Locals Only: LOLA
Chaotic and confident, LOLA are bringing their brand of brash punk rock to Froth & Fury Fest. Here, the four-piece chat new music, what’s next and why friendship trumps all
Interview by Zara Richards // Photos by Rohan Keates
Congrats on playing Froth & Fury Fest! What should we expect from your set?
Billy: We probably would’ve just rolled out of bed, but we’ll give it our all. We aim to be as hectic as possible and set a ‘no rules’ rule. The most fun gigs are the ones that are the most different.
Max: Our shows are hectic without sacrificing any musical tightness.
Billy: Ha, that’s a lie...
We’re hoping it’s a chance to hear your new song, ‘Love It And Leave It’, live. Tell us about this track.
Billy: It’s got very punchy verses. It’s one of the more personal songs – it’s about being anxious and relying on medicine to not be, lying to people and feeling bad about it. That’s the whole ‘Love It And Leave It’ thing.
Sebastian: Sometimes the songs about something real have a lot of soul. If it’s from the heart, that’s some good shit.
You were mates before LOLA started. How important do you think friendship is to the success of the band?
Billy: Really important. I think at some of our first gigs, we were just so happy to be playing for ourselves. We were having fun before we started playing bigger and better gigs.
Sebastian: Yeah, I think our bond of hanging out and having a good time has filtered through the music because the vibes are great, so we’re getting the best out of it.
How would you like Adelaide’s scene to evolve?
Mitchell: I want to see younger bands get up and give it a go. That’s how we did it – we were friends who got up on stage and you can see the good times come through automatically. That’s one of the best things to see in a live show: the band having fun. That’s how it grows.
Sebastian: It’s also super important to inspire younger people. We look [to play] all-ages shows to help in whatever way we can to get the next generation of bands excited.
Are there any up-and-coming bands SA bands on your radar right now?
Billy: Ledfly are fucking awesome. They play really fast and all their songs go for a minute, like our old songs used to.
Sebastian: And Ratbags!
Billy: They’re real young – they’re in early high school!
What do you hope for 2025?
Billy: We want to tour all over Australia next year and go to Europe again. And our new EP will be out early next year!
Sebastian: Yeah, hopefully by the end of summer. We’d love to write some sick tunes, get them out there and play some sick shows — that’s definitely a priority!
LOLA play Froth & Fury Fest alongside Northlane and Thy Art Is Murder on November 9.
