Cut It Out had the opportunity to speak with the incredible Lana Love. Lana is known as an entrepreneurial powerhouse, alt-pop artist, mental advocate, and so much more. Her upcoming and debut self-titled EP releases on October 1.
Cut It Out Magazine: Introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you, what do you do, interests, hobbies, etc.
Lana Love: My name is Lana Love. I am now in Los Angeles, but I am kind of from everywhere. I feel like we all end up here, all artists, at one point or another. As far as hobbies and interests go, I’m vegan. I’m eating a vegan salad right now – it’s one of my favorite things. I’m a pop artist and writer. I write a bunch of different shit.
CIO: Tell us about your upcoming and debut EP. What is the story behind the EP as a whole and it’s songs?
LL: So, this EP is self-titled, and it’s self-titled because I own 100% of it. The past three years, I spent living through a lot of trauma, and this EP is about turning that trauma into beauty and strength.I actually went through great lengths to own my work. I reproduced everything four times. In order to, number one, get everything right sonically, but also every producer that I had gone to had a contract that said that they owned a percentage of it, when really I wrote all of the lyrics – there was always something. I just didn’t have the resources at that time to fight it. So I just started over, started over, and started over, until I found Matt who produced this entire EP from analog to digital, which is really neat. You can’t really use autotune on analog, so it has to be real. All the instrumentation is real, there is not one fake sound. I just love that about this project because that’s what I wanted to put out. I spent so many years being what someone else wanted me to be. There is a falseness to that. There is a fake thing that people thought I was going to be Katy Perry or someone else. That’s not me, I don’t write like that. I really had to honor my realness and step into that and take off my cap and put on my crown.
CIO: So would you call yourself an independent, DIY artist at this point?
LL: Absolutely. Absolutely!
CIO: We talked a little bit about the process of creating and releasing this EP in just a couple days here, so what has been your favorite part in seeing it come to life?
LL: I wanted to piggyback off of the DIY-ness of it. I think the most exciting part of this is everything in my life coming full circle. The release of this is really the start and the beginning of my new chapter. It forced me to ask really hard questions about myself and the people in my life, as well as the way I was operating. I’ve always been really strong but it made me realize that it wasn’t serving me in the way that outputted my strength. That’s the really cool past, is that owning this work and just turning my past traumas into strengths has taken everything out of me and replenished me in a new way. I really feel like the best part about this is that I get to start fresh. The best part about this is that I am releasing my old life and It’s a really cool thingI don’t know if they told you, but I have a Netflix special coming out, that I wrote, on October 12.
CIO: Oh wow! And what is that called?
LL: It’s called Malinche. I wrote the English lyrics, choreographed it, casted it, was in it, and assisted directed it. I had so many roles in this musical and we did it off Broadway, I want to say five years ago, in 2018. We did it off Broadway and then it got the funding to move forward and at that time my work had been taken from me. I’m still in litigation, making sure I get a percentage of what I wrote. That’s kind of a personal note, but the musical is on female empowerment and I was the only woman on the team, and my name was written off. That is why I went to such great lengths to own my own work. I just found out, by the way, two weeks ago that this was coming out. I thought it was dead in the water. For those five years, I thought it was dead in the water, and now it’s coming out, right what my EP is coming out? That’s God! That is God closing the chapter on this beautiful tremulous journey and it really is me stepping into the truth. I will always fight for the truth, no matter how hard it gets. I will always fight for that.That’s something that this EP truly represents.
CIO: That’s amazing. I can definitely say you are one of the most hands-on artist and musician I have ever been able to speak with. Many people would rather write the music, perform, and throw the rest out of the window or hand it off to someone else, but it’s really amazing to see you wanting to be a part of every single process that your name is on.
LL: Thank you. No one has ever said that to me. My heart is pounding because that is something I really strived to do. I always say this, and this is actually a quote from Beyonce but I find it really true in my own work, that you have to cut the table and build it yourself, and then invite the best to sit at it. That’s really what I felt like I did in every aspect of this project is literally cut the world and hand glue it together. Then said, what resources do I have, who do I know, who believes in this and who is really sharp that could help me. It’s been successful up until this point and I’m really excited to see how this release goes. I have planned quite a bit of marketing behind it, and I had no clue about marketing prior to the project. It’s all guerilla really, that’s all marketing really is. It’s marketing and guerilla.
CIO: When you were introduced to us, you were referred to as an entrepreneurial powerhouse, alt-pop artist, and mental health advocate, and now learning that you’re an independent, DIY artist, working on Broadway musicals, on Netflix specials. That’s quite a title to hold! How do you feel that that influences your music and songwriting? Do you feel like you have the power to talk about, speak on, or sing about whatever you want to, versus someone who might be working under the voice of someone else?
LL: Totally. I feel when it comes from you, you wrote the lyrics and are producing it, and have the ability to put words into a melody with chords and hear the production before it happens, there’s something really special about that that no one can take from you. I’ll say absolutely, I feel like I’m informed on the things I had to fight for and I can only speak on those topics because that’s what I know. I always say you can’t sing about what you don’t know. I feel like my whole life has kind of been in service to this project and putting it out, and just speaking on what I’ve lived and how I’ve overcome it.
CIO: Turning onto a more sensitive topic, on how you said you can only speak on the topics you’ve lived through, we mentioned you were a mental health advocate. One of the songs on your EP, titled “Lost Boy”, speaks on those more sensitive topics and reflects on the things you’ve gone through. Do you mind speaking on that?
LL: I think this is the focus track of the EP for many reasons, but most importantly, I am a sexual assault survivor. I wrote this song first off, for myself, to be able to put into words how I felt and that gave me a form of liberation. I think when you go through something like that you’re never the same after. It will always be a part of you. The song is about allowing it to be a part of you and overcoming it in the way that you are reclaiming your femininity, even though it was taken from you. I really wrote this song so that it would be a light in the dark for someone else.
CIO: That really touches me. It’s amazing to see what you’ve been through and how you’re turning it into something beautiful. I know there are a lot of people out there that feel like their only option is to suffer in silence but you’re making your story something that people can relate to. Not a lot of artists will do that, especially on such a sensitive topic. It can be hard to find a positive momentum out of such a negative event. It’s inspiring and amazing to see you becoming a role model for people who might have been in the same position as you.
LL: Thank you. That means so much to me. I did suffer in silence for a really long time, so I know both ways of going about it. There just came a moment where it was like the lyrics “Don’t fuck with Lost Boys” came out. Not in a fuck you way in a mean or hateful way, but like fuck you with love. I don’t need that and I don’t deserve that. I am going to use that and rise above it. In the music video I just shot, I play a storyteller playing guitar in the woods, with heels on and what not. I transform into a golden goddess. I am body painted and completely nude. It is the most vulnerable I have ever felt, completely nude with diamonds on my breasts and covered in gold glitter.
It took me like two weeks to get the gold glitter out of my hair. I just pulled the last piece out right before we hopped on. It really was a moment. The girl who did my body paint, she’s a world champion body painter. Her name is Trina Merry and she is phenomenal. She actually did Malinche with me. That’s how I met her. So, we didn’t even know Malinche was coming out at the time we booked this. It’s crazy! It’s like the universe just went, you are free. You are liberated, you are free, and I was nude, completely naked, nude! It just felt like this moment of I don’t give a flying F anymore. I am free of all of that. It was so neat. I definitely feel like it is a coming to Jesus moment. I think you are going to love the music video. It is very Handmaid’s Tale, haunting, the visuals are insane.
CIO: I was looking through your Instagram and I did see some tidbits from the music video and how even after taking three showers you were still covered in glitter. That’s crazy. Do you have any advice for people who might have experienced something similar to what you went through and might be trying to get to the point you’re at now? I know we had talked about how some people suffer in silence and it’s hard to find that empowerment and light at the end of the tunnel. Any advice or something you can give to someone who is suffering or is looking to be you and be that goddess in the woods who can rise above it?
LL: Yeah, I think firstly you need to take time. Just know that it takes time. You don’t have to be strong about it, it’s going to hit the way it hits. I think it plays on everyone differently, but after you’ve taken the time and have gone through what you have needed to go through, use it and fight. Use it, because that’s actually your purpose. I think we all go through trauma. In my life, I was asking for a purpose. I was looking for something that really, really made sense to me, that really irked me to the point that I went to such great lengths. I know this might sound really strange but I am glad it happened. I got to see the worst of humanity and I got to turn it into something fucking beautiful. I’m proud of that.
CIO: It’s a lot for anyone to go through, and I can only say that I am proud of you. I’m proud of you for releasing this EP and coming above to then turn this around to become a story for others to relate to. You’re definitely a different person now than you were before, and it’s amazing to see your transformation.
LL: I am so happy that we are doing this, I appreciate your words more than you know.
CIO: Thank you! And thank you for doing this interview with us. Just to kind of wrap things up, I know you are about to release your debut EP, but what are some plans we might see from you in the future?
LL: I have another album ready to go. I don’t stop working! I do have one thing coming out that I haven’t announced yet that I would love to announce. I also have an hour long PBS special that is solely me. I’m singing opera, musical theatre, my own stuff, jazz, pop, playing keys, dancing, I’m just doing crazy things in it. That will be coming out in most likely November, so that’s exciting.
CIO: You really have a lot going on! Is there anything you can’t do at this point?
LL: I really cannot play basketball to save my life!
CIO: I can relate to that one, I’m a bit too short for basketball.
LL: I’m really bad, I just can’t play sports.
CIO: But you have music, so you have that going for you! Thank you for doing this, thank you for being here, for your words, your strength, and of course your music. Where can our readers follow you?
LL: @lanalovemusic across the board.
CIO: If you could give Cut It Out one reason why everyone needs to be streaming your EP on October 1, what would it be?
LL: If you want to feel powerful and in charge of your life, then you should listen to this EP. And if you like girl power!
Lana Love’s debut self-titled EP releases on October 1. It is emotional, heartbreaking, powerful, inspiring and so much more. Each track details a different internal battle that Lana has experienced and overcome. She hopes that her words and breathtaking visuals will be enough for others to relate to. The best part of this entire EP is that “Lana became the person that she needed most”, and I believe that is something we should all be striving towards. Overcoming our personal traumas and life struggles is not something anyone should have to do alone, and that’s exactly why Lana’s EP is one we should all be streaming. Lana’s words are powerful enough to reach beyond the speaker of your phone and will be exactly what you need to find your inner warrior and become the person you also need most.
Lana Love
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Cover image by Ashley Osborn
