Kiwi songstress LOVETA is an old soul with a new flavour - here to bring you an energy reminiscent of past-meets-present.
LOVETA A.K.A Lauren Marshall was born and raised in Hawke’s Bay, and is now based in Otautahi, New Zealand. Lauren boasts an extremely diverse creative resume - having spent many years of her career on stage, in front of the camera, and performing all over the world. This extensive experience has allowed Lauren to carefully craft her unique style of musical artistry and bring LOVETA to life.
Taking influence from the divas of the 60’s and 70’s, and inspired by top-tier artists such as YEBBA, Amber Mark, Kim Petras, and Dua Lipa, LOVETA has the commanding stage presence and impressive vocal chops to match the greats. LOVETA combines disco and funk with modern electro-pop, R&B, and dance elements to deliver a fresh and exciting take on classic sounds - enticing you to the dance floor, as well as touching the heart.
In 2021 LOVETA collaborated with fellow Christchurch-based musician and producer, Wulfie, featuring on his synth-heavy electronic love ballad, ‘Love Won’t Run Away’ - her official introduction into the music world.
Her most recent release ‘More Than Fun’ - a soulful nu-disco inspired dance pop anthem, is guaranteed to get you dancing. Teaming up once again with Wulfie, as well as industry heavyweight Simon Gooding on the track, it features pumping bass lines, funky guitars, and show-stopping vocals - sure to surprise and delight.
Thank you for taking this interview! How has the New Year been for you so far as an artist? It's my pleasure, thanks so much for chatting to me! I'm grateful that this year has been pretty busy and productive so far. Working on lots of music for my upcoming EP which comes out in a couple of months time, playing a tonne of gigs, and finding balance between music and time for myself. Can you tell us how you've transformed from the beginning to now as an artist? I've done a lot of learning and growing over the years, and I've been very lucky to have a lot of different creative experiences working as a professional vocalist, writing music in the background, and crafting my personal sound. I would say the last six months or so have shaped me a lot as I've been able to focus solely on my original music, learning the ropes of the music industry, and building my confidence and personal identity as an artist. I've been collaborating with some wonderful creatives who have guided me to the point I'm at now, and I'm excited to see where the next six months will take me! How did you come up with your latest project? My most recent single 'More Than Fun' came about when my co-writer and producer and I were playing around with some beat ideas, and came up with a house instrumental. We had been listening to a lot of different artists such as Silk Sonic, Kylie Minogue, and Dua Lipa at the time and got really inspired to turn it into a funky dance track with a bit of a disco vibe. We ran with that concept and the track sort of wrote itself from there, and once we added some retro guitars, synths, and strings, we felt like we had found the sound we were looking for - a modern pop song with a touch of nostalgia! Where are you from originally? I'm originally from Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. Where do you live now? I've travelled a lot and lived all over the place, but have now come home to New Zealand, and am currently based in Christchurch. Do you think where you live impacts how your music is made? I definitely think it has a huge impact on the musical process - Christchurch is like one big town, and while we have a thriving music scene here, it's definitely not a hub for pop music as such. There is a lot of indie/folk/rock music made here, but it worked out perfectly for me that my co-writer/producer, Wulfie, has an amazing studio here and really understands the pop/dance genre, so I've had all the tools we need to create the music I want to make. What was the inspiration to make music your career? I've been performing my whole life - singing, dancing, acting, playing guitar, and writing music, so without sounding cliche, I feel like it's been something I've felt was meant to happen. I began with studying musical theatre, and from there spent a lot of time on stage and I guess I'm lucky that I've had a steady musical career before deciding it was time to pursue my journey as an artist. Honestly, music is the one thing that has stayed with me consistently over the years, and there's nothing else I'd rather be doing! How do you want to shape your career? I'd love to shape my career into a legacy - something that I'm proud of and that lives on. Ideally I'd like to keep consistently working on my craft with other talented creatives, and get to a place where I'm reaching international audiences, touring, and then seeing what other amazing opportunities come from there! Do you work on a tight timeline always or do you go with the flow when it comes to your music? I like to go with the flow with everything I do in life - especially music. I don't like to put too much pressure on the process, because creativity is super fluid. I like to have goals or targets in the back of my mind to aim for, and that keeps me on track, but I believe that things come together the way they are supposed to at the right time. How did your latest title of your music come to be? It was a title that came naturally during the writing process - the lyrics in the chorus of the song are "Bring me to life now baby, you've got me thinking this could be more than fun". It also worked perfectly because the idea of the track was to be a feel-good dance anthem that encouraged you to let go and have fun, or 'More Than Fun'! Is it hard to let go of the music when it is done? Yes, it's still something I'm learning to do at the moment; detach from opinions and the final outcome. I try to treat every song as a feeling/vibe that I had at that time, and it's one of many more to come. I feel like as long as I'm happy with how the song turns out, I can let go of it a bit easier. Do you feel an emotional attachment to your music? Yes, absolutely. All of my songwriting comes from an emotional place, that's what drives it. I think it's especially important for the vocal delivery, and to make sure the energy is consistent between the lyrics, and musical arrangement. I don't really get too attached to any of my songs emotionally, but they do all have a special place in my heart as they reflect an authentic moment in my journey. How would you describe your music in one word to someone who hasn't listened to it yet? I could use a lot of words to describe my music but in one word - authentic. Where do they go to listen NOW? You can listen to my music on all of your favorite streaming services - just search LOVETA and give me a follow! What has been the best fan reaction to your music? The best reaction I've had to my music so far is funnily enough from my friend's grandmother - she described it as "sexy and funky" Is there anything exciting coming up for you? There are so many exciting things coming up, but unfortunately I can't tell you about all of them yet! My single 'More Than Fun' is out everywhere on May 20th, with more songs coming out in upcoming months leading up to the release of my debut EP. So keep an eye out! Are you performing the song anywhere LIVE? I play live gigs every week, but I'm planning a special show very soon... the date for that will be announced soon!
Give us all your socials and links so fans can link up with you!
https://www.instagram.com/loveta.music/
https://www.facebook.com/loveta.music
https://www.tiktok.com/@loveta.music
https://twitter.com/lovetamusic
https://soundcloud.com/lovetamusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS_QnbkPJRfNKap9l-D32rA