amazing to hear the song while watching the movie on the big screen, and I am so grateful!

On a more personal note, I am gearing up to release my debut EP. “Love Land,” this November. I’m excited to show listeners and industry folks the unique musical soundscape and lyrical world I’ve created around the concept of Love. You can hear my three singles from the EP “Body & Soul,” “Apartment of Dreams,” and “When the Rain Falls,” released with music videos that I have co-produced and co-directed out now. From spending hours alone in my room listening to countless records to touring the world with a rock n roll icon, my influences have rooted me in a foundation for a career that I am really excited about and enthused to be sharing with you!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As an LA Native and a natural host, one of my favorite things to do is give friends tours of the city when they’re in town! Places you have to try if you’re looking for a unique food experience are Cactus Taqueria (a family-owned taqueria with a few locations around town), Sushi Katsu-ya in Studio City (a romantic, homey sushi place on Ventura Blvd), Grand Central Market in DTLA (a food hall with a plethora of different kinds of food to try, everything from Koren BBQ to Currywurst), or the Farmers Market at the Grove in West Hollywood!

If we’re planning to see some live music, I would definitely make a plan to take a friend to the Hollywood Bowl, one of my favorite venues in LA where on any given night you can catch a legendary performance by the LA Phil Harmonic or an amazing artist. A more hidden spot that I love is bar 1642, where they host live ragtime jazz, and gypsy jazz all throughout the week.

To top off the visit, I would bring a friend up the Pacific Coast Highway to Topanga Canyon to shop at Hidden Treasures, a eclectic thrift store located in the canyon, and spend the rest of the afternoon at Point Dume to catch some sun, sand and waves. Spending time in this area brings me a lot of peace and serenity, when eventually I return to the bustling city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have two mentors who have helped shape me as a musician, creative, and spiritually-minded person who deserve a loud shoutout!

I studied under Ganna Parfenova – a Hollywood-based classical piano instructor and conductor for a little over 11 years. Through so many ups and downs, and watching me grow into a teen, Ganna stuck by my side and pushed me over some difficult humps. At a point when I wanted to just drop my sheet music and quit playing piano all-together, she learned that I was not interested in becoming a concert pianist like so many of her students had before, but that I had another passion for songwriting. Instead of studying classical piano as a chore, she changed her style of teaching to relate the music we learned to emotions, stories, nature, and spirituality, which eventually helped me find my own voice in the rigid classical world. I took a liking to the romance of Chopin and Debussy, and became so interested in the intricacies of Rachmaninoff’s harmony that I ended up sticking to it, and letting my piano playing be a guide to songwriting, producing, and learning of other instruments.

I have studied and currently study under Julia Gregory – a Los Angeles-based vocal teacher, dancer, violinist, and playwright for five+ years. She’s been super instrumental in helping me understand how to sing properly, to use my voice as an instrument, and to learn to love my voice. While studying weekly at her home in Sherman Oaks, she also helps me prepare to sing as a session vocalists for movies and TV scores, and gives me songwriting tips. I could say that I am a completely different and more advanced vocalist since working with her five years ago!

Website: https://lolacolettemusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamlolacolette/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lola-bates-28348511b

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lolacolettemusic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPU90drwYEbwcGMx_enyvA

Image Credits
Jim Louvau